Key concepts

• Norms

  The unwritten rules of society, expected behaviours in different social situations
• Values

  Ideas, beliefs, and important things that guide how we should live our lives
• Culture

  The shared way of life of a society, made up of norms and values
• Examples of traditional British culture

  • Football kicking off at 3pm on Saturdays
  • Having a roast on Sunday lunchtimes
  • Going to the pub and having a pint
  • Having fish and chips on Fridays
• Identity

  Your sense of self, how you see yourself and how others see you, influenced by class, age, gender, and ethnicity
• Role

  A part or job that you play in society, people have multiple roles that can conflict with each other
• Status

  The level of importance or position someone is seen to have in society, can be ascribed (given at birth) or achieved (earned through effort)
• Socialization

  The process of learning the norms, values, and culture of society
• Agents of socialization

  • Family
  • Peer group
  • Media
  • Religion
  • Workplace
  • Education
• Primary socialization

  Socialization by the family during early childhood (ages 0-5)
• Secondary socialization

  Socialization by other agents after early childhood (from age 5 onwards)
• Parsons saw education as a 'bridge' between the family and wider society, socializing us in a harsher way than the unconditional love of the family
• how the media can socialize us

  • Providing role models
  • Influencing behaviour through imitation
  • Promoting certain products and ideas
• Media

  TV, newspapers, magazines, books, radio, music - anything that is consumed, watched, listened to or read
• Role models in the media

  • Famous figures like footballers or pop stars that people may imitate or be influenced by
• Influence of media role models

  1. Liking what they do

  2. Imitating their behavior

  3. Promoting products they use
• Media representation

  The way the media portrays and provides information about groups in society that people may not have direct contact with
• Groups the media can represent

  • Class
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Ethnicity
• Formal curriculum

  The lessons and content taught in school
• Hidden curriculum

  Anything learned in school that is not part of formal lessons, e.g. obedience, punctuality, competition
• Sanctions

  Positive (rewards) or negative (punishments) consequences for actions
• Peer groups


  • Can provide role models, peer pressure (positive or negative), and informal sanctions like ostracization
• Gender roles

  Characteristics and behaviors associated with boys and girls in society
• Gender socialization in the family

  1. Canalization - giving children gendered toys and clothes

  2. Manipulation - encouraging different behaviors in boys and girls
• Gender socialization in schools

  1. Gendered subjects

  2. Representation in textbooks

  3. Teacher expectations
• Formal social control

  Groups whose job is to control behavior, e.g. police, courts, army
• Informal social control

  Other agents like family, education, peers that can influence behavior
• Formal sanctions

  Serious consequences from formal social control agents, e.g. arrest, fines, prison
• Informal sanctions

  Consequences from informal social control agents, e.g. being grounded, detentions