1.1 Agencies Of Socialisation Flashcards
What is the family the main agency of?
Primary socialisation
Why is a sense of security during early childhood essential?
• to develop a stable personality and learn norms and values
How does the family transmit culture?
Through: • manipulation • language • activities • role models • social control
How does the family transmit culture through manipulation?
Parents encourage certain behaviours and discourage others
e.g encourage daughters to pay attention to their appearance and boys to support football (gender roles)
How does the family transmit culture through language?
- through verbal appellations (Oakley) for example girls are called princess and boys called little soldiers
- labels teach children of societies expectations
How does family transmit culture through activities?
• children are provided with toys through which they learn about wider culture
How does family transmit culture through role models?
• children imitate their parents, they learn from their parents and other adults what social roles are expected of them
How does the family transmit the culture of society through social control?
- Parents use positive sanctions (e.g pocket money) as rewards for appropriate behaviour
- they use negative sanctions (e.g. Grounded) to discourage inappropriate behaviour
How do functionalist a view children and what is the family’s responsibly?
- children are empty vessels
* a parents role is to mould and train the child to become an acceptable member of society
What did parsons (functionalist) say about gender roles in the family?
- it is functional for women to take responsibility for childcare, and for men to be the breadwinners
- socialisation involves learning gender roles - women are expressive, men are instrumental
What are the new right concerned about with regard to the family and why?
- functions lists are concerned about the increase of one parent families
- if the family breaks down it can’t provide adequate socialisation
- without a male role model children may underachieve and behave antisocially
Within education what do children learn to do?
Adapt to a new set of norms and values
In education, through what does socialisation take place?
Through the formal and hidden curriculum
What is the formal curriculum? And how does it pass on culture?
- the written curriculum
* subjects such as English literature and history pass on aspects of culture and contain wider values
What is the hidden curriculum and how does it socialise pupils?
- unwritten curriculum
- consists of rules, regulations and routines and interactions in school life that socialise pupils into aspects of culture
What values do the hidden curriculums teach?
- rules, detentions and awards teach conformity to societies laws
- value of competition taught through competitive sports
- grading ability teaches the value of meritocracy
What are the agencies of socialisation?
- family
- education
- the peer group
- religion
- the workplace
- the media
How does education transmit culture?
- manipulation
- canalisation
- role models
- imitation
- social control
How does education transmit culture through manipulation?
Teachers encourage appropriate behaviour (completing homework)
How does education transmit culture through canalisation?
Through activities, for example boys are encouraged to play football at break times
How does education transmit culture through role models?
- Teachers act as role models, as well as head boys/girls and prefects
- lessons teach of historical role models (e.g. Churchill and nightingale)
How does education transmit culture through social control?
Positive sanctions (awards, praise) Negative sanctions (detentions, reports)
How does education transmit culture through imitation?
Children are keen to fit in so they copy this behaviour of their peers
What is the functionalist view of education as a agency of socialisation?
Education functions to transmit shared values that lead to conformity and consensus
What was parsons (functionalist) view of education?
Education is a bridge between family and society
What did Durkheim (functionalist) say about education with regard to social beings?
Education teaches children that they are social beings, that is, part of a wider society through subjects such as history and English
What is the Marxist view of education as an agency of socialisation?
- education is dominated by the hidden curriculum
- encourages children to accept inequality and conformity, preparing them for working class jobs