Socialisation

Question 1

Define socialisation

Answer 1

The process by which an individual learns the norms and values or culture of society. It is the way we learn how to be members of society

Question 2

What is primary socialisation?

Answer 2

The most important part of the socialisation process. Occurs in early childhood as one generation (usually the parents) teach the next generation (their children) the dominant cultural values and norms needed to successfully take their place in society.

Question 3

As part of primary socialisation, parents often use _______ or _______ sanctions or _________ ________

Answer 3

As part of primary socialisation, parents often use positive or negative sanctions or social control

Question 4

What do functionalists say about the agent of socialisation in primary socialisation

Answer 4

They see the female as the expressive leader who is mainly responsible for the nurturing and socialisation of the children.

Question 5

What agent of socialisation is used in primary socialisation?

Answer 5

• Family

Question 6

Give an example of the sanctions used in primary socialisation and why this is used?

Answer 6

Some parents use positive and emotional sanctions. This is to help the children learn the difference between right and wrong.
They also encourage their children to imitate their behaviour in order that they subscribe to culturally important moral codes, gendered behaviour and a strong work ethic.

Question 7

What is secondary socialisation?

Answer 7

Socialisation outside the family which continues beyond childhood.

Question 8

What are the five agents of socialisation?

Answer 8

• Religion
• Media
• Education
• Workplace
• Peer group

Question 9

What is the agent of socialisation ‘Peer group’

Answer 9

It refers to people of a similar age. It includes friendship networks, school year groups and subcultures.

Question 10

Why is ‘Peer group’ an important agent of socialisation?

Answer 10

As much of the free time of children and teenagers is spent with peers. It can be more influential in shaping the identity of young people than parents as young people want to be liked and popular with their peers.

But this can sometimes lead to them committing crimes.

Question 11

If children and adolescents fail to conform to peer group _____, they may ___ ________

Answer 11

If children and adolescents fail to conform to peer group norms, they may be bullied

Question 12

What does Tony Sewell say about the agent of socialisation ‘Peer group’

Answer 12

He observes that young people prefer to spend their free time in ‘cultural comfort zones’ - they like to hang out with people from similar back grounds.

Question 13

What do some sociologists say about the agent of socialisation the ‘Media’

Answer 13

They suggest that casual violence and anti-social behaviour is increasing in society because young people are increasingly exposed to violent images on TV and video games.

Question 14

What do feminist sociologists say about the agent of socialisation the ‘Media’

Answer 14

They argue that the media has a big influence over female identity because the media representations of femininity are over-sexualised and are too often focused on an ‘ideal body’. As a result young girls often suffer from anxiety and eating disorders around their bodies.

Question 15

What does sociologist Young argue?

Answer 15

He suggests that the mass media has created a ‘bulimic society’ - so advertising and focus on celebrity culture has encouraged people to worship money and material success.

This has created a culture of envy which leads to those from deprived backgrounds to commit crimes in order to attain these material goods. They see this as success.

Question 16

Describe the agent of socialisation of ‘Religion’ in the UK

Answer 16

Until the mid-20th century, Christianity in the UK was a key agent of socialisation. The religion promoted social values which became moral codes that people used as guidelines to shape their behaviour.

However the latter part of the 20th has seen a decline in the religion (church attendance decreasing). This is known as secularisation.

Question 17

What has secularisation promoted some sociologists to say

Answer 17

They claim that religious socialisation is no longer influential today.

Question 18

What could be argued about ‘Religion’ that it is still influential

Answer 18

• Religion is still popular within minority ethnic groups.
• Even though the UK may be less religious but religious moral codes still shape laws, everyday behaviour and attitudes towards abortion and divorce.

Question 19

What are the two important elements of the agent of socialisation of ‘Education’

Answer 19

• The visible or formal curriculum
• The hidden curriculum

Question 20

What is the visible or formal curriculum

Answer 20

The academic subjects that are taught in school and students are tested in exams. Academic knowledge is often related to local culture.

Question 21

Define the hidden curriculum

Answer 21

The ways in which the routines and organisation of schools, classrooms and teaching shapes pupil attitudes and behaviour in order to produce conformity.

Question 22

What do Bowles and Ginitis say about the hidden curriculum? (what type of sociologists are they and what year was it)

Answer 22

• Marxist sociologists
• 1976

They argue that schooling stands in ‘the long shadow of work’ which means pupils are unconsciously socialised into norms and values such as blind obedience to higher authority. The hidden curriculum therefore prepares the working-class children for their future adult roles as a factory or manual workers.

