OCR A Level Sociology: Secondary Socialisation

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering primary and secondary socialisation, agents of socialisation, key theories, and research studies for OCR A Level Sociology.

Socialisation

The lifelong process of learning norms and values.

Primary Socialisation

Socialisation in early childhood, mainly through the family; especially important before age five.

Secondary Socialisation

Socialisation that continues throughout life outside the family.

Norms

Social expectations or rules about how people should behave.

Values

Beliefs about what is important, desirable or worthwhile.

Agency of Socialisation

A person, group or institution that teaches norms, values and expected behaviour.

Peer Group

People of similar age and social status to us; can become especially important during the teenage years.

Formal Curriculum

The subjects and content schools intend to teach, including specifications and the national curriculum.

Hidden Curriculum

Informal lessons taught through school rules, routines, behaviour policies and relationships, such as punctuality, discipline, competition, following instructions and accepting authority.

Correspondence Principle

Bowles and Gintis' idea that school relationships mirror workplace hierarchies and expectations.

Bowles and Gintis' View of the Hidden Curriculum

The argument that the hidden curriculum makes pupils disciplined and obedient, helping prepare them to become workers in capitalism by rewarding punctuality, obedience and acceptance of authority and hierarchy.

Group Socialisation Theory

Judith Harris' theory that peer groups and experiences outside the family strongly shape behaviour.

Sexual Double Standard (Sue Lees)

The pattern identified in studies of girls and school culture where girls may be judged more harshly than boys for similar sexual behaviour.

Skelton and Francis' Research

Research highlighting that gender expectations can be negotiated and reinforced through interactions in primary classrooms.

Tony Sewell's Discussion of Schooling

The argument that some peer pressures and forms of masculinity may conflict with school achievement for some Black boys, alongside racism and school experiences (caution: debated and must not be generalised to all Black boys).

Media (as an Agent of Socialisation)

An agency where representations can influence ideas about what is normal, desirable or acceptable.

The Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey, 1975)

The theory that some mainstream cinema presents women as objects viewed from a heterosexual male perspective.

Bulimic Society (Jock Young)

A concept describing how consumer culture encourages aspirations while inequality excludes some people from achieving them.

Religion (as an Agent of Socialisation)

An agency that socialises people by teaching beliefs, moral rules, rituals, identity and community belonging.

Modood, Berthoud and Colleagues' 1997 Survey

A survey showing religious importance varied between ethnic groups; around two-thirds of Pakistani and Bangladeshi respondents aged 16–34 said religion was very important, compared with about 5% of White respondents.

Work (as an Agency of Socialisation)

An agency where workplaces teach norms such as punctuality, teamwork, dress codes and professional behaviour.

Workplace Rewards and Sanctions

Mechanisms where rewards (such as promotion) encourage expected behaviour and sanctions discourage rule-breaking.

Canteen Culture (Waddington)

Informal police talk that can help officers make sense of stressful work; Waddington noted that talk does not automatically prove street behaviour and the idea of one uniformly harmful police culture may be overstated.

Active Human Agency (Evaluation of Secondary Socialisation)

The key sociological evaluation that people are not passive; they can interpret, resist or reject messages from socialisation agencies.