5. Theoretical Views On Culture And Socialisation

Question 1

What is sociobiology?

Answer 1

The belief that culture is the product of nature - biology shapes culture because a sharing culture is based on the inbuilt need to survive

Question 2

Define social construct

Answer 2

The belief that culture is produced by society - culture is created as it is the product of social learning and nurture

Question 3

Functionalists and pre-industrial society: What is society and culture more important than?

Answer 3

Society and culture and more important than the individual as society exists before and after an indidual

Question 4

Functionalists and pre-industrial society: What do social institutions function to do?

Answer 4

Socialize people into the value consensus (family and religion)

Question 5

Functionalists and pre-industrial society: What is religion extremely powerful over?

Answer 5

Extremely powerful influence over behavior

Question 6

Functionalists and pre-industrial society: What were there high levels of?

Answer 6

Social stability as people felt very similar to eachother

Question 7

Marxism: What does Marxism focus on?

Answer 7

Focuses on class inequality of capitalist societies

Question 8

Marxist: What do the bourgeoise do?

Answer 8

The bourgeoise use their wealth to gain political and cultural power as well as exploiting the WC

Question 9

Marxist: What do social institutions socialise the proletariat to accept?

Answer 9

Social institutions function to socialize the proletariat to accept ruling class culture without questioning it (false class consciousness). Proletariat wrongly believe their failures and its their own fault.

Question 10

Neo-Marxism: What do people see? (Gramsci)

Answer 10

People do see the unfairness and posses a dual consciousness - not everyone accepts ruling class ideology to the same extent

Question 11

Interactionists: What are interactionists more concerned with?

Answer 11

Details of social life than structures

Question 12

Interactionists: What is culture produced by?

Answer 12

Culture is produced by people - people can change the culture of society by altering behavior

Question 13

Interactionists: What do social structures consist of?

Answer 13

Roles e.g mother, teacher each role has expectations of how they should act.

Question 14

Interactionists: What has happened to roles?

Answer 14

Roles now flexible and can change e.g mothers used to stay at home but now go to work, changing the culture of society.

Question 15

Postmodern: What has happened to the clear dividing lines between social groups and cultures?

Answer 15

Broken down - more difficult to identify social classes, high culture is mixed into popular culture, food from all over the world is available on any high street.

Question 16

Postmodern: What can people now construct?

Answer 16

Their own ‘pick n mix’ identity

Question 17

Functionalists and culture in modern society: What has the power to undermine value consensus?

Answer 17

Individual choice - people become less similar to each other leading to confusion and conflict with each other

Question 18

Functionalists and culture in modern society: What do social institutions continue to do?

Answer 18

-Socialize people into shared values
-Prepare people to take their place in the specialist division of labor

Question 19

Frankfurt school: What has the ability to create a mass culture?

Answer 19

Propaganda, indoctrination and advertising has the ability to create a mass culture

Question 20

Frankfurt school: What does mass culture prevent?

Answer 20

Possessive change which could challenge the position of the MC

Question 21

Frankfurt school: What does the Frankfurt school underestimate?

Answer 21

Underestimates the extent to which ruling culture is already challenged in the media and elsewhere.

Question 22

Criticizing Marxism: What do they assume about people?

Answer 22

Assumes we are passive victims or puppets of ruling class culture and ideology

Question 23

Interaction order: What is it we most need to negotiate and understnad?

Answer 23

Peoples interactions with others that we most need to understand

Question 24

Interaction order: What do our encounters with others show?

Answer 24

Cultural norms very clearly.

Question 25

Interaction order: Define categoric identification

Answer 25

Behaviors change for encounters depending on class, age and gender etc

Question 26

Evaluation of Interactionists: What do the neglect?

Answer 26

Neglect wider structural features, social class and gender inequalities.

Question 27

Evaluation of Interactionists: What do they recognize humans have?

Answer 27

Humans have a degree of agency, concentrate on studying day to day interaction.

Question 28

Criticisms of Postmodernism: What can most people tell the difference between?

Answer 28

Most people can tell the difference between fact and fiction. Hyperreality isn’t real.

Question 29

Criticisms of Postmodernism: What do some people have more opportunity to do?

Answer 29

More opportunity to construct their identity than others

Question 30

Criticisms of Postmodernism: Which culture is still valued more?

Answer 30

Culture of those in the elite positions is still valued more than the culture of the poor and WC

Question 31

Functionalists and the family: What does Parsons see family as?

Answer 31

Personality factories - functions of the parents to mold the child into shared culture, values and norms.

Question 32

Functionalists and the family: Who do children identify with?

Answer 32

Children identify with adults of the same sex as children identify with them and want to become them.

Question 33

Functionalists and Education: What is education an essential part of?

Answer 33

Secondary socialization for producing conformity and consensus

Question 34

Functionalists and Education: Which subjects link the individual to sociwty?

Answer 34

History, languages reinforcing their sense of belonging.

Question 35

Functionalists and Education: What did Parsons say the main function of education was?

Answer 35

To act as a bridge between family and society. Helps children make the transition from being judged as individuals based on particularistic values to being judged according to social rules. (universalistic values)

Question 36

Functionalists and Religion: What is the major function of religion?

Answer 36

To socialize members into value consensus by investing in certain values which become moral codes which regulate our social behavior eg The Ten commandments

Question 37

Functionalist Evaluation: What do the underestimate?

Answer 37

The conflict within socialization

Question 38

Functionalist Evaluation: What do they exxagerate?

Answer 38

The extent to which people conform

Question 39

Functionalist Evaluation: What does the functionalist perspective neglect?

Answer 39

The role of peer groups in socialization.

Question 40

Marxism and Family: What do the view socialization as?

Answer 40

Linked to the interests if particular social classes especially MC

Question 41

Marxism and Family: What is the family used by capitalism to do?

Answer 41

Instill values such as obedience and respect for authority which ensure individuals can be exploited later in life by the ruling class.

Question 42

Marxism and Education: What is education dominated by?

Answer 42

The hidden curriculum that encourages conformity and acceptance of the organization of capitalism.

Question 43

Marxism and Education: What are few students allowed access to?

Answer 43

Educational knowledge that challenged the existence of capitalism as it may lead to students being to critical of capitalist inequality.

Question 44

Marxism and Education: What values do schools socialize pupils into?

Answer 44

Acceptance of hierarchy, obedience and failure as their own fault.

Question 45

Marxism and Religion: What are children viewed as?

Answer 45

Passive victims of socialization that accept socialization and don’t rebel.

Question 46

Marxism and Religion: What culture does socialization reproduce?

Answer 46

Culture of the ruling class.