Socialisation

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  • Created by: emma ba
  • Created on: 24-01-17 15:07

CULTURE

Socialisation is the transmission of culture.

Culture is the term used to describe the norms, values and beliefs which are learned and shared within a society or group of people through socialisation.

Norms: Expected behaviours within society           

Values: Guidelines and goals on what is good and bad 

Mores are morally significant behaviours such as murder and theft which lead to repercussions.

Taboos are behaviours such as cannibalism which are seen as disgusting and horrifying in society.

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Nature vs Nurture

Nature refers to the innate instincts we possess whcih determine our behaviour (biologists)

Nurture refers to the socioological approach suggesting our behaviour is determined by society.

Instincts: patterns of behaviour and automatic responses such as reproduction, self-preservation and childbearing.

Sociologists say these vary for example: Sex-drive is split into monogamy, polygamy, promiscuity, celibacy. Self-preservation in contradicted with suicide and people risking lives at war. Childbearing is contradicted with the fact that 1 fifth of Britain are childless and mothers abuse and abandon children. 

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Extreme Isolation Effects

Feral children have not been socialised, do not possess the norms and values of society. 

SHAMDEV: Cowered away from people and would only play with dogs, hated the sunlight and would curl up in the dark, caught chickens and ate them raw, would smell blood and be attracted to it. 

ISABELL: Her mother was mute, they were both locked away in a darkened room by family members, her behaviour towards strangers was like a wild animal (fear), she was unable to walk and talk properly. 

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Status and Roles

'Status' refers to the position you have in society. 

Ascribed status: fixed characteristics you are born with that determine your status

Achieved status: statuses achieved through own efforts (education, promotion at work)

Different 'statuses' have set norms with determine a 'role'

For example: A teacher's norms include marking work, punctually starting lessons, treating students fairly. 

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Individuals and Society

Are we products of society?

Structural view: We are entirely shaped by society's norms and values which we internalise through socialisation. 'Macro approach' as it focuses on how wider society shapes how we behave.

Social Action view: We have free will an choice in the way we act. We attach different meanings to individuals and situations and our behaviour is determined by the way we interact with people because of this. Cameron's study of shoplifters found that store detectives labelled adolescents and black indiviudals as the shoplifters but not anyone of the same race and class as themselves. 

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Diversity and itdentity

Marxists say that our identity is shaped through our class position.

Functionalists say that our identity is shaped through the way we are socialised.

Postmodernists say society is fragmented into different groups such as ethnicity, religion, nationality and sexuality which shapes which gives us greater freedom to choose our identity.

Critics say post-modernists ignore the inequality of class and how this limits people's lives and the way this shapes them.

Critics say post-modernists exaggerate the changes in society in terms of how much they have changed. 

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Social change and types of society

Changes:

- Urbanisation (a shift from a rural society to an urban society)

- Industrialisation (a shift from agricultural jobs to factory based jobs)

Impacts have made different types of society:

- Traditional society (a rural society with agricultural work-force, religion dominated the way people behave, more community based society)

- Modern society (an urban society with industrial jobs such as factories, technological changes, belief that science can bring about progress) 

- Post-modern society (a post-industrialisation society which has brought about rapid and uneven change, loss of faith that science cna bring about progress) 

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