Outline

• What does culture refer to in a society?

  Culture refers to a way of life for a particular society or part of a society.
• What are the main components of culture?

  Culture consists of beliefs, traditions, and other characteristics specific to a group or society.
• What does cultural diversity mean?

  Cultural diversity refers to the idea that there are differences between cultures and a wide range of cultural values within one society.
• What is culture?

  Culture refers to a way of life for a particular society or part of a society. It consists of beliefs, traditions and other characteristics specific to that group or society.
• What is cultural diversity?

  Cultural diversity refers to the idea that there are differences between cultures, and also the idea that within one society there exists a wide range of cultural values.
• What is multiculturalism?

  Multiculturalism refers to the idea that all cultures, races and ethnicities should have their differences acknowledged and celebrated.
• What is socialisation?

  Socialisation means the learning of a culture's norms and values of the society that you live in.
• What are the different types of culture?

  1. Subculture: A smaller group of people or a breakoff group that shares their own norms, customs and values – these are distinct from the main culture. Examples include: 'Goths,' 'Emos' 'Chavs'.
  2. Mass culture: Culture for the masses where there is a set of norms and values the majority share – this comes from exposure to the same media, news sources, art and music.
  3. Folk culture: Created by local communities and is linked to the experiences, customs and beliefs of everyday life for ordinary people. E.g. the English doing Morris dancing or the Scottish playing the bagpipes.
  4. High culture: The idea that some cultural practices and products are superior to others. Involves things of lasting value and part of heritage, mainly aimed at upper-class and middle-class elites such as opera, ballet.
  5. Low culture/Popular culture: Culture enjoyed by the masses and has mass appeal such as soap operas, football and cinema productions.
  6. Global culture: The idea that there is now a global culture which has been impacted by globalisation – this is more likely to be multicultural and driven by technology.
• What is the dominant culture?

  The dominant culture is the main culture in a society which is accepted without opposition by most people. E.g. British culture.
• What are the key ideas of the functionalist view of culture?

  • Social construction: The idea that a belief, characteristic, or set of behaviours are produced by society rather than been fact or produced by nature.
  • Anomie: A process when the norms and values of a society become too unclear so people do not know what is right or wrong.
  • Consensus theory: The idea that society is based on shared norms and values which binds people together.
  • Social cohesion: The idea that individuals in a society are bought together by a shared set of ideas and values.
  • The main role of culture is to promote social cohesion to keep society together through socialisation.
• How does the functionalist view of culture differ from the Marxist view?

  Functionalists believe culture is based on a consensus around shared norms and values that benefit all of society, while Marxists believe culture serves the interests of the ruling class.
• What is the Marxist concept of 'means of production'?

  The means of production is made up of crucial things needed to grow or manufacture products to sell or to provide services such as land, machinery and buildings. One group owns the means of production, which allows them to exploit the poor for their labour to make even more wealth by paying them low wages.
• What is the Marxist concept of 'cultural capital'?

  Cultural capital is the idea that certain knowledge, skills and interests enjoyed by the ruling class puts them at an advantage in society.
• What are the key ideas of the Frankfurt School's critique of mass culture?

  • Mass indoctrination: The Frankfurt School said there was a mass indoctrination of the population into following fascist ideas, leading to a mass culture.
  • Adorno's authoritarian personality: Adorno believed that over strict fathers led to children developing an authoritarian personality, which lacked empathy and led to a lack of sympathy for victims of Nazism.
  • Marcuse's one-dimensional man: Marcuse extended Adorno's ideas, believing mass communication and advertising was 'dumbing down' culture and creating a one dimensional man who only cared for material possessions.
• How do interactionist theories of culture differ from functionalist theories?

  Interactionist theories see culture as created through the interactions between individuals, rather than being imposed on society by social structures as functionalists believe.
• What are the key ideas of postmodern theories of culture?

  • Culture is diverse: There is not just one culture, but a diversity of popular cultures. No culture is superior to another.
  • Identity and culture are fluid: Concepts like 'high' and 'low' culture are outdated, as identity and culture are constantly changing.
  • Influence of mass media: The difference between reality and media images becomes unclear, and people may see media characters as real.
  • Emphasis on style over substance: There is more concern for designer labels and appearances than the quality or meaning of cultural products.
  • Mixing of art and popular culture: Art and popular culture are becoming blended together, breaking down traditional hierarchies.
• What is the nature vs nurture debate in relation to socialisation?

