AQA GCSE Sociology 9-1 Core Studies Flashcards

Flashcards covering key concepts from AQA GCSE Sociology 9-1, focusing on core studies in families, education, crime and deviance, and social stratification.

Primary Socialisation

Process where children are taught the shared norms and values of society.

Stabilisation of Adult Personality

Function of the family to relieve stress of life, like a 'warm bath'.

Women's Unpaid Labour

A Marxist perspective: how the family supports capitalism through exploitation of women's domestic work.

Unit of Consumption

How the family serves capitalism by purchasing goods and services.

Patriarchal Exploitation

Exploitation of women's labor by their husbands within the family structure.

Conventional Family

A nuclear family composed of legally married couples with one or more children; often associated with gender inequalities.

Family Diversity

Rapoport and Rapoport's five types: organizational, cultural, social class, cohort, and life course.

Symmetrical Family

Family with similar, but not identical, roles, equal contribution to household work and shared decision making

Particularistic Values

Values taught within the family, contrasting with universalistic values.

Universalistic Values

Values that are applied to all members of society, taught in schools.

Meritocracy

System where individuals achieve based on hard work and ability.

Social Solidarity

Feeling of unity and shared norms and values within a society, promoted by education.

Correspondence Principle

Similarity between work and school, where education prepares an obedient workforce to serve capitalism.

Hidden Curriculum

The unwritten and often unintended lessons taught in schools, such as obedience and conformity.

Anti-School Subculture

A group of students who reject the values and norms of the school, often leading to lower educational attainment.

Parental Choice

The ability of parents to choose which school their child attends, potentially increasing inequalities in education.

Strain Theory

Merton's theory that deviance results from a disjunction between societal goals and the means to achieve them.

Labelling Theory

The idea that deviance is not inherent in an act, but is created when society labels an act as deviant.

Master Status

The primary identifying characteristic of an individual, often associated with a label such as 'criminal'.

Deviant Subculture

A group with norms and values that differ from mainstream society, often engaging in criminal or deviant behavior.

Control Theory

The idea that people are controlled by the promise of rewards and may turn to crime if those rewards are not available.

Patriarchy

A system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.

Social Stratification

A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy.

Bourgeoisie

In Marxist theory, the ruling class that owns the means of production.

Proletariat

In Marxist theory, the working class that is exploited by the bourgeoisie.

Life Chances

The opportunities individuals have to improve their quality of life.

Dependency Culture

The state of being reliant on government welfare programs, leading to a growing underclass.

Underclass

A group of people characterized by long-term poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.

Relative Deprivation

The lack of resources to obtain the types of diet, activities, and living conditions that are widely available in society.

Value Consensus

General agreement among members of society on what is good and important.

Instrumental Role

Parsons' concept; men are suited to be breadwinners for the family's physical needs

Expressive Role

Parsons' concept; women are suited to be carers and nurturers providing for emotional needs

Anomie

A sense of normlessness in society where anything goes in pursuit of material success