Unit 1 - Section A: Primary + Secondary Socialisation

Question 1

What is primary socialisation?

Answer 1

• Refers to the first stage of a life-long process, where we learn basic norms and ways of behaving.
• The first primary relationship people form is within the family, as it is necessary as human infants require the assistance of other members of society to develop as humans and members of a culture.
• E.g. Horst - child raised by devoted pet Alsatian, he became like a dog (cocked his leg, growled instead of talked).
  E.g. Genie - as a child was strapped to a potty chair. At age 13, was the size of a 6 year old and couldn’t talk. - Example of feral child.

Question 2

What is secondary socialisation?

Answer 2

• Socialisation is whether we learn norms, values and behaviour appropriate to our society.
• Secondary socialisation is the way this behaviour is learned through agents other than the family such as; media, education, peer group, work, religion.
• E.g. Norms and values such as punctuality, hard work, obedience. These are transmitted through hidden curriculum - Bourdieu.
• E.g. Smoking and drinking - learnt through peer group and process of social control such a peer group.

Question 3

What is socialisation?

Answer 3

• Socialisation is whether we learn norms, values and behaviour appropriate to our society.
• Socialisation is primarily taught through the family, or secondarily through agents such as media, peer group, etc.
• E.g. Learning to walk, talk and eat from parents.
• E.g. Rules and ways of behaving from schools and colleges which sets us up for work.

Question 4

What is social control?

Answer 4

• Certain behaviour we display is either encouraged or discouraged until we learn the ‘socially acceptable’ way of acting.
• The agents of socialisation uses strategies to encourage people to learn certain norms, which are forms of social control.
• E.g. Positive and negative sanctions - Schools use negative sanctions if display bad behaviour through detentions. Positive sanctions such as rewards for good behaviour.
• E.g. Imitation of role models - Willis, the ‘lads’ followed their father’s footsteps into manual labour work.

Question 5

What is formal social control?

Answer 5

• Refers to mechanisms to reward acceptable behaviour.
• Refers to mechanisms to punish unacceptable behaviour.
• E.g. Direct instructions through praise or criticism.
• E.g. Through institutions such as the police or army.

Question 6

What is informal social control?

Answer 6

• Refers to mechanisms to reward acceptable behaviour, ranging from different individuals or groups.
• Refers to mechanisms to punish unacceptable behaviour, from different individuals or groups.
• E.g. Peer groups instructing each other how to act. - Willis - anti school subcultures.
• E.g. Media tells us how to dress - Sewell - Hypermasculinity

Question 7

What is nature?

Answer 7

• Nature refers to the idea that social behaviour is biological or innate.
• Sociologists are more interested in nurture, but do acknowledge that some of our traits are fixed and based on genes.
• E.g. Sleeping - naturally require sleep in order to function as human beings.
• E.g. Case studies of feral children show that eating with a knife and fork needs to be taught - Edik was raised by a dog, as a result ate raw meat with his hands.

Question 8

What is nurture?

Answer 8

• Nurture refers to the idea that social behaviour is learned from this around us.
• Sociologists are more interested in nurture as it explains how our childhood experiences, and social relationships impact our behaviour.
• E.g. The type of literature that is read to children at a young age, influences their cultural capital, and intellect.
• E.g. Leisure preferences - those who were outdoorsy as children continue to do so as adults

Question 9

What are the 6 agents of socialisation?

Answer 9

Family, Media, Education, Peer Groups. Workplace, Religion