What is social control? How do social controls become part of everyday life? What role does the criminal justice system play in exerting control? Is the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness a form of social control? Do we need more social controls to prevent terrorist atrocities?

In this clear and engaging new book, James J. Chriss carefully guides readers through the debates about social control. The book provides a comprehensive guide to historical debates and more recent controversies, examining in detail the criminal justice system, medicine, everyday life, and national security.

Assuming no specialist knowledge on the part of readers, he uses a rich range of contemporary examples to illustrate the ways in which social control is exerted and maintained. He discusses events such as the terrorist attacks in London and New York, racial profiling, the use of surveillance cameras, urban ghettos, and the diagnosis of conditions like ADHD.

Social Control will be essential reading for students taking courses in deviance and social control, and will also appeal to those studying criminology, the sociology of law and medical sociology.