Social Processes

Question 1

Key Concepts

Answer 1

The following 10 flashcards will be about Key concepts within this topic.

Question 2

Culture

Answer 2

A shared way of life of a society.

Eg. British Culture to eat fish and chips.

Question 3

Norms

Answer 3

Unwritten rules in society.

Eg. Covering your mouth when coughing.

Question 4

Values

Answer 4

Important beliefs people have in a society.

Eg. Good manners, loyalty, honesty.

Question 5

Roles

Answer 5

The “parts” we play in society and in life.

Eg. Student, daughter.

Question 6

Status

Answer 6

The position and the amount of respect a person has in society.
Can either be a ascribed or achieved status.

Question 7

Ascribed Status

Answer 7

The status you have due to birth.

Eg. Being part of the royal family.

Question 8

Achieved Status

Answer 8

The status which is earned and based on your actions.

Eg. Particular jobs (like a doctor) or excelling in sport.

Question 9

Identity

Answer 9

A sense of who we are, consisting of our sense of gender, race, ethnicity, and religion.

Question 10

Sanctions

Answer 10

These can be BOTH positive and negative.

They are taken to encourage people to follow social norms, rules and laws.

Question 11

Cultural Diversity

Answer 11

The differences among cultures.

Eg. British culture eats with a knife and fork and Chinese culture eats with chopsticks.

Question 12

Nature and Nurture debate

Answer 12

The following 5 flashcards will be on the nature and nurture debate.

Question 13

Nature Debate

Answer 13

Behaviour is mostly determined by our genetics.
Scientists suggest we inherit behaviour traits from our parents, just like we inherit eye colour.
Scientists argue that sexuality, intelligence and maternal instinct are all coded in the genes.

Question 14

Nature Debate Evidence

Answer 14

The example of the Jim Twins.

Question 15

Nurture Debate

Answer 15

Sociologists tend to argue that nurture is more significant and that human behaviour is mostly learnt.
Individuals are socialised into the culture of their family and their society and they are taught how to live in the society by the agents of socialisation.

Question 16

Nurture Debate Evidence- Feral children

Answer 16

“Feral” means wild or unsocialised.
Feral children have been removed from normal human contact and have missed out on normal processes of human socialisation.
Feral children have not leant social behaviour and are unable to participate in society as humans.
This proves human behaviour is learnt.
EVIDENCE- OXANA MALAYA

Question 17

Nurture Debate Evidence- Cultural diversity

Answer 17

Cultural diversity is how cultures vary over time and between countries.
Sociologists argue that these differences demonstrate that human behaviour is mostly learnt.
If human behaviour was a result of natural factors, it could be expected to be fairly similar all over the world and would not change as significantly as it does over time.
Eg. The role of women is different.

Question 18

Primary Socialisation

Answer 18

Refers to the first stage of socialisation and it takes place in infancy.- as soon as the child is aware of their circumstances.

The family teaches the children the values, norms, skills such as; how to eat, walk and dress.

Without primary socialisation, the child would be unable to function in society.

Question 19

Secondary Socialisation

Answer 19

Refers to the second stage of socialisation after early childhood.
This stage is completed the agents of socialisation.

Question 20

How the agencies of socialisation transmit culture

Socialise its members

Answer 20

The next four flashcards will be on this topic.

Question 21

Family

Answer 21

Parents will INSTRUCT and DEMONSTRATE to their children how to behave.
Children will begin to IMITATE the behaviour around them. Their parents will be their ROLE MODELS and the children will copy their actions.
Parents use SANCTIONS. These are the reactions to behaviour that will either encourage or discourage that behaviour. For example, a negative sanction such as being send to sit on the “naughty step”.

Question 22

Peer group

Group of people who are of a similar age.

Answer 22

Some members of a peer group are more likely to have more influence than others and might become role models for the others in the group to follow.

Peer groups might put pressure on its members to follow its norms and values, such as joining in activities or following a dress code. This is known as PEER PRESSURE. Peer pressure can be positive or negative, such a s encouraging members to misbehave at school and or to take illegal drugs.

The peer group might use INFORMAL SANCTIONS. If an individual does not conform to the group norm, they might be ignored or left out. However, if they follow the group norms, this might lead to invitations to events.

Question 23

School

Socialisation through education.

Answer 23

Schools teach children the formal curriculum. This includes the set subjects students are taught
and what they learn in those subjects.

Pupils also learn through the hidden curriculum. This refers to the messages, norms and values
that are passed on to children throughout the day without them realizing it.

Both informal and formal sanctions are used in schools. Schools have written rules, and formal
sanctions will be used when these are broken, such as giving detention. Informal sanctions are
unwritten and are likely to vary between teachers. Negative sanctions might include a ‘telling’
off by a teacher or a disapproving look while positive sanctions might include praise or a
certificate for good work.

Question 24

Media

The media is taken to include television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and websites including social media.

Answer 24

Children might be influenced by role models followed in the media, and might copy their
Behaviour. For example, young boys might try to be like their favourite sporting personality.

