Secondary socialisation

• Peer groups- why are they so important?

  • They are important because individuals spend a large amount of time with them and children want to be liked so have a desire to confrom
  • This could lead to deviancy
• Peer groups- Skelton and Francis

  • Examined peer groups in primary school
  • Found play was very gendered- boys dominated the space whilst girls did separate activities
• Peer groups- Jackson

  • Ladette culture- the complete rejection of female stereotypes, which was seen to encourage 'lad' behaviour and rebellion
  • Like drinking, smoking, swearing and skipping school
• Peer groups- Lees

  • Examined the double standards and pressure on girls in peer groups
  • Found that girls were criticised for the same behaviour as boys- especially sexual behaviour as girls were called slurs and boy weren't
• Peer groups- Sewell

  • Cultural comfort zones- explain how individuals associate with others similar to them
  • Focused on African- Caribbean boys who preferred to hang around in gangs with peers instead of the white middle class teachers as it was an alien environment
• Peer groups- Renold

  • Found evidence that children value peer groups over education
  • Young boys hid their academic success out of fear of being teased by others in their peer group
• Peer groups- Harris

  • Viewed peer groups as more influential than the family
  • This is because they pull rather than push- the desire to conform to others in the peer group is stronger that giving into the pressure put on by family
• Education- formal curriculum 


  The academic subjects taught, examined and reward through qualifications.
• Education- hidden curriculum


  The norms and values you are expected to know- this achieves conformity in school.
• Education- Functionalist

  • View the hidden curriculum as beneficial and functional because it teaches children the value of hard work
• Education- Bowles and Gintis

  • Argue that education is a 'giant myth-making machine'
  • Children are unconsciously socialised into obedience and brainwashed so they don't question their social position
  • This prepares them for the capitalist society
• Education- Skelton

  • Believed schools socialised children properly in a way that inadequate parents didn't
• Workplace- how does this link to relocalisation?

  • Adults are resocialised into work life norms and values that underpin the organisation (like dress codes and codes of conduct)
  • This is backed by formal sanctions (like warnings and dismissals) and informal elements (like collegues making it clear what is acceptable through their reactions)
• Workplace (resocialisation)- Waddington

  • Canteen culture- refers to the unwritten 'informal' rules which individuals need to conform to in order to get along with coworkers
  • Found this existed strongly in the police force- police were resocialised into racist beliefs, reinforcing stereotypes and creating institutional racism- individuals who weren't overtly racist before became it to fit in
• Workplace (women)- Oakley

  • Argued women have to do domestic work within the work place
• Workplace (women)-Skeggs

  • Argued women are resocialised into new behaviours and roles within the workplace
• Religion- how has the influence of religion changed?

  • Until the mid 20th century, religion in the UK was key for socialisation
  • Many norms and values in the UK are rooted in religion- religion promoted social values that became moral codes that shaped behaviour
• Religion- secularisation

  • Refers to the decline in Christian church attendees and general belief in Christianity in the latter part of the 20th century
  • Some claim this means religion is no longer so influencial
• Religion- Modood and Berhthoud

  • Examined the importance of religion for British youths compared to Pakistani youths
  • British youths- only 5% saw religion as important
  • Pakistani youths- 67% saw religion as important
• Religion- ethnic minorities

  • Some argue that not all religions are in decline as it is central to many ethnic minority groups
  • For example, Muslims pray and attend mosques still in the UK
• Religion (ethnic minorities)-Burdsey

  • Examined Asian and Muslim footballers
  • Found many still fast, because of their religion
• Religion-how is it still influential in the UK?

  • Although the UK may not be overtly religions, religious moral codes still shape laws and everyday behaviour
  • Like marriage, abortion and euthanasia
• Religion (positive)- Parsons

  • Argued religion integrates people as it provides shared values, creating a collective conscience
• Religion (ethnic minorities)- Modood

  • Argued almost all ethnic minorities in the UK are religious, but the way they express it has changed
  • Like young Sikhs not wearing turbans
• Media- why is it influential?

  • The media can have a direct effect on the audience- this means it directly influences the identity
  • Like Packard's hypodermic syringe model- the idea that we passively accept what is portrayed in the mass media
  • This effect has increased due to the increase in the use of technology (like mobile phones and social media)
• Media- how does it influence violence?

  • Suggested that casual violence and anti-social behaviour is increasing in young people due to their overexposure to it in the media
• Media (violence)- Bandura

  • Bobo doll experiment- investigated the imitation of violence in children
  • Children imitate what they observe by their role models
• Media (women)- feminist view

  • Argue media harms female identity due to the over-sexualisation of the female body and focus on body image
  • This can lead to excessive fat shaming and eating disorders
• Media (women)- Mulvey

  • Male gaze theory- how the media sexualises and objectifies women
  • 'Eyes up perspective'
• Media (women)- Tuchman (liberal feminist)

  • Symbolic annihilation- women are represented through a narrow scope of social roles (like being mothers or cleaners)
  • This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy
• Media (consumption culture)- Young

  • Bulimic society- how adverts and celebrity culture have encouraged people to worship money and material success
  • This leads to cultural envy and potential crime to achieve the same level of success
• Media- Poole

  • Argued negative representation of Muslims in the media has created negative stereotypes
• Peer groups- Hey

  • Female peer group's norms and values were rooted in the patriarchy
• Peer groups- Mac and Ghail

  • Studied boys learning to be men in school through peer groups
  • Found there was a gender-based power on boys becoming 'hypermasculine'- associated with macho lads
  • 3 Fs- football, fighting and fucking