Key concepts

Question 1

Culture relativity

Answer 1

The idea that what is normal in one culture is different in another.

Question 2

Culture

Answer 2

Shared way of life of a group of people. It includes norms, beliefs, values and languages.

Question 3

Cultural universal

Answer 3

A social behaviour that is globally common to all societies.

Question 4

Norms

Answer 4

Unwritten informal rules for how someone should behave in a given situation. For example, how to eat with a knife and a fork.

Question 5

Values

Answer 5

Shared beliefs that societies see as important and worthwhile.For example, acquiring wealth in the UK.

Question 6

Morals

Answer 6

Ideas about what behaviour is right and wrong.

Question 7

Roles

Answer 7

The ‘part’ played by someone in a particular situation. Each role has a collection of norms that go with that position.

Question 8

Role model

Answer 8

Someone who is respected or looked up to by others.

Question 9

Status

Answer 9

The position you have in society and the amount of respect that position has. It can either be ascribed or achieved.

Question 10

Identity

Answer 10

How we see ourselves and how others see us.

Question 11

Cultural diversity

Answer 11

The difference between cultures around the world. People in different cultures follow different rules and have different norms and values.

Question 12

How does cultural diversity support nurture theory?

Answer 12

The range of different cultures that exist, for example, foods, clothes, languages suggest that behaviour is learnt rather than innate. If behaviour was innate then there would not be so many differences around the world.

Question 13

What is the nature argument?

Answer 13

Our behaviour is predetermined by our genetic makeup. Just as we inherit physical chaacteristics so can we inherit other traits such as intelligence and personality. The idea that some behaviour is innate is alredy proven by the existence of instincts. Additionally, studies of identical twins who have been brought up apart show many similarities such as inteligence levels. Similarly, women are generally more caring because maternal instincts are coded into their genes.

Question 14

What is the nurture argument?

Answer 14

Our behaviour is learnt from agencies of socialisation and is the result of our upbringing in society. Evidence from the existence of feral children prove that basic skills must be taught as they are not innate. Additionally, the existence of cultural diversity.

Question 15

What is a feral child?

Answer 15

A feral child is a human child who has been isolated from human contact from a very young age and has little or no experience of human care and behaviour or of human languages.

Question 16

Explain the Oxana case study?

Answer 16

Oxana was an 8-year old feral child living in Ukraine,having lived most of her life in the company of dogs because her alcoholic parents ignored her. She picked up a number of dog -like habits such as growling, barking and smelling food. She found it difficult to understand and learn language. and was regarded as”intelectually damaged”.

Question 17

Why might feral children find it difficult to fit into society?

Answer 17

• have not been taught the norms and values of society
• unable to talk and hence unable to communicate with others

Question 18

What is the primary agent of socialisation?

Answer 18

Family

Question 19

What is primary socialisation?

Answer 19

The process that takes place within the family and is where we are taught attitudes, skills, knowledge, norms and values. It is how children learn to behave and what to believe and is important because we can’t function without it.

Question 20

Why is primary socialisation important?

Answer 20

Feral children such as Oxana cannot fit into society as they never underwent primary socia. Children will often imitate the adults around them and accept the norms and values they are shown. If children don’t have the basics down they will find it difficult to move on to secondary socialisation.

Question 21

How does the family socialise children?

Answer 21

Manipulation (parents control their behaviour), Canalisation (and direct children into certain interests,toys,etc.) Negative and positive sanctions (rewards and punishment to encourage/ discourage behaviour), Verbal appellations (‘good girl’, ‘strong boy’), role modelling and imitation(copying their parents)

Question 22

What are agents of socialisation?

Answer 22

The people or groups that play a part of the process of socialisation and help to teach us norms and values.

Question 23

What is secondary socialistaion?

Answer 23

This is when we learn norms, values and our culture from agents of socialisation outside of the family. It occurs in later childhood and adulthood and here we learn how to behave and act in the situations we find ourselves in.

Question 24

How may the peer group socialise others?

Answer 24

> Some members of the peer group have more influence and might become role models for others to follow.
Peer pgroups may put pressure on its members to follow its norms and values (peer pressure). This can be positive or negative
Peer group may use informal sanctions. If an individual does not conform they may be shunned or left out.

Question 25

How are we socialised by the education system?

Answer 25

The existence of the formal and hidden curriculum. The formal curriculum includes the set subjects students are taught and what they learn in those subjects. The hidden curriculum refers to the messages, norms and values that are passed on to children throughout the day without them realising it. For example, if, in a primary school, most teachers are female, but the head teacher is male, young children might see men as superior.

Question 26

How does the media socialise individuals?

Answer 26

The media is anything that sends messages to a mass audience. Children might be influenced by role models followed in the media and might copy their behaviour. The media might influence the way people think about certain groups by the way they present and label them.

Question 27

How does religion socialise people?

Answer 27

Religion provides people with a moral code to follow (ten commandments). Religion acts as agencies of informal social control ny reinforcing the norms of goodgood or bad actions. Those who have been righteous will be rewarded in the afterlife; those who have sinned will be punished for eternity.

Question 28

What is gender identity?

Answer 28

How we think of ourselves and how others think of us in terms of our gender. We believe this to be socially constructed.

Question 29

Gender role socialisation?

