Culture and Socialisation

Culture

A way of life of a particular society

Socialisation

Process of people learning norms and values of society.

Primary Socialisation

Takes place in early childhood in families

Secondary Socialisation

Child learns what wider society expects. School/Media

Tertiary Socialisation

Adult socialisation when people’s needs adapt to situations. Becoming a part/Changing jobs

Norms

Expected behaviours for a culture

Values

Basic rules shared by most people in a culture

Status

Person’s position in society

Roles

Expected behaviours for that person’s position in society

Nature Theories

Theories of evolution and people are governed by instincts

Nurture Theories

Society and culture override human genetics and instincts

Formal Social Control

Use of law and force to control our behaviour

Informal Social Control

Conforming to unwritten rules in society

What do Functionalists believe?

Culture creates social cohesion and brings people’s beliefs together

What do Marxists believe?

Culture is used to maintain power of the proletariat

Beliefs

Ideas about things we hold to be true

Agencies of socialisation

Social group that passes on culture norms/values to others

Materialistic Culture

Physical things that people create and attach emotional meaning to

Non-Materialistic Culture

Ideas that people share

Ascribed Status

Identities you have been born with

Achieved Status

Identities you have chosen

Individualistic Culture

Individual freedom and personal gain

Collectivist Culture

Belonging to a group is more important than personal freedom

Feral Children

Children who have grown up without human interactions

Diversity

People from different backgrounds/cultures living together

Social Construction

Idea that is created and given special meaning by people

Social Control

Ways our behaviours/actions are regulated

Morals

Ways of behaving that are seen as good or bad

Nativism

Social characteristics have arisen through evolution

Formal Socialisation

People are learnt to follow certain rules

Informal Socialisation

People learn to fit in their culture

Habitus

Set of similarities of behaviours

Imitation

A person observes and replicates someone’s behaviours

Sanctions

Rewards or punishments used to control people

Manipulation

Parents encourage behaviours that they see appropriate to their gender. Example: Boys don’t cry

Canalisation

Boys and girls in different activites. Example: Dolls/Footballs

Verbal Appllations

Girls being called “angels” and boys being called “little monster”

Different Activities

Boys do football games and girls do dance classes

Gender

Social construct built through their culture’s concepts of femininity and masculinity

Hybrid Identities

People feeling o belonging to more than one ethnic group

Nationalism

Individuals share a collective identity to their nation

Identity

How individuals define themselves

Collective Conscience

Shared values and beliefs that people have

Social Cohesion

Social glue, binding society together

What do Feminists believe?

Culture socialises people into gender roles, keeping society patriarchal