Summarise and critically evaluate the differences between instrumental Essay

Summarise and critically evaluate the differences between instrumental and normative compliance with the law. Use relevant empir - Essay Example In most countries, it is necessary to use instrumental compliance in order to maintain law and order in the country. If a country does not have the procedures of punishing evil deeds, crimes will be committed randomly and can lead to a failure of a government. In schools, instrumental compliance is practiced every day where the institution offers a reward to a student who performs well. These rewards help in challenging the other students to work even harder. On the other hand, the institution can also punish those students who fail to do a chore or duty. This again will help the other students to shun disobedience. Punishments and rewards are commonly used in public and private institution in order to enhance compliance. In places of works, people who perform well in desired activities end up being promoted to the next level in their career, their status change or they can get a pay rise. In contrast, normative compliance is when people do what they do because they think it is socia lly right. These sets of rules flow from social rules that are internalized. These are the internal feelings and thoughts that make people not to shoplift the items of their neighbors’ shop. Committing such an action is morally wrong and this feeling is what gives most people a sense of law abidance (Smith & Cornish, 2004, p.9). A community penalty occurs when a court or a justice system considers the crime committed punishable by the community. These penalties always require that an individual gets punished through performing some hard chores so that he cannot repeat the mistake again. The bodies that conduct these punishment, in the community level include, the action plan order which helps to enhance the social skills of the offender. It raises awareness on the influences of peer relationships and consequences of offences. Secondly, the offender might be required to attend the community rehabilitation classes where the offenders are taught to obey. Several classes in the c ommunity levels can help the offenders not to commit the crimes again. In a society, rules and regulations that ensure that individuals behave well must exist for people to behave well and avoid punishments of certain crimes. In most cases, the crimes are committed as a result of influences from social group. Different communities punish people different depending on the strictness of the community. In a community, social influence is the process of putting change to the people in the community. The norms of communities might be different but the individuals who belong to that community must be straight enough to respect them. For example, the people might receive direct orders, compliance, conformity, or obedience to the norms. Conformity can work well to reduce the cases of crimes in the society (Knight, 2003, p.55). Why people obey the law Most people obey the law because they think that it is the right thing to do or because they fear being punished. It is advisable for people t o obey the law since it is the right thing to do. This reason makes people not to feel as if the law is a burden to them. Every person should obey the law because it is their duty to do so. In the world today, countries obey the law only when certain offences have been committed or when there is a presence of threat due to breakage of the law. In the absence of these threats, people disobey the rules of the country without any fear. In addition to this, government’s officials in most countries change the law to fit a situation or ignore a situation