Answer 29

The process whereby boys and girls learn waht is acceptable behaviour for their sex. Gender roles are socially constructed, this means that the roles people perform or take on are not a result of natural differences, but are a result of how they are defined in that particular society. Children are taught these gender roles by agents of socialisation.

Question 30

How are gender roles constructed and socialised in the family?

Answer 30

Ann Oakley refers to these ways:

> Role models/imitation : Boys may copy their father doing DIY as this is a masculine thing to do in society.
Manipulation: Parents encouraging different behaviours from boys and girls - using sanctions.
Canalisation: Directing children into doing certain behaviours associated with femininty or masculinity, respective of their gender e.g. buying prams and kitchen sets for little girls.

Question 31

How are gender roles socialised by schools?

Answer 31

One way, Subject choices, boys are urged into STEM subjects whereas girls are urged into the humanities and the arts. Another way is, gendered regimes such as girls play netball, boys play rugby.

Question 32

How are gender roles socialised by the media?

Answer 32

Imitation: Boys may aspire to be like famous sporting male personalities and girls super-thin, beautiful models.

Gender stereotyping: Women are typically shown as sex objects or helpless in video games. Such as Lara Croft and even thought she didn’t take on the typical “Damsel in distress” role, she was dressed in tight, short clothing and had her female physical features emphasised.

Question 33

How are peer groups socialised into their gender?

Answer 33

Peer pressure to conform to social norms regarding gender for example, the type of clothing worn. Informal sanctions and rewards for not following gender roles within the group for example, not having an interest in football, cars and computers.

Question 34

Margaret Mead’s research into gender roles.

Answer 34

She was an anthropologist that studied tribes in New Guinea and found they had different ideas about gender than Westerners. In the Tchambuli tribe, the men were quiet, emotional, sat around gossiping and were seen as delicate whereas the women where bossy and dealt with finances. Mead could not speak the language which reduces reliability and the research was an overt observation sso behaviour could have been altered.

Question 35

How do families socialise children into their class identity?

Answer 35

Different values - upper and middle class parents may pass on a set of values that encourage long-term planning such as educational achievement.

Different language codes - there may be some differences in language, such as the ability to negotiate, more complicated syntax/vocabulary.

Question 36

How do families socialise children into their ethnic identity?

Answer 36

Following traditions, festivals and customs such as food and dress - If the parents do such, the children will follow and recognise it’s value.

role models and sanctions - children may have to speak their particular language at home and with family and sanctions may be applied if children do not follow norms and values

Question 37

How do families socialise their children into a national identity?

Answer 37

The language spoken at home and festivals celebrated through role models and imitation.

Also, supporting national teams and making a major thing out of international competitions.

Question 38

How does school socialise children into their class identities?

Answer 38

Labelling - Middle class pupils are more likel to end up at the top of the classes because teachers assume they are ‘clever’, whereas W/C children are more likely to be placed in lower-achieving groups or classes.

Question 39

How do schools socialise children into their ethnic identity?

Answer 39

Their may be racism within the education system. Schools may reinforce positve or negative images of certain ethnic groups by having lower expectations for them.

The school curriculum might be focused on the majority culture,
the school curriculum may be ethnocentric and celebrate the achievements of the
majority culture.

Question 40

How do schools socialise children into their national identity?

Answer 40

Children are socialised into national identities at
school by learning their language or religion, learning their anthem/following sports’
sides for example, in the olympics.

Assemblies- attempt to meet Ofsted’s focus on teaching British Values.

Question 41

How does the media socialise people into their class identity?

Answer 41

Stereotypes: Portray certain groups in a positive or negative light. Programmes or comments in newspapers about unemployed people who rely on benefits might show thems as ‘lazy’.

Stereotypes: Rigid ideas about class can be reinforced in soap operas and documentaries. A simplified, one dimensional view of a person of a certain class can be displayed.

Question 42

How does the media socialise peole into their ethnic identity?

Answer 42

Same way they do for class identiy.

Question 43

How does the media socialise people into their national identity?

Answer 43

Political stances being showed: Encouraging ‘anti-immigration’ stand or encouraging people to ‘make Britain great again’ as in the Brexit campaign.

National sporting events will be shown on Tv and important occasions such as Rememberance Day are televised.

Question 44

What is social control?

Answer 44

The process whereby society tries to ensure its members keep to the laws, norms and values of that society and the approved ways of behaving.

Question 45

What is the first method of social control?

Answer 45

Socialisation - The most effective form since appropiate ways of behaving become ingrained and almost automatic.

Question 46

How do sanctions maintain social control?

Answer 46

Sanctions will be used to encourage people to follow norms or values or to punish those
who break them, informal agents of socialisation such as families and peer groups will enforce the norms and values by informal sanctions of rewards and punishments such as treats or
withholding pocket money. It is designed to encourage or discourage particular behaviour.

Question 47

How does informal social control work?

Answer 47

The use of informal sanctions designed to encourgare us to or discourage us from repeating behaviour. This is carried out by informal agents of socialisation such as the family or peer groups. Sometimes informal social control does not work and formal social control is needed.

Question 48

What is formal social control?

Answer 48

The control enforced by the government to make people obey the written rules and laws. Nonconformity can often lead to serious and negative consequences.

Question 49

How does formal social control work?

Answer 49

The government will try to make members of society follow the rules by formal sanctions,formal social control may be carried out by government organisations such as the police and law courts for people who break the rules by formal sanctions such as arresting them and putting them in prison.