Unit 1 Questions Flashcards
1
Q
What is culture?
A
How individuals are expected to behave, what they tend to believe and how they think. The people who share the beliefs of a culture form a society
2
Q
What is material culture?
A
Some aspects of a way of life, physical things that people attach meaning to. Items that are not just objects but have symbolic meaning
3
Q
What is non-material culture?
A
Refers to the aspects of culture such as language, laws and attitudes based on ideas people share. Helps people understand the social world and gives them guidelines on how to behave
4
Q
How s culture a social construction?
A
Culture is a social construction as it varies and exists, but only in our minds
5
Q
What is a collectivist culture?
A
Emphasis on the group over the individual and the group shares responsibility for the wellbeing of all. China and Japan are examples
6
Q
What is an individualistic culture?
A
The individual is values above the group. European and North American cultures are examples of this
7
Q
What are aspects of culture?
A
- Anything created by people including ideas and beliefs
- Cultures are very diverse
- To everyone in a culture will follow all cultural rules
- Wen people break rules they are known as deviants
- When entire social groups behave differently it is known as a subculture
8
Q
How is culture a form of social control?n
A
People who do not fully follow the social rules of their culture can expect not to be seen as fully members and some experience punishments
9
Q
What does Travis Hirschi point out about unwritten rules?
A
Points out the breaking rules can give people considerable advantage in life. He believes however, criminals and deviants lacked proper socialisation
10
Q
How do functionalists view social change?
A
View social change as a problem with others
11
Q
How do Marxists view social change?
A
Believe it to be a normal state of society
12
Q
What is cultural diversity?
A
Term used to describe the differences in behaviour between cultures. Human cultures vary over time
13
Q
What are Nature theories?
A
Human behaviour i promoted by biology. People are governed by instincts, which are fixed pattern of behaviour that are inherited and influence human actions
14
Q
What are biological imperatives?
A
These are things people do to survive and reproduce. Nature theories suggest humans are fueled by biological imperatives and therefore do to have free will
15
Q
What are nurture theories?
A
The view that society and culture override genetic and instincts. Sociologists tend to argue that cultural imperatives over-ride biology and that humans must learn their culture from others
16
Q
What are feral children?
A
Children who have not received the correct socialisation
17
Q
What do nature theories say about feral children?
A
Suggest feral children would still act in human nature as it is instinctive
18
Q
What is nativism?
A
Many of our physical characteristics are inherited. They argue that social characteristics of people have arisen through arguments
19
Q
What has nativism led to?
A
Used to justify both the oppression of women and extreme racist opinion
20
Q
What does Talcott Parsons say about socialisation?
A
Claimed that socialisation is the process by which humans learn and internalise their cultures, norm and values. People learn specific beliefs and forms of behaviours appropriate to their cultures
21
Q
What are the two elements to socialisation?
A
Formal socialisation and Informal socialisation
22
Q
What are he aims of family socialisation?
A
To pass on;
- The ability to do certain things
- The desire to achieve ambitions
- The ability to survive the outside world
- To learn social roles
- The ability’s to think about the social roles of others
23
Q
What does Pierre Bourdieu say about family?
A
Claimed that members of families tend to belong to the same social backgrounds and the ethnic groups, children learn a set of behaviours and perceptions that mark them out from others with different backgrounds
24
Q
What does Pierre Bourdieu say about the habitus?
A
The social situation in which we feel comfortable and at home
25
How is family an agent of primary socialisation?
Children learn gender roles within the family through;
- Imitation
- Role models
- Sanctions
- Expectations
26
What was Talcott parsons view on secondary socialisation?
Secondary socialisation helped the individual develop a separate identity in order to deal with strangers
27
What are examples of agencies of secondary organisation?
Mass media, education, friendship and working environments
28
What is social control?
The idea that peoples behaviour and thoughts are regulated by society
29
What is seen as the most important agency of socialisation?
The family
30
How do parents pass on cultural rules and norms?
- Protection of the child through teaching things such as manners
- Guided and deliberate teaching of the traditions
- Children are sanctioned
- Imitation
31
What are the roles of men and women within the family?
Instrumental and expressive roles
32
What are peer groups?
The first people that you encounter as you develop independence from the family
33
What is peer pressure?
Peer groups can be very supportive however people may feel the need to modify their behaviour in order to fit in
34
How do schools socialise children?
They prepare them for the world of work. Functionalists see this as a good thing, but Marxists are very critical of what is being taught to children
35
What are the two forms of curriculum?
Formal curriculum and hidden curriculum
36
How is religion an agency of socialisation?
- Collective conscience: socially accepted and shared norms
- Parental faith: children have little choice but to take on the beliefs of the religion
37
How is media and agency of socialisation?
