key concepts Flashcards
Give definition for norms
Give an example of Norms
How do norms help society
How are norms enforced
✅️provide guidelines on appropriate and expected behaviour in specific social settings such as classrooms, cinemas, and aeroplanes.
✅️People are usually expected to sit quietly while watching the film
✅️Provides order in society and allow it to function smoothly
✅️Through positive and negative sanctions
Give definition for values
Give an example of Values
How do values vary cross-culturally and give an example
✅️Ideas and belief about what is desirable and worth striving for
✅️ Value placed on top examination grades,privacy, and respect for human life
✅️ Differ from one culture to another
For Eg, in Western societies,wealth and material possessions are often worth highly valued and worth striving for
Give a definition : culture
Given an example of : culture
How does it vary?
✅️ refers to the whole way of life of a particular society’s value and norms ,customs,belief,knowledge,skills, and language
✅️ Roast pigs are a traditional delicate in Ecuador, while guinea pigs are often kept as family pets in the uk
Or
Football on a Saturday and a roast on a Sunday in britian
✅️According to the place and time period
Identity
The idea you have about who you are and your sense of self
Example : (C.A.G.E)
Give a definition : Role
Given an example of :
How does it vary
✅️A part we play in society. Different roles have different Norms associated with them
✅️A working Mom, a mother looking after kids at home and also an employee
✅️We have multiple roles, and sometimes, there’s role conflict
Give a definition : Status
Given an example of : Status
How does it vary
✅️The level of importance a person has or is seen to have in society
✅️Queen has ascribed status
✅️Status can be ascribed status
(status that you’re born with)
or achieved status
(status that you have made for yourself)
Give a definition : Sociolisation
Given an example of : sociolisation
How does it vary:
✅️The process through which we learn the norms, values, and culture of our society
✅️Primary and secondary socialisation
Give a definition : Primary Sociolisation
Given an example of : primary Sociolisation
How does it vary
✅️Socialisation via family during our early years (0-5)
✅️Learning basic norms(language) and values(sharing)
Give a definition : secondary Sociolisation
Given an example of :
How does it vary
✅️ Sociolisation via family and other institutions that act as agents of socialisation
✅️Education,media,peers,workplace,religions
✅️Parsons believe education is a bridge between family and wider society
How does media socialise individuals)
✅️influence of role models
✅️imitation of behaviour
✅️reprensation of groups
How’s does education socialise individuals
✅️Formal Curriculum
✅️Hidden Curriculum
✅️Use of sanctions
How do peer groups socialise individuals
✅️ influence of role models
✅️ peer pressure
✅️use of sanctions
Give a definition : Gender role
Given an example of : Gender role
How does it vary
✅️ Characterisitcs and behaviour that are expected from and associated with males and females in society
✅️Boys should be tough, grils should be caring,
✅️Gender role socialisation
how is Gender role socialisation implemented in family, education, and media
✅️through canalisation(giving of toys/clothes)
✅️through manipulation(differential treatments)
✅️In school, through gendered subjects,textbooks,hidden curriculum and expectations from teachers, etc
✅️In the mida through representations of gender in films, etc
Give a definition: Social control
Given an example of: social control
How does it vary
- The means by which social order is kept in society.
-Informal and formal social control
Give two important value
- An important value in our society is acquiring wealth. This means to acquire money, land, property
etc… and to live a comfortable life.
2.Another important value in our society is to maintain good health. This means we value good
physical and mental wellbeing. We tend to take care of our bodies physically, intellectually, socially
and emotionally.
Examples of values in a global context
- A value in India is to respect ancestors and Gods. In India, Hindus tend to view and
value the ‘cow’ as a sacred object. - Many Native American Indian tribes such as the Sioux, value bravery. To have
courage and protect was of great importance. See Chief Sitting Bull to the right
Ascribed Status
Ascribed status refers to the status you have at
birth.
Ascribed status is usually fixed for example
gender and race.
For example, being a son is an
example of ascribed status
Achieved Status
achieved status refers to status which is earned and is based on merit. People work hard to achieve
their status. This could include achieving qualifications. Achieved status is common in the western
world (Europe and America). All of you here aim to achieve your status through passing your exams
and achieving high results. For example, a teacher or a doctor is an example of achieved status.
Role models in peer groups can socialise people in what way
Some members of the group are likely to have more power and influence. Others
may follow them.
