SECTION 22: Socialisation and the Creation of Culture

Culture is the "shared way of life" of a society, including its values, norms, and beliefs. We aren't born with culture; we learn it through socialisation.

1. Primary Socialisation (Ages 0–5)

• The Family: The most important agency. Children learn "basic" norms (e.g., using a knife and fork) and values (e.g., respecting elders).

• Parsons: Describes the family as a "factory" that produces human personalities.

2. Secondary Socialisation (School, Peer Groups, Media, Workplace, Religion)

• Education: Schools teach the Hidden Curriculum (Bowles & Gintis)—things like punctuality and obedience to authority that prepare us for work.

• Peer Groups: Introduce Peer Pressure and the desire for "belonging."

• Media: Increasingly powerful. It creates "role models" and reinforces stereotypes.

• Religion: Provides moral codes and a sense of shared identity.

3. Nature vs. Nurture

• The Argument: Are we born a certain way (Nature) or made by society (Nurture)?

• Evidence for Nurture: Feral Children (like Genie Wiley). Without human socialisation, they fail to develop language or social skills, proving that being "human" is a learned behavior.