- Copycat behaviour: Bandura claims children model behaviour from TV
- Hypodermic syringe model: media acts as a drug directly into the mind
38
How is work an agency of socialisation?
People have to adapt to the demands of their position through formal training or informal
- Canteen culture: workers need to understand the practices of other employees and how to deal with certain problems they need to survive
- Mcdonaldization of work: Ritter described how workers are trained to not show initiative
39
What are the two elements of identities?
- Primary identities: our sense of self
- Secondary identities: the roles we play in society
40
How do we develop our identities?
- We are told who we are
- Choose different identities on where we are
- Give us meaning
- May be imposed on us (ascribed statuses)
- Chosen identities
41
How do children learn expected gender?
Ann Oakley suggests
- Manipulation: discourage what is seen as wrong for gender
- Canalisation: channeled into appropriate gender activities
- Verbal appellations: girls will be called ‘angels’ and boys ‘monsters’
- Different activities: girls are kept at home, boys do sports
42
How does the media affect identity?
Judith Butler points out that the media’s stereotyping and gender roles is so powerful, it’s difficult to avoid. Naomi Young complained that the idea of a perfect body image is a way to control and exploit women
43
What is social class?
Groups of similar eduction, income and occupational background
44
How does social class affect education?
Savage argues that the lifestyles of those in middle and working classes differ. Pierre Bourdieu claimed that people with middle class backgrounds have been socialised into the culture of the dominant ruling class
45
How does social class effect work?
Charlesworth claimed that people had gained class identity through work. Working class experienced negativity due to lack of culture
46
What is an ethnic group?
Tend to have similar ancestry sense of history, traditions and beliefs
47
How does family help socialise ethnic identity?
Family is the first place people learn their ethnicity. Language speakers use their own culture in the home. Tariq Madood suggested that in addition to language, there may be other things that teach identity
48
How does Religion help socialise into ethnic identities?
Price suggested that religious belief could provide an identity that rejected mainstream culture
49
What are Marxist views on whether traditional family views are still relevant today?
View family as a source of inequality. Teaches that some people have more acces to power and wealth than others
50
What are Feminist views on whether traditional family views are still relevant today?
Views family as oppressing women. Wallace points out that women are expected to work the triple shift. Oakley points out how families socialise children into traditional gender patterns
51
What are interactionist views on the relevance of traditional family views?
View family in terms of roles and behaviours
52
What are postmodernist views on the relevance of traditional views of family?
See families no as families of choice
53
What are functionalist views on family and society?
Talcott Parsons took the view that families develop patterns and structures that are appropriate to the culture they belong. He claimed with support of of George Murdock that nuclear family was the best form of family
54
What is Parsons theory of nuclear families?
- They do not require the support of the wider family
- Women have expressive roles and men have instrumental roles
- Form of comfort for men who can relax within it
- Biologically natural
- Provide the best environment for children
55
What are the criticisms on nuclear family being the best form?
- Many nuclear families are not safe places for women and children
- Overlooks alternative sexualities
- Women are expected to take on a lesser role
- Focusses on family structure and does not recognise the complex relationships
- Many different family forms exist
56
What do Michael Young and Peter Wilmott write about it Family and Kinship in East London?
Challenge functionalist theories and showed that many working-class people lived in extended families
57
What is demography?
The study of population and population in changes. Interested in patterns of social structure
58
How is the demography changing in the UK?
- People are living loner and are healthier
- Women are having fewer children and later in life
- There are higher rates in divorce
- Cohabitation has increased
- Lone-parents have increased
- Single-sex families
- 20% of adults live alone
- Children stay in the home longer
59
What do Gillies and Jamieson argue about changes in family?
Statistical analysis of family forms and household structures all point to an increased family diversity in the ways people choose to live together
60
What does Crow say about family change?
The amount of family change is overstated. Their have always been a variety of family types, they have simply been less discrete
61
What is an example of changing norms and values in the family?
As the shame of birth outside of marriage receded, the number of single parents and cohabitating parents has increased
62
What are examples of legislation that have been passed regarding family?
- Civil Partnerships 2004
- Same-sex marriages 2004
63
What have been the legal changes to abortion?
- 1968: abortion was made legal due to high deaths
- 1974: there were attempts to make them illegal
- 1990: they lowered the time limits
64
What do the changes in abortion laws show us?
That attitudinal shifts can affect public policy and laws
65
What changes to the economy have had an effect on family life?
- The job market for men has declined
- Lewis has pointed out that policies aim to encourage women into the service sector
- Flour and Buchanan pointed out that marriage is no longer economically necessary
- Marxists claim that family is an increasing unit of consumption
66
What is changing technology?
The development and the effect of computers and entertainment technology. Also includes medical enhancements
67
What does Silva suggest about technology and family?
Technology has changed family but not damaged it. Technological change is in response to social needs
68
What does Gergen argue about technology and family?