PEER PRESSURE in peer groups can socialise people in what way
Peer groups may pressure members to follow its norms and values such as joining in group
activities of following a dress code
Informal sanction in peer groups can socialise people in what way
If an individual does not conform to the group norms,
they might be ignored or left out. If they follow group norms, this might lead to invitations to
events!
Formal Curriculum in education can socialise people in what way
- National Curriculum (1988)
- Structured and set lessons.
- Fully aware of this.
give definition for hidden curriculum
- Messages, norms, and values passed on to
children without them realizing.
Hidden Curriculum in education can socialise people in what way
media violence in media can socialise people in what way
who is the sociologist who came up with this viewpoint
It has been argued that violence on television or in films and video games might lead
impressionable children or young people to copy the violence in real life. Albert Bandura
found evidence of this is his experiment with the Bobo Doll.
religion can socialise people in what way
Religion teaches individuals what to believe and how to live their lives. In Christianity, this is reinforced
through the 10 commandments. These are rules or guidelines which outline how individuals should
conduct themselves in everyday life
through positive sanction and negative sanctions (going heaven)
(going hell)
Nature vs Nurture
The debate: Do we act and behave the way we do because we are born to do so (nature) or do we
act the way we do because we have been taught to do so by the agents of socialisation (nuture).
give 4 points for Nature
- Behaviour is mostly determined by our genetics.
- Scientists suggest we inherit behaviour traits from our parents, just
like we would eye colour. - Scientists argue that sexuality, intelligence and maternal instinct are
all coded in the genes. - Use the example of the Jim Twins to support this view.
give 4 points for Nurture
- Sociologists tend to argue that nurture is more significant and that human behaviour is mostly
learned. - Individuals are socialised into the culture of their family and society and taught how to live in
society by the agencies of socialisation. - Intelligence and maternal instinct are a result of nurture.
- Cultural diversity: All societies and cultures would be similar if behaviour was natural.
evidence for nature
Jim twins had many similarities in their lifestyles and thought processes despite being split at birth
evidence for nuture
- Cultural diversity: All societies and cultures would be similar if behaviour was natural.
*After her parents abandoned her, Oxana Malaya lived with a pack of dogs for nearly five years — and picked up some dog-like behaviours during her time with them.
feral children
Feral means ‘wild’ or ‘unsocialised’. Feral children have been removed from normal human contact
and have missed normal processes of human socialisation. They have not learned social behaviour
and are unable to participate as humans within their society. This proves human behaviour is
learned (oxana malaya)
what is cultural diversity
cultural diversity refers to difference in culture. Cultural diversity is evidence of the nurture debate.
Norms, values and customs vary considerable between different cultures. They change over time,
between groups within a society and between countries
Subcultures
If the culture of a group is distinct and different from the culture of the majority population in terms
of its values or norms, it is known as a subculture. Subcultures could have very different tastes in
fashion and music.
Cultural diversity across the world
In Britain it is the custom to say ‘thank you’ after a meal, whereas Inuit’s from Canada break wind!
* In India and Japan, all food on a plate should be finished to show the meal was enjoyed.
* In China clearing your plate is considered rude- not enough food.
* Slurping soup in Japan is socially acceptable, but regarded as rude in Britain.
social control
Refers to the process whereby society tries to ensure its members keeps to the laws, norms and
values of that society and the approved ways of behaving. This is achieved through socialisation and
the use of sanctions.
informal social control
refers to the influence of socialization on us and the sanction used by informal agents of socialisation such as peer group, family, media, and school
examples of informal control
Examples:
Families could reward children when they are
well behaved and successful.
Families could ground a child or withhold
pocket money for unacceptable behaviour.
At school:a teacher may praise a child for good
work.
A disruptive child could be removed.
What is formal Control
Refers to the control enforced by the government to
make people obey its laws and the organisations that
carry this out, such as the police and law courts and
sometimes the army.
Examples of formal control
*If an individual breaks the law
the police have many formal
sanctions such as cautions,
arrests, charging
*The courts can impose
punishments such as fines and
imprisonments.
Gender Identity
Families help socially construct gender roles through primary
socialisation.
Feminist Anne Oakley suggests families socialise their children into a particular gender….
Canalisation- Parents push their children to act in certain ways. This is the more obvious of the
two, there is no false pretense. This is normally done in ways such as buying
certain toys or painting bedroom walls certain colours.
manipulation -parents encourage their children to behave in certain ways and discourage
others, on the basis of what they consider normal (and correct) for a male or
female child. This is normally done subtly. I.e. its ok for boys to play in the mud
and play fight but not girls.