The media might influence the way people think about certain groups by the way they present
and label them. For example, refugees have been labelled negatively by much of the media.

It has been argued that violence on television or in films and video games might lead children
and young people to copy the violence in real life.

Question 25

INFLUENCE OF THE AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION ON GENDER ROLES

Answer 25

Gender roles are the characteristics and Behaviour that are considered appropriate for males and
females in society. Gender role Socialisation refers to the process through which boys and girls learn
what acceptable Behaviour for their sex in society is.

Question 26

Family

Answer 26

Parents treat boys and girls very differently and they
reinforce the clear expectations of gender within
society.

Sociologists Ann Oakley stated that there are 4
stages:
Manipulation: Parents encourage behaviour that is
seen as normal for the child’s sex and discourage
inappropriate behaviour.
Eg. Buying clothes for us

Canalisation: children are channelled by parents
towards toys and activities seen as appropriate for their
sex.
Eg. Kitchen sets/ Cars, trains

Verbal Appellation: this is the way we talk to children
at an early age and emphasise how important gender is.
Eg. Good Girls / Naughty boy

Activity: Boys and girls are encouraged to get involved
in different activities according to the expectations in
society.
Eg. Girls encouraged in helping
around the house and cooking,
boys help dad with DIY

Question 27

Schools

Answer 27

Gender socialisation continues at school, children learn
to behave differently according to their expectations.
Gender differences continue into the classroom, at
GCSE particular subjects are either male or female
dominated. Teachers may speak to girls and boys
differently – be stricter with boys.
Eg. Textiles, Graphic Design and
Business studies are dominated
by either girls or boys
Eg. Text books may show boys
doing experiments/sports
instructions

Question 28

Media

Answer 28

Children and young people might look to individuals in
the media as role models and might copy the way they
dress and behave.
Eg. Girls might be tempted to aspire to be super-thin, beautiful models

The media often portrays genders in stereotypical ways

Gender-based images of musicians, sportspeople,
actors, politicians and other celebrities
Eg. Showing women as either helpless and/or sex objects/Always showing women as
housewives

Question 29

Peer groups

Answer 29

Groups of friends of the same age play a very big part in creating gender differences. Children learn from their peers what is appropriate. We direct out peers in the right direction and what is seen as appropriate, if not they risk name calling or worse.
Eg. A boy playing with dolls or tea sets is likely to be ridiculed by his friends and might even find he faces sanctions, such as teasing or being excluded from
the group.
Female interests are more likely to centre on fashion, makeup and dancing.

Question 30

How the agents of Socialisation influence class, ethnic and national identities.

Answer 30

How the agents of Socialisation influence class, ethnic and national identities.

Question 31

The role of families in creating identities

Answer 31

Class identity; the family passes on their ways of living to their children. For example, upper and middle class parents in the UK are more likely to have a form of language, attitudes and values that will help their children to succeed in the education system.

Ethnic identity; the language spoken in the home, the food eaten, the clothes worn, the festivals and traditions followed.

National identity; children might be encouraged to support a parents national team. For example, Great Britain in the Olympic games.

Question 32

The role of schools in creating identities

Answer 32

Class identity; schools treating children from different social groups differently. For example, middle-class pupils being more likely to be put in top groups or classes.

Ethnic identity; racism in the education system. For example, having low expectations of certain ethnic groups.

National identity; teaching national language, celebrating national festivals and singing national
anthems.

Question 33

The role of the media in creating identities

Answer 33

Class identity; portraying certain groups in a positive or negative light. For example, working class youth have been given a negative label in the media.

Ethnic identity; some ethnic groups have presented negatively by the media e.g. young black males.

National identity; encouraging campaigns such as ‘make Britain great again’.

Question 34

The role of the peer group in creating identities

Answer 34

Class identity; made up of members in the same social class.

Ethnic identity; give members a collectively identity.

National identity; might encourage its members to be racist towards other nationalities.

Question 35

FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONTROL

Answer 35

FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONTROL

Question 36

Formal social control

Answer 36

Formal social control refers to the control enforced by the government to make people obey its laws and the organizations that carry this out, such as the police and
law courts, and, sometimes, the army.
For example, the police have many formal sanctions such as; cautions, arrests and charging people.

The courts can impose punishments such as fines and imprisonment.

Question 37

Informal social control

Answer 37

Informal social control refers to the sanctions used by the informal agents of socialisation such as family, peer group, media and schools.

Informal sanctions can be positive or negative
Positive sanction example; a teacher praising a pupil for good work.
Negative sanction example; teacher telling a pupil off for being disruptive during a lesson.

Question 38

REVISION TIPS FOR THIS UNIT

Answer 38

You must be able to explain how agents of socialisation influence your behaviour in general, but
also how they influence parts of your identity e.g. gender, social class.

Be able to give a definition and example of the key concepts. This is what you are expected to do in a 2 mark question.

You must use the existence of feral children and cultural diversity to support the nurture theory
argument.