Agents of socialisation

Family

- primary socialisation
- nuclear family is most common but increasing numbers of lone-parent families- family becoming more diverse (Postmodernism)
- children spend most time with family, highly dependent on them so learn values from them.
- Parsons- nuclear family in industrial society- despite diversity the nuclear family is still important for primary socialisation to learn value consensus, ascribed status, individualistic standards.
- learn norms by imitating parents.
- Bandura- Bobo Doll
- Morgan- use sanctions/rewards to reinforce behaviour so we conform to social expectations.
- Sewell- divsersity changes socialisation process- eg. 'absent father'- difficult for children who lack a male role model, lead to boys acting out to rove their masculinity.
- New Right- decline in nuclear family undermines important work family does for socialisation, this is due to:
- breakdown of traditional family values.
- over generous welfare benefits make it easier for fathers to 'opt out'
- rise of feminism- women as breadwinners.
- greater tolerance of gay relationships.
- better medical tech.- no need for a father (IVF etc.)
- consequence- family no longer functions to provide adequate socialisation, children will underachieve in school, behave in anti-social ways.
- Reay-m/c mothers more likely to read to children due to more free time to do so, w/c mothers less likely- fewer cultural resources/knowledge of the education system.
- Furedi- paranoid parenting- parents are no longer caring for their kids, their main role is to protect them from possible harm eg. bullies, stranger, perceived threats.

AO3:
- NR victim blame when it is really other factors responsible eg. low wage, inadequate benefits, lack of jobs.
- NR see nuclear family as 'normal' and superior but who is to say it is.

Education

- secondary socialisation
- formal education helps children pick up culture, taught culture of their society- history, language, religion, citizenship, science, maths.
- Durkheim- social solidarity- through history, language, citizenship.
- Parsons- bridge between family and wider society- socialised into universal standards, achieved status.
- Skelton- primary socialisation does not do a good enough job, parents were inadequate, had to address issues of violence, anti-authority by enforcing tough measures, locked gates etc.
AO3:
- Marxist/Feminist- Parsons assumes system is meritocratic- ignores class, ethnicity, gender impacts.
- Bowles/Gintis- correspondence principle- education is a myth making machine, real role is to exploit/brainwash children/reproduction of inequality, hidden curriculum to create passive workforce.

Peer Groups

- secondary
- early years- children play for fun, learn norms, social skills, social roles, manners.
- teenagers- more time away from family, with friends more.
- friendship groups can be positive or negative- peer pressure.
- Adler/Adler- depends on your peers where you end up in life- being popular makes children feel good about themselves, being socially isolated does the opposite.

Mass Media

- secondary
- teenagers spend most of the time in their rooms with music/TV/games consoles/phones etc.- bombarded with media all the time- affects norms/behaviour/self image.
- means of communicating worldwide- global village.
- Gillespie- Bollywood movies can socialise children into Asian cultures/languages.
AO3:
- Marxist- means of production- owned by ruling class, spreads ruling class ideology.

Religion

- secondary
- offers moral values, become part of culture.
- rituals/ceremonies traditionally a force of social unity.
- marriage, baptism, funerals bring people together, remind them of common values.
- moral codes guide behaviour.
AO3:
- secularisation- religion less prominent/valued.

Work

- secondary
- introduced to new norms/values/roles.
- use anticipatory/re-socialisation.
- formal socialisation- manager is formally responsible for socialising employees, behaviour controlled by codes of conduct.
- informal socialisation- provided by peer groups/colleagues- own rituals, norms. eg. Waddington- canteen culture- police sharing 'war stories'.\#