Question 23

What is the agent of socialisation ‘The workplace’ formal elements

Answer 23

Teaching workers skills but also socialises them into the formal roles that underpin organisations such as codes of conduct and dress code. These formal codes are backed up with formal sanctions such as warnings and dismissal.

Question 24

What is the agent of socialisation ‘The workplace’ informal elements

Answer 24

‘Canteen culture’ that sets out the informal rules for getting on with fellow workers. Some research indicates that a ‘canteen culture’ does exist in many police forces, this involves racist jokes and banter, which contributes to the assumption that Black people are criminals.

Question 25

What is the nature/nurture debate?

Answer 25

Refers to the academic argument between sociobiologists who believe that human behaviour is largely the product of nature

and

Sociologists who argue that the society or social environment in which the individual lives is more important in shaping human behaviour.

Question 26

What is nature?

Answer 26

The sociobiologists that claim human behaviour is inherited characteristics such as intelligence and gendered behaviour.

Question 27

What do some sociobiologists say about nature?

Answer 27

They believe that males and females have a biologically determined predisposition to behave in masculine and feminine ways due to the hormonal differences.

Question 28

What do feminists say about nature?
What are feminists in favour for

Answer 28

They are critical of sociobiologists, arguing that if gender roles were biologically determined men and women would behave the same in all societies, and that is not the case.
Feminists like the concept of nurture

Question 29

What is Margaret Mead’s study

Answer 29

She studied a primitive tribe. She found that men and women behaved very differently compared with men and women in the west. The women in the tribe were aggressive and rarely involved in childcare meanwhile the men were timid and emotional

Question 30

What is an argument for nurture

Answer 30

That people are not born with cultural values or social skills. These are clearly learnt over time and across the world. Socialisation will differ across social class, gender and religion etc.

Question 31

What is nurture?

Answer 31

The argument that our intelligence, behaviour and culture are learned through a complex process known as socialisation.

Question 32

Describe the case study of the Feral Children.
What argument do they support.

Answer 32

These are children who lack language and social skills because they have been denied regular human contact from a very young age or have supposedly been brought up by wild animals.

NUTURE

Question 33

Define social control

Answer 33

Refers to the ways in which deviant or abnormal behaviour is deterred and conformity to the norms and rules of society is reinforced.
This exists in both informal and formal agencies of control - using either positive or negative sanctions to encourage or discourage behaviours.

Question 34

Give 3 examples of formal agencies of social control

Answer 34

• Police
• Criminal justice system
• Security services

Question 35

What do formal agencies of social control do in general

Answer 35

They formally control the behaviour of citizens by enforcing laws passed by governments.

Question 36

How do the Police work as a formal agencies of social control?

Answer 36

They enforce the law in a fair and just manner.

Some sociologists do argue that some groups are subjected to unjustified police attention, like stop and search.

Question 37

How do the police enforce formal agencies of social control?

Answer 37

They have the power to be able to stop people in the street about their identity and activity, this can lead to issuing formal and informal warnings. Or even arrest someone.

The police can also be forceful at times like at protests or big nation wide gatherings.

Arrests leads to court trials. Which leads to fines, prison or community service.

Question 38

What are the 6 agencies of informal social control

Answer 38

• Family
• Workplace
• Education
• Media
• Religion
• Peer group

Question 39

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Family’

Answer 39

Parents can choose to reward and praise their children for ‘good’ behaviour and punish them for ‘bad’ behaviour

Question 40

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Peer groups’

Answer 40

They may positively control the others behaviours by rewarding them with friendship and punish those who do not follow the groups value by excluding them or bullying them.

Question 41

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Media’

Answer 41

It can criticise celebrities for being too ‘fat’ while social media may also praise particular individuals for their bravery or charity work

Question 42

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Religion’

Answer 42

Religious leaders may reward faithful believers with promises of an afterlife and punish sin with excommunication or threats of eternal damnation.

Question 43

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Education’

Answer 43

Schools or teachers may reward pupils with praise, good grades, merit badges, and prizes. They punish pupils who flaunt the rules with detentions and suspensions.

Question 44

Describe the agency of informal social control the ‘Workplace’

Answer 44

Employers may promote ‘good’ workers and may punish those seen to lack the ‘right’ attitude to work by passing them over for promotion, giving them formal warnings or sacking them.

Question 45

Can informal and formal control clash?

Answer 45

Yes