A Level Sociology: Culture and Socialisation Notes

Paper 1: Structure

Section A: Definitions and concepts of socialisation, culture, and identity; questions variably structured (6, 12, 20 marks).
Section B: Option on youth subcultures; extended response questions (12, 16, 24 marks).

Understanding Culture

Definition: Christopher Jencks describes culture as the entirety of a society's way of life, including beliefs, norms, customs, and arts.
Interdependence with Society: Giddens (1997) highlights that concepts of culture and society are intertwined; without culture, self-identity and consciousness would not exist.
Cultural Artefacts: Objects and products that hold shared meanings. For example, sports as a cultural artefact in contexts like the Olympics.

Values

Definition: Values are widely accepted beliefs around what is desirable. They shape a society's collective behavior.
Universal vs. Relative: Some values are universally upheld (e.g., valuing human life), while others are context-dependent, like American patriotism or the right to bear arms.

Norms

Definition: Norms are socially accepted guidelines which govern behavior in specific contexts. They are essentially values at work.
Examples:
- Inviting social privacy by knocking before entering a home.
- Cultural norms in differing societies (e.g., respect through kneeling in some cultures).

Diverse Cultural Types

Subculture: Groups that have distinct values and norms yet still align with the wider culture (e.g., the Amish, punks).
High Culture: Associated with elite classes; includes opera and fine arts (Bourdieu, significance in providing cultural capital).
Popular Culture: Mass-produced culture for wide consumption, often critiqued as superficial or sensationalist.
Consumer Culture: Emphasis on shopping and materialism as identity formation. Influences social norms and expectations regarding debt and consumption.
Global Culture: Emergence of cultural norms rooted in Western values that permeate globally; often tied to globalization and commodification (McDonaldization).
Cultural Hybridity: New forms of culture created by blending existing cultures, often evident in food and art worldwide.

Primary and Secondary Socialisation

Primary Socialisation: Takes place in the family, instilling norms, values, and behaviors through reward and punishment (Parsons 1959).
Secondary Socialisation: Occurs in wider society, through schools, media, and peer groups, often shaping identity.

Agents of Socialisation

Family: The primary agent, instilling societal norms from a young age.
Peers: Influence on choices, interests, and behaviors during adolescence (peer pressure).
Education: Teaches conformity to societal behaviors and prepares individuals for the workforce (hidden curriculum).
Media: Models behaviors and societal norms; can shape perceptions of groups like refugees or minorities.
Workplace: Reinforces professional norms and values through onboarding and company culture, also a site of ideological socialisation.

Nature: Refers to biological determinism (e.g., genetics like the MAOA gene tied to aggression).
Nurture: Emphasizes learned behaviors, often through socialisation and cultural influences (e.g., media's subliminal messages on behavior).

Forms of Social Control

Formal Social Control: Enforced by authorities through laws (police, legal systems).
Informal Social Control: Unwritten societal expectations (peer pressure, family approval).
Sanctions: Include formal positive (rewards) and negative (punishment), informal positive (praise) and negative (criticism).

Understanding culture, socialisation, and their interrelatedness is crucial for comprehending identity and societal roles. Socialisation processes help mold individuals in ways that affect their integration into society. This has implications for everything from personal development to larger cultural dynamics and social order.