Society and culture

Sociology

the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society

Culture

shared way of life of a group of people, including values, beliefs and language

cultural transmission

a society shares and passes on its culture

dominant culture

set of values that holds the most power and influence in a society

cultural diversity

existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society

subculture

smaller groups of people within a society who shares distinct values

counterculture

a group of values that strongly oppose the mainstream norms of established society

ethnocentrism

the practice of judging another culture by the standards of your own culture

cultural relativism

a person’s beliefs should be understood based on their own cultural context rather than judged against the standards of others

cultural lag

the societal delay that occurs when non-material culture takes longer to adapt to rapid technologies and material innovations

cultural capital

the non financial social asses (eg knowledge) that help people navigate society and achieve success

material culture

physical things that people create and attach emotional mraning to eg food

non material culture

refers to ideas that people share eg traditions

society

the people who interact in such a way as to share a common culture. the culture bond may be ethnic or racial, based on gender, or due to shared beliefs values and activities

social construction

an idea that’s created and given special meaning by people eg culture

collectivist culture

cultures that tend to emphasise belonging to the group than personal freedom

individualistic cultures

tend to emphasise individual freedom and personal gain, sometimes at the expense of others

norms

norms are specific rules or guides which define acceptable behaviour in situations

value

a belief that something is desirable - every society has different values

socialisation

the process through which we learn societal norms and values

primary socialisation

a child learns from immediate family at home, including traditions and expectations

secondary socialisation

when a child learns about wider society expectations, this generally takes place outside of the home

tertiary socialisation

people learn to adapt to different situations

formal socialisation

processes where people are conciously manipulated to ensure they follow certain rules

informal socialisation

people learn to fit into their culture by watching and learning from people around them

agents of socialisation

an organisation that passes cultural values

What is one aims of family socialisation

desire to achieve ambitions

habitus

refers to the deeply ingrained habits that people form through their everyday life experiences

imitation

children learn social skills by watching and copying their parents

role models

people that children will copy, usually a same-sex parent

sanctions

children may be punished for incorrect behaviour and praised for acceptable behaviour

expectations

the unwritten rules of how someone acts in a society

what is one example which formal socialisation can happen

through education

what are examples of agents of socialisation

family, religion, work

family socialisation

parents consciously teaching their kids stuff

what is an example of family socialisation

teaching your child how to swim

what do we learn through the agents of socialisation

the expectations of our society

who is habitus developed by

Pierre Bourdieu

social control

ways our behaviors and actions are regulated

formal control methods

more concrete like laws and sanctions

informal control

values we learn from society to help us fit in better

what is social control divided into

formal and informal

crime

any action that results in breaking a law

deviance

behaviour that doesn’t conform to the dominant norms of a specific society

Unwritten rule example for norms

being respectful

Unwritten rule example for morals

telling the truth

Unwritten rule example for values

equality

Unwritten rule example for beliefs

religion

Unwritten rule example for parents

takes care of children

Unwritten rule example for teachers

educate children

Unwritten rule example for status

occupation

navitism

they believe that the social characteristics of people have risen through evolution

nature theory

the view that human behaviour is prompted by biology rather than society

nurture theory

the view that society and culture override human genetics and instinct

gender roles

our biological sex carries a set of cultural expectations which are usually given before birth

manipulation (in terms of gender roles)

parents encouraging behaviour seen as suitable for a childs gender

example of manipulation when it comes to gender roles

girls getting praised for being pretty

conalisation

children are directed towards gender toys and activities

example of conalisation

boys liking cars

verbal appellations

gendered labels

example of verbal appellations

strong boy

different activities

boys and girls may be encouraged to take part in different household tasks, sports or hobbies

functionalists

believe that the purpose of socialisation is to unite society in a shared set of norms and values

who are usually functionalists

usually americans

Marxists

they say that the purpose of socialisation is to control the weak and give them the ideas that the powerful promote

why could human behavior be based on nature

characteristics are shaped by natural selection

example of human behavior being based on nature

The Jim twins grew up away from each other but had many of the same characteristics

why could human behavior be based on nurture

behaviour is shaped by media, family or religion

example of human behavior being based on nurture

the girl who was raised by dogs

sociological perspectives

the different ways sociologists view society

structural approach

some sociologists analyse the impact that social factors have upon individuals

social action approach

some sociologists suggest individuals have free will and are able to make their own choices

structural theories

suggests that social forces shape the behaviour of individuals

macro sociology

examining social trends and drawing broad conclusions about human behaviour

what is macro sociology broken down into

conflict and consensus theories

conflict theories

arguments that society is divided by 2 or more groups and that they compete for power and resources

2 examples of conflict theories

marixsm and feminism

consensus theories

suggests that society is balanced and people have a common identity and purpose

example of consensus theory

functionalism

social action theories

theories that examine society on a micro level and suggest that society is made up of individuals who have free will

what is the most common social action theory

interactionism

who will social action theories examine

experiences of individuals

high culture

refers to an activity that are linked to higher social status

example of high culture

oprea and fine arts

popular culture

refers to widely shared and accessible culture forms

example of popular culture

pop music and football

global culture

the spread of shared cultural forms across different societies through global connections

consumer culture

a society where identity is increasingly expressed through buying and consumption

cultural hybridity

the mixing of different cultural influences to create new forms

what are the two perspectives people could study sociology from

based on their own personal values or from a detached viewpoint