socialisation - ocr sociology

what is socialisation?

Process of learning the norms and values in a society

what is primary socialisation?

Socialisation from birth - occurs within the family, learn fundamental norms and values.
0-5 years , learn through imitation and sanctions

what is secondary socialisation?

Socialisation at school or wider society

what are the agents of socialisation?

family
peer group
education
workplace
media
religion

What did Bowles and Gintis say?

2 American Marxists
hidden curriculum- Education system was a giant myth making machine, socialised students into accepting their place in society

what did Jock Young say?

A bulimic society. The media portrays what people believe as important, making others feel left out if they don't try to fit in - may turn to criminality or subcultures

what did Ralph Miliband say?

Media is the new opium of the people

What did Marxists argue was responsible for the spread of mass or popular culture?

mass media, keeps the masses 'dumb'.
-encourages 'false needs' through advertising, which act to support capitalist enterprise
-discourages only critical thoughts, particularly those that relate to questioning capitalism, through focusing on content-light entertainment, which produces superficial mindless distraction

What did Mulvey say?

feminism
the camera in films 'eyes up' female characters, encouraging viewers to assess their bodies and their attractiveness, from a male perspective

what did Modood and Berthoud discover?

did a survey and discovered that 67% of young British Pakistani and Bangladeshi's felt religion was very important to them. Compared to only 5% of young white people

What did Waddington say?

there was a canteen culture
workers are socialised into accepting the norms and values in the workplace

what is anticipatory socialisation?

how people use prior knowledge to prepare for a situation (job interview- alter behaviour/style)

what is re-socialisation?

learning a new set of norms and values when starting a new job

What did Ritzer say?

socialisation led to exploitation
-trained to perform simple, repetitive tasks
-trained not to use your initiative
-trained not to question authority
McJobs: unskilled, low paid, part time jobs

what is social control?

ensuring people abide by what they have learned (punishments= memos, rewards= merits, police, technology)

what are informal agencies of social control?

family
peer group
mass media
religion

what are formal agencies of social control?

military
education
police/criminal justice system

how is family an agent of social control?

uses sanctions such as scolding and isolation and praising/rewards to reinforce behaviour, given by an authority figure (e.g. a parent)

how are peer groups an agent of social control?

we look to friends for guidance about appropriate ways to behave. Allows us to experiment with the norms and values of mainstream culture. A source of positive and negative informal sanctions, we learn what is acceptable and what isn't.

how is mass media an agent of social control?

Inform us with what happens to those who break accepted norms and laws. Reporting of crime and punishments shows if we too break the law we will be punished

how is religion an agent of social control?

10 commandments in Christianity, if you disregard, God is watching you. Conscious idea of God seeing your actions

how is military an agent of social control?

In conflict, the military are used for social order. Scare people into following the expectations of society

how is education an agent of social control?

Cane be informal or formal
warnings in lesson to detention, suspensions etc

how is the police/ criminal justice an agent of social control?

police enforce the law and make sure everyone conforms
courts punish those who break the law.
Prisons act as a crime deterrent and punish those convicted

what is the difference between informal and formal social control?

informal control does not include any written rules and are created by social networks and organisations- not the government
Formal control agencies are authorised ones created by the government. is more effective and stronger- more power

what are the New Right concerns about informal social control in the family in contemporary society?

Female-headed single-parent families are increasing. This means unlike males, females do not have the same level of authority to enforce social control

what do functionalists like parsons believe is the role of primary socialisation?

gender role socialisation
teach norms and values needed to keep a stable society

what do Marxists believe is the role of primary socialisation?

to teach traditional gender, working roles
produce and teach the new generation of workers

what do feminists like Oakley believe is the role of primary socialisation?

teaches children to conform to gender inequalities.
Oakley looked at housework and women and found that housewife's autonomy (personal freedom) is more theoretical than real. The responsibility for housework is the wife's alone and failure to do so, may have serious consequences- wrath of husbands, ill-health of children.
Girls would see their mothers do this and then reciprocate. Boys replicate dads opinions

what do functionalists believe is the role of secondary socialisation?

to reinforce that these norms and values are being followed

what do Marxists say is the role of secondary socialisation?

Bowles and Gintis- hidden curriculum
teaches children to accept their position in society and that their achievements and failures are of their own making, everything is fair and based on merit. Not question their wealth

what does Morgan say is the role of socialisation?

in primary socialisation parents use sanctions to reinforce and reward socially approved behaviour. Sanctions lead to the development of a conscience in a child which leads to independent action. E.g. toilet training- have control over bodily functions

what does Brannen and Heptinstall's research show?

nearly 1,000 London 10 to 12 year olds from four different family types; two parent, lone-mother, step father and foster care studied, focusing on how children view care, parental responsibilities and family life.
Research suggested that children are active co-participants in care and constructors in family life- make a contribution to family life whilst fulfilling responsibilities at school

why do some sociologists now believe that socialisation is not as effective as it used to be in the past?

Nature v nurture
Bouchards twin study
behaviour can be biological

what did Skelton and Francis research?

peer groups in primary school. playgrounds and classrooms were gendered

what did Bouchard's twin study show?

Twins Oskar and Jack were brought up separately.
Oskar was brought up by his grandmother in Germany as a catholic.
Jack was brought up by his father in the Caribbean as a Jew
When they were studied they had the same behaviour and personality (nature)

what did Lee (1983, 1997) study?

pressure put on teenage girls by their peers
e.g. double standards with sexual activity for boys and girls
terms such as 'slut' used

What did Oakley (1981) study?

gender roles are socially constructed through socialisation
4 ways that the family socialise
-manipulation
-canalisation
-verbal appellation
-different activities

what did Modood and Berthoud (1997) study?

67% of British Bangladeshi and Pakistanis felt religion was important to them, compared to 5% of white British youths
Religions decline is not universal

how are role models a form of socialisation?

reinforce socially acceptable behaviour
----Feminism

what is an example of role models socialising?

Young children's tv programmes e.g. Peppa pig feels better after sharing her toys
Kardashians are a role model of what we should look like

what is the evaluation of role models?

not varied enough- poor role models for women.
Abi Moore (pink stinks)- media makes girls sex objects, surgery addicts and emotional wrecks

how is the representation of social groups a form of socialisation?

the media are selective- cant show public everything, so they have to make a decision about what they do and don't use
---Feminism

what are examples of representations of social groups?

Ferguson - women's magazines have a 'cult of femininity'
Little Britain presents lower class people All as chavs, with lots of kids, no money, benefit stealers

what is the evaluation of representation of social groups?

Biased and/or stereotypical
Mc Robbie 'slimblondness'

how is imitation a form of socialisation?

people copy what they have seen, heard or read - copycat incidents
---Feminism

what are examples of imitation being a form of socialisation?

Emo music accused of increase in young people self harming
Kylie Jenner's lip fillers created a start up of young girls wanting bigger lips- kylie Jenner lip challenge

what is the evaluation of imitation being a form of socialisation?

does watching a violent film create violence? politically charged idea

how is consumer culture a form of socialisation?

Creates/reinforces consumer culture through advertisements; provides designs, images and ideas for living and creating an identity. Often endorsed by celebrities
----Marxism

What are examples of consumer culture being a form of socialisation?

John Lydon country life advert - 85% increase in sales
Popular Netflix movie had characters drinking 'yakult' it then sold out in all local supermarkets in the USA

what is the evaluation of consumer culture being a form of socialisation?

Marxist interpretation of the role of media