Argues that families have become more fragmented due to technology. Points out what he called the saturated family
69
How do Postmodernists see family and technology?
View it as a form of family diversity
70
What has the changes in families looked like since 1962?
Marriages have dropped since 1962. The highest amount of marriages were in 1972 and has steadily declined since
71
What do the New Right thinkers believe about government policy and marriage?
Government policy has not supported marriage. The welfare system does not encourage people to marry
72
What does Sheila’s Lawlor argue about marriage and the government?
Women rely on paid maternity provided by the state to pay for their children
73
What does Charles Murray argue about the government and marriage?
Link the welfare system to unmarried women, illegitimate births, crime and refusal of young men to get jobs because they no longer need to be responsible for the children
74
What has the trend in divorce been like?
The rate of divorce rapidly increased since 1971 when the Divorce reform act reform act made it easier to obtain a divorce. There was a small peak in divorce in 1949 as it was when divorces became legal
75
Why have divorce rates been going down recently?
In recent times, divorce rates have been going down because the number of marriages have decreased as well
76
What does Wilson argue about divorce?
As the influence of formal religion declined, the belief of the church that people should stay married became irrelevant
77
What does Fletcher claim about marriage?
Claimed that people expected more out of marriage
78
What are the rends in cohabitation?
There has been a steady increase in cohabitation since 1996
79
What does Coast claim about cohabitation?
Cohabitation is normal for couples and that because more people experience it and therefore, more people accept it
80
What dos Morgan suggest about cohabitation?
People choose cohabitation because they are scared of divorce
81
What does survey into cohabitation show?
Out of 45% people, 16% said that they did not want to marry until they had a house, 40% believed they couldn’t afford a wedding and 25% felt that marriage was not necessary
82
What is the trend in singlehood?
Steady increase in slightly younger people who have divorced who now choose singlehood
83
What does Smith et al. and Chandler et al say about singlehood?
Most older people who live alone will not again live with another
84
What does Durkheim say about singlehood?
The reason for the increase of singlehood was due to the cult of the individual
85
What does Klinenburg suggest about living alone?
Living alone is seen as a mark of success for young people
86
What are the trends in life expectancy?
Life expectancy is steadily increasing
87
What is life expectancy?
Refers how long people can expect to live on average. Women generally live longer than men. Improved medical technology means we can expect to survive longer
88
What has happened to he changes in fertility?
Fewer women are having children, and those who do fewer. One of the reasons for the changes in this is contraception, another changed attitudes and the desire for smaller families socially and economically
89
What are the reasons for changes in childhood?
- laws controlling children
- Children are a market for consumer goods
- Children are no longer expected to work
- Children are legally entitled to education
- Laws protecting children
- Change in family structure
- Fewer children in families
90
When was the Children act released and what did it do?
The children act was released in 1989 and gave a number of agencies a duty to protect the welfare of children and encouraged support for family and parents
91
What does James and Prout say about social construction of childhood?
Emphasised the socially constructed nature of childhood. Children relationships with adults and children are worthy of study as they are active participants in childhood
92
What does Mayall ague about childhood?
Children should be studied because they have an expressive and instrumental role in families
93
What does Pilcher identify as the key feature of childhood?
The fact that it is seen as separate and special
94
What does Neil Postman say about childhood?
Argued that childhood is disappearing with three points;
- Children have rights
- Children can access the adult world through television
- Children imitate cut behaviour in dress and in criminal activities
95
What does Sue Palmer argue about childhood?
Describes modern childhood as being toxic. Parents work more, it means that children are more vulnerable to damage
96
What does Fuerdi argue about parenting?
Argues that parenting is now seen as a complex skill
97
What do functionalists argue about conjugal roles?
Men and women have different roles in the family, moment expressive and men instrumental
98
What are the reasons for change in conjugal roles?
- Laws have given women more rights
- Women have paid work outside the home
- Women can control birth and reproduction
- Separation of sex and marriage
- Changes in masculinity
- Less traditional male work
- Changing norms an values in families
99
What does Stephen Edgell suggest about decision making in conjugal roles?
Found that men made the infrequent important decisions in middle-class families even if women work
100
What does Gershuny identify about conjugal roles?
Lagged adaptation. The roles of men have had to change with women, but there is usually a delayed reaction as men lagged behind women
101
What does Parsons identify about domestic labour?
Believed that women could express themselves emotionally through caring families
102
What do Oakley and Gaston view about domestic labour?
Challenge the view that men helped women in the home more. They believe that housework is oppressive and dissatisfying
103
What is the triple shift?
Women were expected to work outside the home, do the jobs in the home and care for everyone emotionally
104
What does the Home office describe domestic violence as?
