Unit 1A - Culture, socialisation & Identity

Question 1

Culture -
Mead (1935) Comparing tribal cultures

Answer 1

Comparing tribal cultures –> Studied male and female behaviour & gender role expectations in different tribal communities

Chambri: Males & females different from each other; roles almost the opposite of those expected in the US & UK

Findings suggested women were dominant, aggressive & not very involved in child rearing whereas the men were timid, emotionally dependent & spent their time decorating themselves

Question 2

Culture -
Bourdieu (1984) Cultural capital

Answer 2

A Marxist ——> ‘Cultural Capital’

Argues that the distinction between high culture and popular culture lie sin the power of the group who support & access them

‘Class fractions’ are determined by varying degrees of social, economic and cultural capital

Question 3

Culture -
McLuhan (1984) Global village

Answer 3

‘Global village’ —> Where modern technologies would connect all people worldwide.

Argued that the world had become a smaller place- a global village even in the 1960s.

Driven by industry(international companies), travel, a globally accessible media and the internet in particular.

Trend of globalisation where cultural products and activities become ‘universal’.

Question 4

Culture -
Nayak (2003) White wannabes

Answer 4

‘White Wannabes’—> describe white British males who dress, act and speak in a way that is influenced by black hip-hop culture.

Hybrid Subculture

Identified as young, white, working-class males who adapt the style and language of ‘black culture’.

E.g Ali G; Sacha Baron Cohen.

Question 5

Socialisation -
Parsons (1955) The role of the family in primary socialisation

Answer 5

Functionalist—> focused on structure/ functions of the family in modern industrial societies such as the us.

Argues that in industrial societies, the nuclear family only has two essential functions to perform.

socialisation of children: likens the family to a personality factory where children are moulded by parents to adapt to norms and values of the society they are growing up in.

Question 6

Socialisation -
Oakley (1981) Gender role socialisation in the family

Answer 6

Oakley= a feminist

Argues gender roles are socially constructed

Children are socialised into gender roles by their families:
1. Manipulation- encouraging sterotypically acceptable behaviour.
2. Canalisation- channeling interests into toys considered norm for their gender.
3. Verbal appellation- Giving nicknames that reinforce gender expectations.
4. Different activities- Encouraged to participate in activities that reinforce sterotypes.

Question 7

Socialisation -
Lees (1983, 1997) Peer pressure and teenage girls

Answer 7

Looked at pressure put in teenage girls by their peers.

E.g how double standards are applied to girls’ and boys’ sexual behaviour

Such as how the term ‘slag’ is used to control girls’ behaviour.

Question 8

Socialisation -
Bowles and Gintis (1976) Schooling and the hidden curriculum

Answer 8

Bowles and Gintis= American Marxists

Existence of the ‘hidden curriculum’- not just about learning shared norms and values

Education system= ‘ giant myth-making machine’; brainwashed children into obedience & unquestioning attitude.

Taught to accept their place in society/ achievements & failures of their own making/ everything fair & based on merit.

Question 9

Socialisation -
Mulvey (1975) The ‘male gaze’

Answer 9

‘Male Gaze’

Camera in films ‘eyes up’ female characters- encouraging viewers to assess their bodies/ attractiveness from a male perspective[ passive objects]

Women are presented in stereotypical ways.

May affect the way we judge women, or affect how women judge themselves & their own self- image.

Reinforces traditional gender roles and perpetuates subordination of women.

Question 10

Socialisation -
Young (2007) The ‘bulimic society’

Answer 10

Argues that the media is partly responsible for criminality.

Media has created a ‘bulimic society’ —>
Constant hunger and desire to binge on everything & anything—>
A culture of ‘get rich or die trying’

Young argues this can explain criminality among young people from deprived backgrounds.

Question 11

Socialisation -
Modood (1997) The importance of religion to young Asians

Answer 11

Surveyed young people—>
Found the 67% of Pakistani & Bangladeshi people saw religion as ‘very important’ influence on norms & values—>
%5 of young White British people in comparison saw religion as ‘very important’.

Question 12

Socialisation -
Waddington (1999) ‘Canteen culture’

Answer 12

‘Canteen culture’

Describe the set of norms and values that people who work in a particular organisation will be socialised to accept—>
So, certain language/ behaviour/ attitudes become the norm.