  The nature vs nurture debate is the discussion over whether who we are is down to our genes and DNA (nature) or are we a product of our upbringing (nurture). Sociologists argue that it is nurture (socialisation and upbringing) rather than nature (biology) that make people fully social members of society.
• What are the key stages of the socialisation process?

  • Primary socialisation: The first stage of socialisation which normally takes place in the home by family or those who raise you.
  • Secondary socialisation: Happens beyond the family and close community, with greater influence as individuals grow older and move beyond the family.
  • Resocialisation: Occurs when people are removed from their usual everyday situations and encounter new social environments, requiring them to learn new norms and values.
• How does the case study of Oxana illustrate the importance of nurture over nature in the socialisation process?

  The case study of Oxana, who lived as a 'dog' for 6 years as a child, shows that the behaviour we class as 'human' is in fact learned (nurture) rather than innate (nature). Feral children like Oxana demonstrate that socialisation is crucial in turning new-born babies into social beings that know how to behave in society.
• How do postmodern theories of culture challenge the functionalist view of a unifying culture?

  Postmodern theories argue that there is not just one unifying culture, but a diversity of popular cultures. They reject the idea of a consensus around shared norms and values, and instead see culture as fluid and constantly changing, with no culture being superior to another.
• How do Marxist theories of culture differ from interactionist theories?

  Marxist theories see culture as serving the interests of the ruling class, while interactionist theories see culture as created through the interactions between individuals, rather than being imposed on society by social structures.
• If you wanted to study the external features of a cell in detail, which type of microscope would you use?

  A scanning electron microscope (SEM) would be used to study the external features of a cell in detail, as it produces 3D images of the surface of the sample.
• How do the functionalist and Marxist views of culture differ in their perspectives on the role of culture in society?

  Functionalists believe that the main role of culture is to promote social cohesion and keep society together through socialisation, while Marxists believe that the main role of culture is to serve the interests of the ruling class and maintain their power and control.
• How do interactionist theories of culture challenge the functionalist view of culture as promoting social cohesion?

  Interactionist theories see culture as created through the interactions between individuals, rather than being imposed on society by social structures to promote social cohesion as functionalists believe. Interactionists argue that people play an active role in shaping culture, rather than passively accepting it.
• What is the formula to calculate the area of a circle with radius $r$?


  $A =$$\pi r^2$
• How do Marxist theories of culture differ from postmodern theories in their views on cultural diversity?

  Marxist theories see culture as serving the interests of the ruling class, with a dominant culture that maintains their power, while postmodern theories see culture as diverse, with no culture being superior to another.
• How do the Frankfurt School's critiques of mass culture differ from postmodern theories of culture?

  The Frankfurt School saw mass culture as a form of mass indoctrination and 'dumbing down' that created a one-dimensional man, while postmodern theories see culture as diverse, with the blending of art and popular culture.
• What do feral children like Oxana demonstrate about human behavior?

  Human behavior is learned (nurture) rather than innate (nature).
• What is primary socialisation and when does it occur?

  • Occurs during early childhood
  • Involves family and primary socialisation agents (e.g. pre-school carers)
• According to Parsons (1951), what is the role of primary socialisation?

  It turns newborn babies into social beings that know how to behave in society.
• How do young children learn behaviors during primary socialisation?

  They imitate the behaviors of their parents and older siblings.
• What do children learn about during primary socialisation before understanding their individual identity?

  They learn about basic norms and values of society.
• What is secondary socialisation and when does it occur?

  • Occurs beyond the family and close community
  • Influences grow as individuals age and experience new environments
• How does secondary socialisation continue throughout life?

  It involves learning new things and adapting behaviors to different contexts.
• What are new social identities built upon?

  They are built upon primary identities and link to roles that people adopt.
• What do negative sanctions refer to in the socialisation process?

  They refer to punishing those who do not conform to expected rules of behavior.
• What is informal social control?

  Rules enforced by agents that control behavior without legal action.
• What do positive sanctions refer to?

  Rewards for conforming to expected norms of behavior.
• What is the general overview of the socialisation process from a Functionalist perspective?

  • Seen as positive
  • Acts as 'social glue' creating value consensus
  • Integrates individuals into society
• How do conflict theorists view the socialisation process?

  They disagree with the idea that it is positive and see it as a means of control.