Sociology WJEC

• Define: "norms"

  Unwritten rules of society that most people conform to depending on situation
• Give an example of a norm

  The norm to say 'bless you' after someone sneezes etc.
• Define: "culture"

  A shared way of life of a group/society; includes similar norms, values, religion etc.
• Define: "cultural diversity"

  Different societies or groups of people developing different human social behaviours
• Define: "nature theory"

  Theory that suggests that genetic differences from birth explain different human social behaviour
• Define: "nurture theory"

  Theory that suggests that different life experiences explain different human social behaviour
• Define: "subcultures"

  A small group inside/within a society with different norms and values from the majority
• What are examples of subcultures


  - Gangs

  - Goths

  -
• Define: "consensus"

  A general agreement between institutions in a society
• Define: "gender identity"

  A perception of how masculine/feminine a person sees themselves; can be a mixture of both masculine and feminine traits
• Define: "gender roles"

  The different social behaviour and roles that are expected of men and women, by society
• Define: "sanctions"

  Where one can be rewarded for good behaviour and punished for bad behaviour
• Define: "social process"

  Where cultural norms are learnt over time
• Define: "secondary socialisation"

  Being taught how to behave by the wider world/society
• Give some examples of secondary socialisation

  - Media

  - Peer groups

  - Education

  (NOT THE FAMILY)
• Define: "achieved status"

  Status that is earned through hard work and experience (through education/job)
• Define: "status"

  How much respect different roles have based on their position in (a) society
• Define: "role conflict"


  When a person is unsure how to carry out a role (part) either in society or at home
• Define: "social roles"


  The expected patterns of behaviour from people in society depending on the situation
• Define: "roles"

  'Parts' we play in our daily lives
• Define: "ascribed status"


  (Status) A social position which is acquired at birth
• Define: "interview bias"


  Where the participant gives socially desirable answers instead of speaking honestly
• Define: "triangulation"

  Where a sociologist uses more than 1 research method
• Define: "primary data"

  Research information sociologists collect themselves
• Define: "secondary data"


  Research information (data) that has already been collected and put together by other sociologists
• Define: "secularisation"


  The decline in the influence of religion in a society
• Define: "polygyny"


  Men with more than 1 wife/partner
• Define: "polyandry"


  woman with more than one husband/partner
• Define: "polygamy"


  Being married to more than 1 person at once
• Define: "serial monogamy"


  Having only one monogamous relationship at a time, but multiple partners theought a lifetime due to death, divorce or choice
• Define: "nuclear family"


  A family of 2 parents (heterosexual couple) and their offspring
• Define: "family" (traditional definition)


  (Ignores family diversity) A group of people related by ties of blood or marriage
• Define: "cohabitation"


  Living together without being married
• Define: "monogamy"


  The practice of being married to one person at a time
• Define: "integrated (joint) conjugal roles"

  Roles between adult partners are similar; duties and responsibilities are similar
• Define: "segregated conjugal roles"

  Roles between adult partners are different and there's a division between men and woman's jobs
• Define: "symmetrical family"

  A family where the roles between men and women are flexible and shared (☝️Young & Wilmott)
• Define: "family diversity"

  Refers to the different types of families in Britain today
• Give some examples of family diversity

  - Nuclear

  - Extended

  - Reconstituted etc.
• Define: "stratified diffusion"

  Principle made by Young & Wilmott to predict what would happen to families; way of life of those at the top of the class structure will filter down to those below them