Concepts

Question 1

Values

Answer 1

General principles or beliefs which the majority of society follow eg forming orderly queues reflects the values of order and fairness, values provide themes which stem from social norms (Anne Oakley, values in gendered behaviour), disagreement about who’s values are dominant in society; rich, politicians etc?

Question 2

Status

Answer 2

Status is a persons social standing within society, based on honour, prestige or social standing within a particular group. Ascribed status = earned, given to a person eg the royal family inherited status, blood relation. Achieved status = earned, based on merit/ talent eg Alan sugar, originally from working class background, now ‘super rich’, associated with Marxists social class. BNP have status inside party but not outside, only relevant in context.

Question 3

Roles

Answer 3

Patterns of behaviour; Routines or responses acted in everyday life, eg being a student or sibling, roles are closely associated with expected forms of behaviour. Role conflict happens when certain roles conflict with each other eg students and employees, roles develop through social processes, born into some son/daughter

Question 4

Norms

Answer 4

An agreed form of behaviour that the majority of society follow(not fixed) eg forming queues (fox 2004) deviance = not following norms, shared norms are ‘social glue’ binding individuals together; people disagree at where they come from, upper class/ role models? Madell (2006) 91% of young people own a mobile phone

Question 5

Culture

Answer 5

contested concept. Beliefs, customs/ ways of life of a group of people in society, williams (1983) culture as a way of life, feature of muslim culture = burka/ turban

Question 6

High culture

Answer 6

Linked with the elite, upper class society, families with ascribed status, Leavis (1933) something to be protected, social closure. Associated with arts such as opera ballet and classical music, lacrosse hunting shooting, for people in privileged position economically/ socially, argued doesn’t exist anymore, super rich can but access to it

Question 7

Youth

Answer 7

A stage of life between childhood and adulthood, Functionalists, transition stage, Abrams = youth is transition stage, Clarke = deviance and rebellion, spectacular subcultures (CCCS) e.g. mods and rockers, ordinary youth

Question 8

Popular Culture

Answer 8

Seen as opposite to high culture, shallow activities enjoyed and accessed by the masses, strinati (1995) media responsible for creation, consumption plays key role, x factor, pop music and consumer goods, postmodernism, borrows idea from high culture/ copies it popularises eg golf, art galleries, Burberry check now symbol of underclass? Positive force coz brings people together, Adorno = preoccupied with trivial

Question 9

Subcultures

Answer 9

A culture enjoyed by a small group in society, minority part of majority culture eg religious groups, traveller, can be spectacular subcultures (CCCS) marxism, emos, hippies, teddy boys, associated with young adulthood, some move away, others stay for life, Postmodernists = neo-tribes

Question 10

Cultural diversity

Answer 10

Culturally embedded differences within society, Parekh (2006) types of diversity, parekh also similar to multiculturalism which is seeking to celebrate difference (Barker 2003) postmodernist

Question 11

Multiculturalism

Answer 11

Different ethnic groups living side-by side in society, Parekh (2006) similar to cultural diversity, Barker (2003) seeking to celebrate difference, postmodernism. such as bangladeshis in east london, china town, multiculturalism related to patterns of immigration, some argue resulted in riots/racial conflict, impossible to live together without conflict?

Question 12

Consumer Culture

Answer 12

Things that we buy and consume based on cultural and economic factors, identity through consumer goods, Lury (1996) large scale business, Currie (1999) media, teen magazines targeted consumer concise males

Question 13

Global culture

Answer 13

Events in one part of world influence anther part, similar to globalisation where national boundaries become less relevant and the world becomes a smaller, more interconnected place, countries less isolated, international spread of media/ travel/ migration McLuhan (1989) ‘global village’, homogeneity, Americanisation, McDonaldisation, politically (world leaders) socially (trends) and economically more intertwined, postmodernist

Question 14

Nature

Answer 14

Biological aspects/ genetic makeup of individuals, blue eyes, hair colour, girls brought up by wolves, feral children have no socialisation Amala and Kamala

Question 15

Nurture

Answer 15

socialisation, upbringing, behaviours that are a result of socialisation, e.g. how hair is worn, Anne Oakley (1970)

Question 16

Primary socialisation

Answer 16

Family, Media, begins at birth and remains with individuals at the early stages of their lives, CITV CBeebies, Day care, nursery

Question 17

Secondary socialisation

Answer 17

Education, Workplace, peers, Religion, becoming mor independent, at beginning of education, parents begin to lose controlling of what exposed to, spend more time away from home, at school and with peers

Question 18

Formal social control

Answer 18

Formal aspects of socialisation, school, university, large workplaces, sanctions put in place when deviating from norms, formal warning about punctuality is persistently late, written rules e.g. police and courts Blackman (1995) new wave girls rebel societies control of girls behaviour

Question 19

Informal social control

Answer 19

Family, peers, media, socialised into accepting behaviours of culture, grounded/ losing time on computer if deviating from family norms e.g. not respecting parents, left out of group activities with peers, peer pressure, Oakley (1970) gender socialisation, controlled into gendered identities, Gauntlett (2002) magazine advice on how to be attractive, controlling gender

Question 20

Gender identity

Answer 20

the ways in which men and women are expected to behave in society, socially constructed behaviours Ann Oakley (1970) canalisation, manipulation, verbal appellation, different activities

Question 21

Masculinity

Answer 21

the different ways/ expected behaviours associated with males Currie (1999) consumer consious males, Connell, hegemonic, subordinate, marginalised, complicit masculinities, icon = david beckham

Question 22

Femininity

Answer 22

different ways/ expected behaviours associated with females blackman (1995) new wave girls, jackson lads and ladettes rejected normative/ passive femininity, icon = kylie minogue

Question 23

Social Class

Answer 23

marxism 
social class related to ecomonic position and 'means of production', where someone lives, occupation, super rich, upper, middle, working, under, Bourdieu (1986) cultural capital

Question 24

Ethnicity

Answer 24

A persons cultural heritage, white majority also have ethnicity, Cutice and heath ‘little englanders’, Hewitt WC males injustice, Fenion ENR ethnicity, nationality, race interchangeable, Said, bothering, occurs in wests construction of the orient as exotic

Question 25

Ethnic hybrid

Answer 25

a mixing of cultures to form new ones, influenced by globalisation, halloween = american culture, food= curry houses, indians, tikka masala = number one UK dish in 2006, john and bains, ‘dual identities’ and ‘code switching’ in Asians.

Question 26

Old age

Answer 26

being 85 and over, gaining pensions from state, free public transport, free prescriptions. Victor (2005) period of loneliness, ill health, inability to learn and dependancy on others. Mckingsley ‘oldest old’

Question 27

Middle age

Answer 27

stage of development lying between young adulthood and old age, when children left home, height of career, muncie (2004) stereotyped as time of crisis, influences popular culture, Victor, period in 40s and 50s, bradley, middle age brings with it higher status than either old age or youth

Question 28

Identity

Answer 28

Can relate the collective/ individual issues, Jenkins (2004) identity fraud, identity cards government controlling issues of citizenship, collective = national/corporate, Postmodernists say it is main way individualism, status, difference achieved, Woodward (2000) and Bradley (1996)