Education and Gender Identity
1.Peer Groups
Boys tend to dominate classes.
In the playground boys dominate by spreading out and playing ball games such as football, whereas
girls are more often to be found on and around the edges, chatting or skipping (primary school!)
Education and Gender Identity - sue lee
Some peer groups might encourage double
standards of sexual morality. Boys might be
encouraged to be sexually promiscuous and see it
as a means of gaining status in the male peer
group whereas they will condemn girls.
Sue Lee found that its acceptable for boys to be
sexually promiscuous and that such boys were
regarded as a ‘bit of a lad’ by their peer groups. A
different standard was applied to girls, and girls
who were sexually promiscuous were likely to be
heavily disapproved of and called ‘slags’ or ‘sluts’.
media & stereotyping (gender)
Children and young people might look to individuals in the media as role models and might copy the
way they look and dress, how they behave and what their values appear to be.
Stereotyping refers to presenting an untrue, oversimplified and generalised picture of a member of
a social group such as always showing women in adverts as housewives and mothers and neglecting
their roles in the work place.
Video games and gender
Video games are often accused of gender stereotyping and showing women either as helpless and or
as sex objects. The first video game to use a female lead was tomb raider in 1996.
The use of Lara Croft as the character the game player ‘enacted’ answered
criticisms that women were always played as damsels in distress and that a
brave , capable, clever action hero was always male. But she still conformed
to other stereotypes of women.
what is ethnity
Ethnicity or ethnic group usually refer to a group of people who share a culture, history and way of
life. They may share a common nationality i.e. ‘British’. This can include shared language, religion,
clothing, food, music and art. Ethnicity is a social concept. Race refers to ones biological
characterises for example the colour of your skin
how do families socialise children with their ethnic identity
Families have an impact on ethnic identity by the culture, attitudes and values they live with and pass
on to their children. Families might encourage children to have an ethnic identity by the language
spoken in the home, the food eaten, the clothes worn, the festivals and traditions followed and the
music and other arts enjoyed.
The following 3 areas teach ethnic
groups they are different:
o Ethnocentric curriculum.
o Teacher attitudes.
o Setting and streaming.
Ethnocentric curriculum
refers to studying or looking at another culture, from the perspective of
your own.
what is streaming
Streaming refers to putting students into similar ability groups for all lessons.
what is setting
refers to putting students into similar ability groups for some lessons. For example top set
maths, but a mixed ability group in Sociology.
Family and National Identity
Families might support Great Britain at the Olympics Games, BUT there is national rivalry within Britain
between England, Ireland and Wales and Scotland, particular in sports such as rugby and football.
Children might be encouraged to support a parent’s national team and encourage a national identity.
education and national identity
Schools might teach national identity by teaching the national
language and religion, celebrating national festivals and singing
anthems and learning folk stories about the history of the country.
* In Northumberland, some schools teach children about
local traditions and try to preserve the Northumbrian
dialect.
* In the USA, children pledge allegiance to the flag every day
peer groups and national identity
Some peer groups promote national identity by encouraging members to be racist towards other
nationalities, or an ethnic identity by racist behaviour towards all people of a different ethnic
background. This could happen at school, but more recently political groups have been formed i.e.
English Defence league.
Social class
Social class refers to a group who share a similar economic and social situation. This includes;
* People who have similar experiences (or perhaps a shared culture)
* People who earn a similar amount of money.
Family and Social Class
Families will influence their children’s identities by the way they are socialised.
* Upper and middle class families are more likely to have a form of language, attitudes, and values
that will help their children to succeed at school.
* They pass their way of living on to their children.
* Working class parents do not always have the appropriate culture to transmit to their children.
Their children are more likely to underachieve at school
Role of peer groups in creating class identities
A peer group might be made up of members of the same social class. Peer groups might put pressure
on its members to do certain things and behave in ways seen as inappropriate. For example
encouraging each other to mess about at school and to have fun by disobeying teachers and school
rules
Gender
A role, with norms and expectations of how to act, linked to whether you are male or
female. Gender is not the same as biological sex.
Social construction
Something that is shaped and created by society. I.e. gender, childhood and crime.
Social cohesion
The situation in which there are strong, tight bonds and a sense of agreement between
members of society
