sociology gcse y10

culture

a shared way of life of a society or group within a society. It includes aspects such as norms, values, beliefs, roles and status and is passed down from generation to generation.

values

qualities and beliefs that are considered good and worthwhile.

norms

The expectations or unwritten informal rules surrounding how someone should behave in a .certain situation

deviance

Behaviours that do not conform to societies norms and values. A person who doesn’t conform is called a deviant.

cultural universals

behaviours found in multiple cultures

cultural diversity

differences between cultures

norms are situational

different situations have different norms. e g . norms on a bus and a wedding are different.

a role

the parts that we play in our daily life. These can be jobs that we do which can be significant in how we define ourselves. Each role is a collection of norms.

status

the amount of respect or the position a person has in society; your social standing.

ascribed status

The status that is given automatically at birth. e g. a lord or baroness.

achieved status

Th type of status that is earned.

nature vs nurture

the argument about whether a person act the way they do due to genetics or socialisation

genetic determinism

The idea that it is our genes that decide how we act.

socio-biology

the idea that human behaviour is explained by biological differences which have evolved over time.

socialisation

The process in which children learn the norms and values of their society. These are taught through agents of socialisation.

agents of socialisation

institutions that carry out socialisation and pass on norms and values. these can be family,peers, school, media, religion and work.

primary socialisation

the first stage of socialisation which occurs during infancy. It is usually taught by the parents and is received when the child grows awareness and consciousness.

secondary socialisation

The second stage of the socialisation process after early childhood. It continues as children meet new situation such as school, clubs and jobs.

agents of social control

people who try to make other conform to acceptable behaviour. All agents use sanctions (positive or negative) to make people conform.

informal social control

the influence of socialisation by informal agent of socialisation such as family, peers, media and school.

formal social control

sanctions enforced by the government to prevent chaos. e g. the law, police, prison and sometimes even the army.

sanctions

a method of social control in which society puts pressure on its member to conform/.

a subculture

a distinct group within a culture (a culture within a culture). e g. the hippies

canalisation

the process of socialisation using toys

social class

a grouping based on wealth, education and occupation.