Primary Socialisation

What is socialisation?

Socialisation is the process of learning the norms and values of a culture.
It happens throughout life but is strongest in childhood.

What are norms?

Norms are unwritten rules about how people are expected to behave in society.
They vary by culture, situation and time.

What are values?

Values are beliefs about what is important or desirable in society.
Example: honesty, respect, education.

How are norms and values connected?

Values shape norms.
If a society values respect → norms develop around polite behaviour.

What is primary socialisation?

Primary socialisation is early learning of norms and values from the family.
It is the most influential stage of socialisation.

What is secondary socialisation?

Secondary socialisation happens later in life.
It comes from school, media, peers, religion and work.

What is resocialisation?

Resocialisation is learning new norms and values when roles change.
Example: army training or starting a new job.

What is nature vs nurture?

Nature = biology and genetics influencing behaviour.
Nurture = environment and socialisation shaping behaviour.

What is the sociological view on nature vs nurture?

Most sociologists support nurture.
They argue behaviour is mainly shaped by culture and socialisation.

What does Parsons argue about gender roles?

Parsons says gender roles are partly natural.
Women → expressive roles (care/emotions).
Men → instrumental roles (work/achievement).

What do Murray & Herrnstein argue?

Some people are biologically predisposed to aggression and low self-control.
Without proper socialisation, they are more likely to commit crime.

What are feral children used to show?

Feral children show the importance of nurture.
Without socialisation, humans do not develop normal language or behaviour.

What is imitation in socialisation?

Learning by copying others.
Example: children copying parents’ behaviour or celebrities.

What are sanctions?

Rewards or punishments that shape behaviour.
Positive = praise.
Negative = punishment.

What is direct instruction?

Learning through being told how to behave.
Example: parents teaching manners or doctors advising health behaviour.

What is ideology in socialisation?

A system of ideas that shapes how we think and behave.
Example: capitalism encourages working and consumerism.

How does the family socialise children?

Through imitation, role models, rewards, punishment, and teaching norms.
It strongly shapes early identity.

What did Ann Oakley find about gender socialisation?

Parents shape gender roles.
Girls and boys are treated differently and taught stereotypical behaviours.

What is manipulation (Oakley)?

Encouraging behaviour seen as suitable for a child’s gender.
Discouraging behaviour that is not.

What is canalisation (Oakley)?

Directing children towards gender-appropriate toys and activities.
Example: boys → cars/football, girls → dolls/kitchens.

What did Val Gillies find about class and parenting?

Middle-class parents focus on education and social skills.
Working-class parents focus on coping with hardship and inequality.

What does Charles Murray argue?

Some families are “inadequate socialisers,” especially single-parent families.
He links this to crime and welfare dependency (New Right view).

What is the key evaluation of Murray?

His view is controversial.
It blames family structure and ignores wider social inequality.

Why do norms vary?

Norms depend on culture, place and time.
Example: behaviour in public vs private spaces is different.

How did COVID affect norms?

It temporarily changed behaviour norms like distancing, masks, and queuing.
Most returned after restrictions ended.

What did Simpson find about identity and norms?

Gay men changed behaviour depending on context.
They acted differently in “heterospaces” vs “homospaces”.
Shows norms are situation-dependent.

How do norms change over time?

Norms are not fixed.
Example: gender roles have changed due to feminism (women now expected to be independent).

What did Sharpe find about values?

1970s: women valued marriage and children.
1990s: women valued careers, money, travel.
Shows values change over time.

What did Ghuman find?

British Asian parents emphasise respect, loyalty, and humility more than white British parents.
Shows cultural differences in values.

Why do norms and values support the nurture argument?

They vary across culture and time.
If behaviour was biological, they would stay the same everywhere.

What is role modelling in socialisation?

Learning behaviour by observing others.
Children copy parents, teachers, peers, celebrities.

How does gender socialisation happen in the family?

Through toys, language, expectations, and behaviour reinforcement.
Boys and girls are treated differently from birth.

How does socialisation link to inequality (Gillies)?

Middle-class children are prepared for success.
Working-class children are prepared for hardship.
Reproduces social inequality.

What is a key limitation of nature explanations?

They ignore cultural and social differences.
Human behaviour is too complex to be purely biological.

What is a key limitation of nurture explanations?

It may ignore biological influences like temperament or aggression.
(Some sociologists argue both nature and nurture interact.)

Why is primary socialisation important?

It shapes basic identity, language, behaviour and early norms.
It has the strongest influence on identity formation.

Why is the family called the “primary” agent?

Because it comes first in a child’s life.
It has the most emotional importance and influence.

What is the key idea from Murray about welfare?

He claims welfare dependency creates an “underclass”.
This group is allegedly socialised into crime and anti-work values.

What is the overall conclusion about identity in this topic?

Identity is socially constructed through socialisation.
It is shaped by culture, not just biology.

What does “de-gaying” mean (Simpson)?

Adjusting behaviour to fit heterosexual spaces.
Shows people change identity depending on social context.

What happened to norms during COVID-19?

New norms formed (masks, distancing, queueing outside shops).
These were socially created and later reversed.

What is an example of sanctions in school?

Positive: praise, rewards, good grades.
Negative: punishment, detention, criticism.

What is a key link between socialisation and identity?

Identity is learned through interaction with others.
It is not fixed biologically but shaped by culture.