Final answer:
Sanctions are measures used by societies and professional organizations to enforce norms and ethical standards, with informal sanctions involving social disapproval and formal sanctions involving tangible penalties like job termination or legal consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Repercussions for bad behavior or breach of trust that are enforced by a profession or society are called sanctions. There are informal sanctions, such as receiving disapproving looks for wearing inappropriate attire to formal events, and formal sanctions, like expulsion from an institution for violating its code of conduct.
Societies and professional organizations implement these to maintain order and encourage adherence to set norms and ethical standards.
For instance, in the field of science and technology, organizations like the IEEE-CS have adopted codes of ethics that stipulate professional practices and include sanctions for violations to uphold the integrity of the profession.
Similarly, societal values are reinforced through a system of sanctions which can range from cultural disapproval to legal penalties such as fines or imprisonment. This system underlies the concept of social control, guiding behaviors towards the expectations of a community.