Socialisation, Culture And Identity Flashcards
What is culture?
All the aspects of society that make up the way of life, like languages, beliefs, norms and values.
What are values?
A general guideline of ideas and beliefs that are seen as important in society. Norms are a reflection of these. For example, norms are hygiene and excluding violence because we value human life.
What are norms?
Expected patterns of behaviour that are based on values and are a direct conduct to appropriate and acceptable behaviour in society. This is a specific guide to action.
What is cultural diversity?
Differences and variety found in societies. It can be intercultural, between two cultures, or intracultural, within cultures.
What is cultural hybridity?
The merging of two or more cultures.
What are subcultures?
A smaller culture within a culture with its own norms and values, that emerge as a result of experiences of people.
What is dominant culture?
This is the main culture that is generally shared.
What do Feminists believe about dominant culture?
That British culture is patriarchal and unequal.
What do Marxists believe about dominant culture?
That this is the view of the rich and powerful that are regarded as important because of their position.
What is high culture?
Cultural products and activities that are seen to have a high status and as superior to other cultures. Only the educated can appreciate high culture.
What do Marxists and Bourdieu believe about high culture?
Marxists believe that the ruling class benefit because they are the ones who are superior and intellectual enough to appreciate high class. Bourdieu believes that these people have the advantage of cultural capital. Their children are socialised to appreciate high culture. School culture is based on cultural forms so the child is familiar to these and succeeds.
What is popular culture?
Cultural products or activities enjoyed by the majority of the population and is seen as shallow, fake and inferior to high culture.
What do Marxists and Adorno say about popular culture?
Marxists believe it is a tool to keep the Working class from thinking critically about their exploitation. Adorno believes that all pop music uses the same themes and offers easy pleasure, which stops the working class from appreciating classical music through mass media.
What do Postmodernists and Strinati say about popular culture?
Postmodernists believe that the distinction between high culture and popular culture has been made meaningless by mass markets and consumption. Strinati believes that elements of high culture have become a part of popular culture, like literature becoming movies.
What is consumer culture?
Excessive consumption of widely accessible of goods and debt, where shopping is leisure pursuit.
What is conspicuous consumption?
When individuals consume branded goods to construct an identity to gain status.
What is global culture?
The way globalisation undermines national and local cultures. The way different cultures become more alike and universal
What do Marxists believe about global cultures?
They believe that advertising creates false needs for the working class.
What is globalisation?
The process by which the world becomes more interconnected and activities in different cultures influence each other. Cultures can no longer be seen as separate because of the emergence of global culture.
What is the nature vs nurture debate?
A debate of whether our genes determine our human characteristics and who we become or our upbringing and environment.
What is the twin study by Bouchard?
It is a study that supports the nature debate where twins that were separated at birth were reunited and it was found that they were very similar.
What is the Isabel the Chicken Girl study?
It is a study that supports the nurture debate where a ten year old girl had been found in a chicken coop where she had been left since birth. She couldn’t speak, wasn’t toilet trained, expressed emotions by beating her arms and drumming her feet and was physically malformed.
What is socialisation?
The process by which an individual learns the norms and values of society. It continues throughout life and is divided into primary and secondary socialisation.
What is primary socialisation?
This happens in the early stages of life at home and family plays a key role here. Children learn from parents through imitation and sanctions that tell them what is and isn’t acceptable.
What does Parsons believe about primary socialisation?
He believes that this is essential for value consensus and social integration. He believes that it’s like a personality factory where parents mound their child’s personality to fit society.
What do Marxists believe about primary socialisation?
They believe that values parents socialise are products of capitalist ideology so the children are brainwashed to become passive citizens so they don’t challenge the exploitation.
What do Feminist and Oakley believe about primary socialisation?
Feminists believe that the traditional nuclear family is patriarchal and the roles allocated affect gender identity. Oakley believes that during primary socialisation children learn their gender roles through different activities, manipulation, verbal appellations and canalisation.
What is secondary socialisation?
This happens in the later years of a persons life. There are many agents involved.
How are peer groups an agent of secondary socialisation?
We spend a lot of time with them during our school and learn acceptable behaviour because of our desire to fit in. They become more influential than parents and they often have hierarchies.
How is education an agent of secondary socialisation?
This overlaps with peer groups and this is where we learn the formal curriculum and the hidden curriculum, which are norms and values learnt outside of the lesson, like sanctions when you disobey.
