Sociology - core concepts

Nature vs Nurture

• Nature - The view that human behaviour is innate and genetic, e.g men are more likely to be criminals because they have higher levels of testosterone. Humans have natural instincts; self preservation, reproduction, careing for young. However, some people go against these natural instincts; suicide, celibacy, putting baby up for adoption.
• Nurture - The view that human behaviour is learnt through our socialisation, e.g language, right/wrong, manners, practical skills (dressing self).

Socilisation

The process in which individuals learn the norms and values of a society. Occurs when the agencies of socialisation use; immitation of role models, canalisation, sanctions.

• Agencies of socialisation - Institutions/people that influence our normas and values. There are; primary agencies (first expirences of socialisation e.g family), secondary agencies (expirences of the wider world e.g education or media e.c.t), focal agencies (the most influential agency at a given time e.g for a teenager this would be friends in school)
• Role models - Following the example of those you respect and are of higher status, often of the same gender. 
• Immitation - Copying/mirroring the behaviours of others.
• Canalisation - When children are channelled into 'appropriate' activities to reinforce thier gender stereotypes e.g boys given toy guns & lego to enforce violence & problem solving or girls being viven baby dolls & kitchen sets to enforce caregiving.
• Sanctions - Used by society to controle our behaviour by discouraging deviance. 4 types of sanctions; positive (reward for correct behaviour), negative (punishment for deviant behaviour), informal (natural reaction to behaviour), formal (official reaction to written…