AC 4.2 Explain how social changes affect policy development Flashcards
What are social values?
Social values are rules that are shared by most people in a culture. They are more general guidelines than norms. For example, most people feel that the elderly should be respected
What are norms?
These are social expectations that guide behaviour. They keep in check deviant behaviour. For example, in the UK people wear dark sombre colours for a funeral whereas in China the colour of mourning was white
What are mores?
These are morals or good ways of behaving. Norms that a culture would think of as too serious to break, for example, murder or sexual offences against children.
What is society’s changing views regarding smoking?
In the 1930’s it was a social norm to smoke a cigarette. However, as the health implications of smoking were understood people’s views changed. It is now not only frowned on but in certain circumstances illegal. The public had growing concerns about the dangers of smoking cigarettes, which meant the eventual disappearance of doctors from cigarette adverts.
What is society’s changing views of homosexuality?
In the 16th century, homosexual acts were punishable by death. This penalty was removed in the 19th century but the law prohibited any sexual activity between males. Views continued to change and in 1967 homosexuality was decriminalised. However, it was to take several decades before homosexuals received the same rights of heterosexuals. In 2014 the law allowed same sex marriage under the marriage (same sex couples) act 2013
