Sociol Construction Of Culture (Q1 a)

Question 1

What is Culture?

Answer 1

➞ the norms + values embedded in societies, which make up the way of life for people e.g how people behave
➞ socially constructed; created + given a special meaning by people
➞ culture is anything created by people e.g clothes, food
➞ culture diversity; describe differences in cultures in society
➞ people who don’t follow cultural roles, known as deviant + form sub-cultures

Question 2

What is status? *

Answer 2

➞ the role position someone’s occupies in society. Can be:
Ascribed status - given by birth/family background
Achieved status - result of something a persons done. +ve: own efforts e.g promotion
-ve: criminal in prison

Question 3

What is a role? *

Answer 3

➞ expected behaviours + beliefs from individuals e.g a mother is expected is act in one way + teacher in another.
➞ same people may be in both, giving a different role

Question 4

What is a role model? *

Answer 4

➞ copying a persons behaviour e.g children encouraged to act like same-sex parent

Question 5

What is identity? *

Answer 5

➞ a socially created concept
➞ how individuals see themselves and how others see them
➞ can be through gender, age, ethnicity

Question 6

What are values? *

Answer 6

➞ general guidelines about what is considered to be right or wrong, guidelines for behaviour
➞ influenced by norms + traditions, passed through society through socialisation

Question 7

What are traditions? *

Answer 7

➞ the established customs (norms which have lasted a long time in society e.g Easter eggs), beliefs + practices that are passed down through generations within a culture.
➞ shape societal norms + values
➞ learned through agents of socialisation e.g the family

Question 8

What is social control? *

Answer 8

➞ rules created + followed by most people in a culture
➞ follow social norms + values of that society
➞ people who do not follow can be sanctioned
➞ 2 types: formal + informal

Question 9

What is formal control? *

Answer 9

➞ institutions in society that exist to force people to behave e.g police, legal systems
➞ have the power the punish if rules broken

Question 10

What is informal control? *

Answer 10

➞ unwritten rules consisting of norms + values
➞ can be acceptable to 1 culture but not to another e.g. eating dogs
➞ sanctions such as comments or nasty looks (judgements)

Question 11

What are beliefs? *

Answer 11

➞ values and morals from personal beliefs
➞ can influence how they act
➞ often taken from culture/religion

Question 12

What are norms?

Answer 12

➞ expected behaviours for a culture, unwritten rules
➞ a norm in one culture, may not be normal in another e.g eating dogs