Key Concepts Module 1

Question 1

Citizenship

Answer 1

The status of citizenship can be defined by the civil, being rights and freedoms, the political, being right to participate by voting or holding office, and the social, being access to services such as education and welfare.

Question 2

Community

Answer 2

A (usually local) social system with an implied sense of relationship and mutual identity among its members. In addition to being locational, a community can be a group that shares a strong common interest and whose members communicate over space and through time using communication technologies.

Question 3

Continuity

Answer 3

Continuity is the persistence or consistent existence of cultural elements in a society over time. It can also be referred to as the maintenance of the traditions and social structures that bring stability to a society.

Question 4

Macro-Level Society

Answer 4

The ‘big picture’ - the wider social structure, social processes and their interrelationships. Macro-level society includes those social institutions - such as the media, the lawn the workplace and the government - that help to shape the social and cultural world. The macro level examines how these collective groups relate to the wider society of which they are a part of (as a whole).

Question 5

Meso-Level Society

Answer 5

The middle ground where individuals interact within groups such as schools, communities, church groups and neighbourhoods. The meso level consists of larger groups that interact directly with the individual. It focuses on relation between middle-level social structures and the individual. Meso-level society is also known as middle level-society.

Question 6

Micro-Level Society

Answer 6

Where individuals’ everyday actions and social interactions occur - for example, within families and small-scale social groups. The micro-level focuses on patterns of social interaction at the individual level.

Question 7

Change

Answer 7

The alteration or modification of cultural elements in a society. Change to society can occur at the micro, meso and macro levels. It can be brought about by modernisation processes, including technological innovation. This force results in an alteration to culture.