Unit 1 - Section A: Socialisation, culture and identity concepts Flashcards
What is global culture?
- Refers to the idea that culture is no longer local, but world wide.
- Refers to the dies that customs and traditions can be spread locally.
- E.g 1 - technology usage as the majority own a mobile device to communication globally.
- E.g. 2 - baby showers which originated in America, but is now a worldwide custom.
What is popular culture?
- Refers to the culture of the masses.
- Refers to mainstream/consumer culture.
- E.g 1 - Football, which is accessed worldwide through games such as the World Cup.
- E.g. 2 - Music that is consumed through radio stations.
What is high culture?
- The culture of the upper class.
- Form of social closure, as often invite only events and need money to be involved.
- E.g. 1 - Polo, often these events are invite only and need high social capital.
- E.g. 2 - Opera, need money to participate and cultural capital.
What is subculture?
- Refers to a small group of people that hold different views to traditional culture.
- Refers to groups of young people who do not follow the same norms and values as each other.
- E.g. 1 - McRobbie - bedroom culture, young girls formed as socialised in their bedrooms and followed cult of femininity portrayed in the media.
- E.g. 2 - Goths, individualist and have a strong tendency for cynicism and dark clothing. (Hodkinson)
What is consumer culture?
- Refers to what we buy and consume in society.
- The UK and Western societies have growing and large consumer cultures as people portray a sense of identity through what they buy and wear.
- E.g. 1 - Saunders, conspicuous consumption.
- E.g. 2 - the existence of different forms of shopping that are now available (large shopping centres and online shopping).
What is cultural diversity?
- A culture that includes a diverse range of groups from different cultural backgrounds living separately in society.
- A society that is diverse but still agrees in the collective norms and values that bind them together (value consensus)
- E.g. 1 - In Brighton, there is a huge following of LGBTQ+.
- E.g. 2 - China Town in London.
What is cultural hybridity/multiculturalism?
- Different cultures living equally in society.
- All ethnic groups have the same status in society and have an equal right to preserve own cultural heritage.
- E.g. 1 - UK multicultural as 8.9% of population come from ethnic minority backgrounds.
- E.g. 2 - Hybrid foods (Tandoori Chicken Pizza)
What are norms?
- Unwritten and usually unspoken rules or expected patterns of behaviour of everyday life.
- Norms affect all aspects of public and private behaviour, typically through primary socialisation.
- E.g 1 - gender norms for girls to wear a skirt, but if boys did, it would be seen as deviant.
- E.g. 2 - eating with a knife and form - typical of UK but in North Africa people eat won’t heir hands.
What are values?
- General principles of behaviour which provide a frame work within which to exist in society.
- Ethical principles by which a particular group of people or society chooses to live their lives.
- E.g. 1 - Honesty
- E.g. 2 - Tolerance.
- E.g. ‘British Values’
What is a role?
- A part a person plays within a group or situation. People may have more than one, which may be different in different societies and can change overtime.
- They are learnt through the process of socialisation and fit the culture of their society.
- E.g. teacher will be expected to do things that they would not do in their role as mother or father.
- E.g. Men as breadwinners and Women as housewives.
What is a status?
The concept of status describes the position a person occupies in a particular setting. Each person has several statuses which are referred to as ‘status set’ as well as the roles that may be associated with them. A person’s status can either be achieved or ascribed.
An ascribed status is a status someone is born with. For example, Prince Charles was born into a royal status in which his future will be to become King. Achieved status, on the other hand, relates to the idea that someone works for their status. For example, a teacher has to work hard and get the right qualifications in order to achieve that status. Status can also be used to describe how wealthy someone is and what social class they are determined to be in based on the materialistic items they buy. An example of this is the middle social class where buying a BMW car will upgrade their middle class status
What is a culture?
- Made up of customs, beliefs, rituals and values, and status and roles.
- Culture is transmitted from one generation to the next through socialisation.
- E.g. Global culture
- E.g. Giddens - argues it is a culture, rather than biology that makes people human.
What are customs?
- Refers to a cultural idea that describes a regular, patterned behaviour that is considered a characteristic of life in a social system.
- Norms that have been established in a society for generations, usually part of the historical traditions of a society that makes it culturally distinctive.
- E.g. UK Bonfire Night is celebrated on 5th November
- E.g. St David’s Day in Wales celebrated on 1 March each year, as a national festival
