Culture and Identity

• Culture


  The way of life of a particular group of people. Including the norms and values of a society that are taught through socialisation. Culture can change over time and as such is socially constructed.
• Cultural Diversity

  Different cultures have different cultures that can be seen through language, clothing, symbolism etc.
• Cultural Relativity

  Differences in culture that seem strange because of its unfamiliarity e.g. the use of cutlery and chopsticks
• Cultural Universals

  things that are the same in all cultures e.g. recognition of family structures 
• Norms

  Unwritten social expectations of how to behave in specific situations, norms differ between people within a society and can change over time
• Values

  Judgements about what is believed to be good or bad, they differ between societies and can help underpin social norms e.g. valuing good grades creates norms of hard work, completion of homework, respect for authority etc.
• Status

  based on an individual's social position/standing within society, individuals can have both a low and high status at the same time.

  Ascribed given at birth e.g. royal family 

  Achieved earnt over time e.g. promotions within the workplace
• Sanctions

  Positive or negative reactions to behaviours to enforce norms through rewarding and punishing corresponding behaviours
• Social Roles

  expectations of behaviours linked to specific roles and are often interconnected within a role set which could lead to role conflict 
• Subcultures

  a culture within a culture which holds norms or values that may be different to the rest of society
• Socialisation

  the lifelong process of learning the culture of a society
• Primary Socialisation

  The first stage of socialisation taking place through the family during infancy 
• Secondary Socialisation

  second stage of socialisation that continues throughout life through education, media, peers, religion and work