Final answer:
Social control in the political process involves regulating behaviors to maintain order. Political socialization and political culture help shape an individual's political personality and collective political identities. Laws and informal cultural customs serve as mechanisms for social control.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social Control in the Political Process
Social control in the political process refers to the mechanisms by which behaviors, beliefs, and values are regulated within a society to maintain social order. Political socialization and political culture are two pivotal means through which this is achieved. The process of political socialization involves the development of an individual's political personality based on a blend of influences stemming from family, friends, schools, places of worship, and social media. Furthermore, every country exhibits a political culture, a set of common political attitudes, values, and practices for its citizens that shape their political identities.
Examples of how social control functions include:
Enforcement of laws, such as issuing speeding tickets, to discourage behavior that disrupts social order.
Regulating acceptable social behavior through informal sanctions like social ostracism.
Cultural examples are abundant and vary across societies. In the United States, the enforcement of civil rights laws could serve as an example, while cultural customs, such as dress codes in educational or religious institutions, represent informal mechanisms of societal control.