Used Criticaly- describe the culture of racism within some areas of the police—>
Socialised into the canteen culture of the police force.

Question 13

Identity -
Ghumann (1999) Asian identity and family

Answer 13

Found that tradition, religion and family values played an important part int eh upbringing of second- generation Asian people int he UK.

Asian children more likely to be socialised into the extended family, with emphasis on duty/ loyalty/ honour/ religious commitment.

Question 14

Identity -
Back (1996) Neighbourhood nationalism

Answer 14

‘Neighbourhood Nationalism’

Ethnographic hybridity; young white people attracted to aspects of black culture

Local young people developed shared identity based on mixed ethnicity & ‘Neighbourhood Nationalism’ ——>
A feeling of solidarity and common identity with people form the same area

Question 15

Identity -
Hewitt (2005) White British identity

Answer 15

Considers the white ‘backlash’ against
multiculturalism

Policies designed to achieve equality have been perceived as unfair to the white community —-> A white working-class individual under pressure economically has often reacted with anger at perceived ‘positive discrimination’, feeling the need to defend minorities’ identity

“Complaints by the white ‘have-nots’ about the impact on them of the black ‘have-nots’”

Question 16

Identity -
Anderson (1983) ‘Nation’ as an ‘imagined community’

Answer 16

Argues that a ‘nation’ is an ‘imagined community’ —-> member will never meet fellow members, so a national identity is socially constructed through symbols/anthems

Argues social construction was facilitated by developments in printing technology ——> Leading to mass circulation which created a ‘national’ language

Question 17

Identity -
Kumar (2003) English identity

Answer 17

English people find it difficult to say who they are –> English national identity is elusive

Argues that the long history of English as imperial has developed a sense of ‘missionary nationalism’ —-> Necessitated the repression of ordinary nationalism expressions

Quest to expand ‘Britishness’ may have diluted ‘Englishness’

Question 18

Identity -
Jackson (2006) Lads and ladettes

Answer 18

Found that some girls or ‘ladettes’ also spent time drinking and smoking/swearing/disrupting lessons —>
Fear of doing otherwise and being considered unpopular and ‘uncool’

‘Laddishness’ - specific form of masculine behaviour —-> Changing female identities?

Question 19

Identity -
Mackintosh & Moonie (2004) Invisibility and social closure in the upper class.

Answer 19

Pointed out that a key feature of the upper class is their invisibility —> operate ‘social closure’; separated from & partially invisible to the rest of the population

Could be argued this group is waning in numbers & power —-> New ‘super-rich’ are much more significant

Question 20

Identity -
McIntosh (1996) The homosexual role

Answer 20

Western cultures: certain expectations or cultural characteristics e.g effeminate mannerisms, higher voice, attention to appearance

Once accepted role, start to fulfil these expectations —-> label creates the behaviour

Question 21

Identity -
Plummer (1996) The homosexual career

Answer 21

Homosexuality as a process

‘Homosexual career’ - Male who has accepted the label will seek out others & join a subculture where stereotypical homosexual characteristics become the norm
——> Acceptance and internalisation of the identity of ‘homosexual’

Question 22

Identity -
Postman (1982) The disappearance of childhood

Answer 22

Childhood is disappearing

‘Innocent’ child created when spread of literacy enabled adults to shield children from aspects of adult life

Emergence & spread of the media and visual culture has brought a decline in childhood and threatens to bring about its disappearance

Question 23

Identity -
Hockey & James (1993) The infantilisation of the elderly

Answer 23

Children lack status of person-hood & are separated and excluded from the public, adult world, confined to ‘specialist places’

Link old age & childhood - socially constructed in a similar way; infantalization —-> self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 24

Identity -
Shakespeare (1996) Disability and identity

Answer 24

Argues disabled people are often socialised into this way of seeing themselves as victims —–> ‘may have an investment in their own incapacity’ —> creating a ‘victim mentality’

Question 25

Identity -
Hall (1991) Nationality

Answer 25

Countries may display 3 different reactions to globalisation;
1) ‘Cultural Homogenisation’ - may accept a global culture & all countries will become more similar
2) ‘Cultural Hybridity’ - may take in some aspects alongside their traditional culture; develop a new, still individual culture
3) ‘Cultural Resistance’ - may resist global culture and fiercely protect their cultural heritage, becoming more traditional and nationalistic