nature and nurture

Question 1

briefly explain the feral children case study of Oxana in Ukraine

Answer 1

• 8 year old
• lived with a dog for 6 years in desperation for warmth in the kennel from the age of 3 years old, due to her parents neglecting her and leaving her outside one night
• lack of primary socialisation meant she only said yes and no and ran on all fours and barked
• some of these dog like behaviours can never be completely lost even though she has tried to be resocialised

Question 2

achieved status

Answer 2

a position in a social group that one earns based on merit or ones choices (e.g. doctor, thief, athlete)

Question 3

ascribed status

Answer 3

a position in society that a person has as a result of their birth or other circumstances that they have no control over (e.g. race, ethnicity, royal family)

Question 4

nature debate

Answer 4

that a persons behaviour and development are a result of genetic inheritance (biological factors)

Question 5

negative sanction

Answer 5

punishment for violating a norm to help maintain social order and enforce norms

Question 6

what are the 2 ways negative sanctions are enforced?

Answer 6

formally by legal positions (e.g. prison for crimes)
informal by social pressure (e.g. excluding someone for doing something not a norm of the group)

Question 7

nurture debate

Answer 7

a persons behaviour and development are a result of environmental factors (e.g. parenting, cultural background)

Question 8

positive sanction

Answer 8

praise and rewards for keeping to norms that helps to reinforce behaviour expected
(e.g. promotion at work for working hard)

Question 9

primary socialisation

Answer 9

takes place in early years of life and largely by parental figures
(how we learn language, basic skills, norms)

Question 10

role

Answer 10

a set of norms which defines appropriate and expected behaviour for those of a particular status.
(we each play many roles with different expectations for each in society)

Question 11

role conflict

Answer 11

conflict between or among different roles due to different requirements and expectations to achieve.

Question 12

secondary socialisation

Answer 12

takes place later in life beyond parental guidance and influence
- education, media, peers religion transmit norms and values to us

Question 13

society

Answer 13

a group of people who live in a community and share the same culture, norms and values

Question 14

sociology

Answer 14

the study of the development, structure and functioning human society

Question 15

status

Answer 15

a rank or position someone holds
(ascribed roles and behaviours expected for each status)