socialisation, culture, identity studies

Question 1

Peer group socialisation - Skelton and Francis (2003)…

Answer 1

Looked at peer groups in primary schools. Found play was very gendered with boys dominating the space and girls taking part in different activities

Question 2

Peer group socialisation - Harris (1998)…

Answer 2

Compared influence of parents and peer groups finding that peer groups can be more influential in shaping children’s identity however desire to conform is a large factor in this.

Question 3

Education socialisation - Bowles and Gintis (1976)…

Answer 3

The education system brainwashes children into the obedient attitude needed in work through the hidden curriculum.

Question 4

Workplace socialisation - Waddington (1999)…

Answer 4

‘Canteen culture’ where you are socialised into norms and values in the workplace and these become your norm.

Question 5

Mass media socialisation - Mulvey (1975)…

Answer 5

‘Male gaze’ in media causes viewers to assess attractiveness from a male perspective

Question 6

Mass media socialisation - Young (2007)…

Answer 6

Media is partly responsible for criminality. Has created a ‘bulimic society where there is a constant desire to buy/worship money, status etc. Youths may turn to crime to achieve this.

Question 7

Religion socialisation - Modood and Berthoud (1997)…

Answer 7

67% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis see religion as very important while only 5% of young white British people do.

Question 8

Marxist view on social control - Althusser…

Answer 8

In capitalist societies ruling class controls society through:

• ideological state apparatuses - control people through ideas and persuasion
• repressive state apparatuses - control people through force when persuasion fails

Question 9

Functionalist view on social control - Durkheim…

Answer 9

Punishing deviants is functional for society as it unites the rest of society in condemning the wrong which creates a sense of social solidarity

Question 10

Sociobiologist view on gender identity - Wilson…

Answer 10

Men need to be more promiscuous but women need to raise their children to be well nurtured and must be loyal to the father so children can have a successful upbringing.

Question 11

Sociobiologist view on gender - Connell (1995)…

Answer 11

Wide range of masculine identities…

• Hegemonic - most common and reinforced in society with men’s dominance over women prioritised
• Subordinate - homosexual males
• Marginalised - men who are unemployed

Question 12

Functionalist view on gender identity - Parsons (1955)…

Answer 12

Females have an expressive role where they do housework, take care of children, emotional support etc.

Males have an instrumental role where they are the breadwinner and go to work

Both of these roles are socialised from a young age and are important for society to work.

Question 13

Feminist view on gender identity - Mac and Ghail (1994)…

Answer 13

How boys learn to be men in their peer groups in school as peers police their sexuality. They only valued football, fighting and f***ing.

Question 14

Feminist view on gender identity - Oakley (1994)…

Answer 14

Gender roles are socially constructed through socialisation in 4 ways:

• Manipulation - encouraging behaviour stereotypically seen as acceptable and discouraging behaviour that’s not the norm
• Canalisation - parents involve themselves in kids interests relating to gender
• Verbal appellation - give kids nicknames that reinforce gender expectations
• Different activities - may be encouraged to participate in gender typical activities

Question 15

Ladette - Jackson (2006)…

Answer 15

Some girls (ladettes) spent time drinking, smoking, swearing etc as to not was seen as uncool and passage to being unpopular.

Question 16

Upper class - Mackintosh and Mooney (2004)…

Answer 16

‘Social closure’ where the education and daily lives of the upper class are separate from the rest of the population

Question 17

Working class - Hutton (1995)…

Answer 17

The decline in trade union and manufacturing sector has got rid of working class identities.

Question 18

Underclass - Murray (1984)…

Answer 18

The welfare state has created a dependency culture where the underclass can’t be motivated to escape benefits. This creates a norm where people don’t take responsibility for their actions and rely on benefits from the state.

Question 19

Marxist view on social class identities - Bourdieu (1984)…

Answer 19

3 types of capital to improve class:

• Economic capital - what you own (wealth, house, land)
• Cultural capital - what you know (understand high culture to fit in)
• Social capital - who you know (friends or contacts with power)

Parents give children cultural capital through attitudes and education. Ruling class defines what is valued in society so they have an advantage.

Question 20

Postmodernist view on social class identities - Offe (1985)…

Answer 20

In today’s society few people share same experience of full time work as we are able to create our own identities despite social class of family or qualifications at one time. This means class is a less important factor in identity.

Question 21

Disability identities - Shakespeare (1996)…

Answer 21

Disabled people are socialised into seeing themselves as victims, this becomes the reason for their failures and creates a victim mentality.

There are barriers to forming a positive disabled identity as people are isolated from each other making it hard to form a collective identity.

