Acquisition of Identity (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

A child may have the genetic potential to be highly intelligent, but without education or mental stimulation the child may never reach it.

Socialisation is the process by which people learn the culture, norms and values of their society.

Primary socialisation mainly takes place within the family during early childhood.

In primary socialisation, parents act as role models whose behaviour children copy.

Secondary socialisation is learning that takes place after early childhood and throughout adulthood, in social settings outside the family.

False.

Subjects such as English and Maths make up the formal curriculum; the hidden curriculum is the unwritten norms and values of school life, such as punctuality and respect for authority.

Peer groups teach conformity through peer pressure and informal sanctions, such as ignoring or excluding those who do not fit in.

Religion encourages conformity through positive sanctions, such as spiritual rewards, and negative sanctions, such as exclusion from the group.

Secularisation is a decline in religious belief and practice.

The workplace is an agency of secondary socialisation, where new employees learn the rules of a job through induction and by observing colleagues.

The media can shape political and moral attitudes through what it shows or reports.

A feral child is a human who has grown up with little or no human contact.

False.

Feral children who miss early social experiences often struggle to recover fully, even with support, as Genie never fully recovered.

Feral children support the nurture side, because they show that human behaviour must be learned, not inherited.

Cultural diversity refers to the differences in norms, values, beliefs, customs and lifestyles between societies and within the same society.

False.

Culture changes over time as values and laws evolve, e.g. smacking children has been illegal in Wales since March 2022.

Sociologists study cultural diversity to understand how societies differ and how people adapt to new cultural ideas and practices.

Abolishing the death penalty shows that British culture reflects shifts in moral attitudes, scientific progress and social values.

Cultural norms within one country can vary between religious groups, social classes and age groups.

The Sikh turban example shows cultural diversity because wearing a turban conflicted with motorcycle helmet laws, and the UK changed the law to respect this cultural difference.

A subculture is a smaller group within a society with its own distinct norms, values, fashion, music or beliefs.

Subcultures often form around age, interests or identity.

Hippies promoted peace, love and nature and rejected mainstream materialism.

False.

What is normal in one culture may be offensive in another, e.g. slurping noodles is a compliment in Japan but may seem rude in Britain.

Gender roles are the behaviours, attitudes and expectations that society considers appropriate for males and females.

False.

Sociologists argue that gender roles are socially constructed, which means people learn them through socialisation.

The family is the first and most influential agent in shaping gender identity.

Canalisation is when parents channel children's interests towards gender-appropriate activities, such as dolls for girls and construction toys for boys.

Manipulation is when parents reinforce gendered behaviour through approval or disapproval, e.g. praising a girl for looking pretty.

Feminist sociologist Ann Oakley identified canalisation and manipulation as processes that create gender roles in the family.

The hidden curriculum can transmit gender expectations through textbooks and teaching materials that show men and women in stereotypical roles.

Peer groups reward or punish behaviour that fits or breaks gender norms, e.g. teasing a boy who plays with dolls.

Sue Lees found that girls were labelled negatively for sexual behaviour that boys were admired for.

Lees argued that the peer group uses the sexual double standard to control female behaviour and reinforce gender inequality.

Stereotypes are simplified and generalised images of a group, such as men and women.

The media often shows men as strong, dominant and powerful and women as beautiful, caring and emotional.

False.

Media representations still shape gender expectations, although they are slowly changing, e.g. the Advertising Standards Authority has banned adverts with harmful gender stereotypes since 2019.

False.

Sociologists argue that these identities are socially constructed and learned through socialisation, like gender.

Middle-class parents may pass on achievement, ambition and self-discipline, which help their children succeed in education and work.

Working-class parents may emphasise loyalty, toughness and respect, which can be useful in manual or routine jobs.

Families transmit ethnic identity through practices such as the language spoken at home and religious festivals.

Teachers may label working-class pupils as less able and place them in lower sets, which can lower their self-esteem and achievement.

Ethnocentrism is seeing one culture as superior to others.

A curriculum that reflects mainly White British culture may make minority ethnic pupils feel excluded or undervalued.

Schools develop national identity by teaching British history, values and traditions and by celebrating national events.

Peer groups may encourage working-class pupils to reject school rules and value the culture of the street instead.

The media often shows working-class people in a negative light, e.g. as lazy or as scroungers in coverage of benefits.

False.

Peer groups can also reinforce class and ethnic identities, e.g. by supporting shared customs, language or religion.