Any incidents or pattern of controlling, coercive threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those age 16or over who are, or have been, intimate partners of family members regardless of gender or sexuality
105
What does Anthony Gideon’s claim about emotions and conjugal roles?
Claimed that people now had a ‘pure relationships’ where people were only staying together on the grounds they were satisfied
106
What does Catherine Hakim argue about conjugal roles?
Poses a controversial argument that women have les commitment to work as fewer of them have jobs, women can control men though their desires. Argues that women are happiest i a traditional family where they may prefer to be homemakers
107
What is the third age?
A period of active retirement when people may be fit and healthy, but no longer working full time
108
Why do would there need to be support from wider families?
When families breakdown there is often support from the wider families. Hilman and Hastings found that families with multiple disadvantages often have grandparents providing emotional, practical and financial support
109
How much childcare to grandparents provide?
It is estimated that grandparents provide between 40 and 70% of childcare
110
What does Bryan find about caring for the elderly?
Found that carers are most likely to be women and men in their forties and fifties. It is estimated that nearly 3000000 workers are also carers
111
What is the relationship between adult children’s and the elderly like?
There is a link between elderly and the amount of contact they receive from their children.
Factors that influence social contact may include;
- Geographical distance
- Ability to use technologies
- Hours worked
112
What are the functionalist views on family?
Parson argues that family fulfils two functions of society; the socialisation of children ad the stabilisation of the adult personality.
Murdock claimed through study that not only is the nuclear family common to all cultures, but it has four functions;
- Control of sexual behaviour in adults
- Economic support for children
- Reproduction of society through new members
- Education of family members
113
What are the strengths of the functionalist views of family?
- Recognises the importance of people and society
- Sees how the family is central to social structures and behaviours
- Explains why people follow social rules and the importance of social stability
114
What are the weaknesses of functionalist views on family?
- Overlook the dark sides of family life, the exploitation of women and how families are part of the ideology of capitalism
- Implies other forms of family are lacking
- Theoretical and not supported by studied
115
What are the Marxist views on family?
Family pass on ideas and values and is and economic unit
Argue that the purpose of the family is to;
- Socialise children into the norms of a capitalist society
- Ensure women re controlled
- Working men can relieve their frustrations in the family
- The family is a unit of consumption
116
What are the strengths of the Marxist views on family?
- Explain the ideological role of families in society and why people feel strongly about structure
- Explanation of why families first developed in society
- Points out the unpleasant actions in families
117
What are the weaknesses of Marxist views on families?
- Ignores the positives of families
- Seen in terms of its economic relationship to society which is too simple and operates on the assumption capitalism is bad
- Views of the role of women in the family are outdated
- The female perspective of family life tends to be overlooked
118
What are feminist views on the family?
- Liberal feminists want to change culture and laws to make society equal
- Marxist feminists see the family as the main cause of inequality
- Radical feminists see men as the enemy
- Different gender socialisation is believed to be the cause of social differences and mean that women have less freedom and control
119
What are the strengths of Marxist views of the family?
- Acted as a corrective to the positives functionalist views
- Points out family has a male stream bias
- Had a huge impact of women
- Triggered research into areas of daily family life
120
What are the weaknesses of feminist views on family?
- Hakim pointed out women are not as oppressed as said
- Fails to recognise men may be constrained by socialisation
- Some feminists are extreme and accuse all men as being rapists
121
What are postmodernist beliefs on family?
People choose family types that suit individual and emotional social needs. Gender equality has challenged male dominance. Modern society is fragmented so the influence on behaviour has weakened. The rapports describe the variety of types of family diversity;
- Structure
- Ethnic and Cultural variations
- Social class difference
- Life course
- Cohort
Anthony Giddeon said that the cause of change in family and marriage was triggered by greater equality between mean and women
122
What are the Strengths of postmodernist views on family?
- Offers an explanation for family change
- Acknowledges the different family types
- Emphasises how emotions and choice are important in family
- Points out the importance of decision making
123
What are the weaknesses of postmodernist views of family?
- Vague and has no evidence
- Overlook the importance and persistence of nuclear family
- Overstates the amount of social change taking place
- The language used is hard to understand; said to be a way to hides weaknesses
124
What are the New Right Views on family?
Charles Murray claim the nuclear family is the best type of family. Argue young women have babies to get money from the welfare state, and the children of single parents become lazy and criminals
125
What are the strengths of New Right Theories on family?
- Influential in government thinking
- Emphasise the positive aspects of the nuclear family
- Appeals to common sense ideal of society
- Corresponds to functionalist thinking
- Children in lone parent households are more likely to experience poverty
126
What are the weaknesses of New Right views on family?
- Blames victim of society for their own poverty
- Negative influence on government policy as it makes it difficult to get help
- Reflects the capability ideology and eroding rights to contraception
- Limited research
- Does not take into accounts those who value non-traditional relationships
