Paper 1 - socialisation, culture + identity

• Values: Strong principles or beliefs.
• Norms: Social rules/expectation that govern social behaviour and are often a reflection of values.
• Subculture: A minority group of people who share distinctive norms, values & beliefs. These can be based on age, ethnicity or religion (for example).
• Culturally diverse: Societies that contain a variety of cultural or ethnic groups.
• High Culture: Cultural products and activities that are allocated high status superior to other activities.
• Popular Culture: Activities that are enjoyed by the masses.
• Global Culture: Products and services that are produced and marketed globally by transnational cooperations (E.g. Coca-Cola).
• Transational Corporations: Large companies who conduct their business in various parts of the world (E.g. UK is a global society as we consume films, food, music etc from all over the world).
• Identity: How we see ourselves and how others us/you.
• Cultural Diversity: Refers to the existence of variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society.
• Intercultural Divesity: Cultures that differ from one to another in terms of their values and norms. What is considered normal in one society may be considered offensive in another.
• Intracultural Diversity: Refers to the fact that the UK has become a more culturally diverse society where different ethnicities and religions are widely accepted.
• Multicultural: Containing and tolerating a diversity of ethnic groups living alongside each other.
• Hybrid: A cross between 2 or more things.
• Cultural Hybridity: When cultures mix and integrate. For example, British culture is influenced by English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish regional cultures, but is also influenced by aspects of ethnic minorities and global culture. This is evident through immigration. Examples include how we fist-bump which was traditionally seen in black culture, white peers mat be seen wearing hem a tattoos; "Braisians"
• The Peer Group: Refers to a group of people that are similarly aged, and are often found in schools. They can be friendships or subcultures.
• Tony Sewell: Observed that people want to spend their free time in 'cultural comfort zones', in which they prefer to hang around with those that are from similar backgrounds. Fo example, he found that African-Caribbean boys preferred to socialise with other Black boys rather than middle-class White boys.
• Young: Argues that the mass media created a 'bulimic' society in which advertising in the media focused on celebrity culture and rewards which has encouraged people to worship money and materialism. This has created a culture of ENVY in which those from deprived backgrounds commit crime (such as drug dealing) to obtain the materialistic goods that symbolises 'success'.
• Secularisation: Refers to the decline in religion in which religious practices and beliefs have become less significant in society and the power and influence of religion.
• The visible/formal curriculum: Refers to the academic subjects that are taught in school, in which there are formal exams to gain qualifications. Highly valued by British culture.
• The hidden curriculum: The informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in school. These are routines and organisations of schools, classrooms in which teaching shape the behaviour of those at school. For example, disciplinary sanctions produce conformity.
• Canteen culture: A concept that refers to the attitudes and values exhibited by the police in their off duty socialising. This was the normalisation of racist attitudes which contributes to the police stereotyping.
• The nature/nurture debate: The academic argument between sociologists who believe that human behaviour is largely the product of nature (particularly peoples genetic make up) and the argument you that the society/social environment in which the individual lives is more important in nurturing and shaping human behaviour.
• Nature: Sociolobiologists claim that people inherit characteristics such as intelligence, personality, gendered behaviour, aggressive tendencies etc. For example, many sociologists believe that males and females are made in masculine or feminine ways because of hormonal differences
• Sociobiologists: A group of biologists who claim that behaviour originates in biology or genetic make-up
• Nurture: There are significant cultural variations across the world in gender behaviour. Feminists criticises sociobiologists arguing that if gender roles were biologically determined, men and women would behave in the same way in all societies. This is evident through Margaret Mead's study into the Tchambuli tribe. Nurture sociologists argue that people are not born with cultural values, or social skills and that they are learnt over time.
• Margaret Mead's study into the Tchambuli tribe: Study that observed that women in the Chambri commmunity were the more powerful individuals and leaders within their villages instead of men. Men were seen as more timid and emotional.
• Oxana Malaya: Was brought up by dogs after being neglected by parents and lived in a kennel and began adopted dog-like behaviour.
• Formal agencies of social control: Includes the police, criminal justice system, security services and the government who formally control the behaviour of citizens by enforcing laws. The police enforce the law in a fair manner by policing all sections of society equally. Legal forms of social control can include fines, prison and community service.
• Informal agencies of social: Includes families (parental rewards & sanctions), peer groups (reward good behaviour with friendship and bad behaviour bullying them), the media (may critique celebrities for being too fat, may praise charity work), religion (threat of hell-fire for sins, promises a potentially good after life), education (praises for good behaviour, discipline for bad)
• Social Identity: How others see you. It's the result of all the experiences a person has been through in terms of socialisation. Shaped by the family, peer group, religion and workplace/
• Ghunman: Looked at how ethnicity helps change identity. Observed Asian children and found that tradition, religion and family values (especially respect for the elders and the importance of prayer) were central aspects of their primary socialisation. Found many children to be bilingual in which they were able to speak 2 languages fluently and interchangeably.
• Jacobson: Looked at how ethnicity helps change identity. Observed young Pakistani Muslims and found that they adopted a string Islamic identity in responses to the booing US-UK invasion of Afghanistan as well as Israels occupation of Palestinian Territories and Islamophobia.
• Hybrid Identity: When one subscribes to 2 or more important cultural roots. For example, a British-born Pakistani may feel a string connection to his parents country of origin and support the Pakistani Cricket team and speak Urdu/Punjabi at home.
• Johal: Looked at changing ethnic identities. Found that many Asians subscribed to a dual identity referred to as 'Braisian' in which home-life was very much Asian culture, and would put on a "white mask" in public spaces and interacting with peers.
• "White-mask": A term used by Johal when explaining changing ethnic identities. Referred to how Asians would adopt a dual identity in which they will adopt Asian culture at home and interact differently outside the house.
• Back: Looked at changing ethnic identities. Found that white youths were attracted to and adopted many aspects of Black culture, including speech mannerisms, dress codes, music tastes. For example, fist-bumping - this was traditionally seen as black culture.
• National Identity: The feeling of being part of a larger community (especially the nation state).
• Anderson: Looked at how nationality helps shape identity. He suggests that the nation is an 'imagined community' and national identity is constructed by the media and education. This is through the widespread use of symbols (such as flags), national anthems and highlighting the importance of the Royal Family.
• Sardar: Looked at changing national identities. He suggests that the world is in the middle of a global identity crisis as globalisation becomes the norm. This is supported by the advancement of air travel which has allowed distanced countries to become closer, thus allowing for the sharing of different cultures on a large scale. For example, Britain's favourite dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. There are also wide-spread celebrated cultural events such as Eid, Chinese New Year & Diwali.