Question 22

Disability identity - Zola (1982)…

Answer 22

The vocabulary disabled people use to describe themselves comes from a discriminatory society.

Question 23

Disability identity criticism - Murugami (2009)…

Answer 23

A disabled person has the ability to construct a self-identity that accepts their impairment but is independent of it - their disability is just one of their characteristics.

Question 24

Ethnic identities and hybridity - Cashmore and Troyna (1990)…

Answer 24

When it comes to racism, ethnic minorities go to each other for support. This can strengthen religion and culture as become key sources of identity.

Question 25

Ethnic identity and hybridity - Jacobson (1997)…

Answer 25

Pakistanis adopt a strong Islamic identity as response to social exclusion from British society. Embracing Islamic identity through diet, dress etc gives them a strong connection to their faith and acts as resistance to marginalisation and racism.

Question 26

Ethnic identity - Ghumann (1999)…

Answer 26

Tradition, religion and family values played an important role in the upbringing of second generation Asians in the UK. Asian children are likely to be socialised into the extended family with emphasis placed on duty, loyalty and religious commitment.

Question 27

Changing ethnic identities - Modood (1997)…

Answer 27

There are generational differences over identity. Found that second generation African-Caribbean and Asian background felt more British than their parents while still having their ethnic background playing a large part in their identity.

Question 28

Nationality identity - Anderson (1983)…

Answer 28

A nation is an ‘imagine community’ as most members never meet so this identity is socially constructed through symbols like flags. A national language is created by printing developments that have lead to the mass circulation of newspapers and books etc.

Question 29

Changing national identities - Sardar (2002)…

Answer 29

The world is in the middle of a global identity crisis where the old divides that we defined ourselves by have broken down. To develop a more confident identity we must embrace diversity and focus on our common humanity.

Question 30

Responses to globalisation - Hall (1991)…

Answer 30

Countries may have 3 different reactions to globalisation…

• Cultural homogenisation - may accept a global and all countries will become more similar
• Cultural hybridity - may take in some parts of global culture alongside traditional culture, creating a new but individual culture
• Cultural resistance - resist global culture and fiercely protect cultural heritage

Question 31

Nationality identity - Kumar (2003)…

Answer 31

Unlike Scottish, Irish and Welsh people, English people struggle to say who they are and English identity is elusive.

Has created missionary nationalism where interests of unity has repressed ordinary expressions of nationalism.

Question 32

Childhood - Aries…

Answer 32

Childhood was only created from the 16th century onwards as children were separated from the adult world

Question 33

Childhood - Postman (1982)…

Answer 33

Childhood emerged when the spread of literacy allowed adults to shield children from aspects of adult life like sexuality and death. However the rise of media is causing childhood to disappear as it destroys children’s innocence.

Question 34

Youth - Mead (1928)…

Answer 34

The storm and stress that is associated with youth is culturally specific and not found in all cultures.

Question 35

Young and middle adulthood - Bradley (1996)…

Answer 35

Middle age has higher status as these people are running the country and hold power at work. Middle age is also seen as a negative time as youth is lost and old age comes closer i.e. mid life crisis.

Question 36

Old age - Corner (1999)…

Answer 36

Old people view themselves negatively which is reflected in the media and popular culture. Old people feel like a burden through stereotypes of ill health and dependency.

Question 37

Changing age identities - Featherstone and Hepworth (2005)…

Answer 37

Although the media can be a source of negative stereotypes on age, it also allows for positive images of aging to emerge, blurring the boundaries of life course theory.

Question 38

Sexuality identity - Weeks (1991)…

Answer 38

Sexual identification is a complex part identity as there are people who participate in same sex sexual activities but don’t identify themselves as gay and vice versa.

Question 39

Sexuality identity - Rich (1980)…

Answer 39

Women’s sexuality is oppressed through patriarchy in marriage, sexual abuse and the objectification of women.

Compulsory heterosexuality where women are socialised into a subordinate role that ensures their availability to men.

Heterosexuality is forced upon women as the lesbian identity has been written out of existence as it serves as a threat to male dominance.

Question 40

Sexuality identity - McIntosh (1996)…

Answer 40

The role of a homosexual male involves certain expectations and cultural characteristics such as an attention to appearance. Once a man has accepted the label ‘homosexual’ he will start to fulfil these expectations, showing that a label creates behaviour.

Question 41

Sexuality identity - Plummer (1996)…

Answer 41

Sees homosexuality as a process and a homosexual career where a male who has accepted the label will seek out others and join a subculture where stereotypical homosexual characteristics become the norm.