SOCIETY AND CULTURE
THE PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
THE PRELIMINARY COURSE
The Preliminary course is made up of three topics, The Social and Cultural World,
Personal and Social Identity and Intercultural Identity.
The focus of the first two topics, The Social and Cultural World and Personal and
Social Identity, will be based on psychology and sociology. By looking at different
theories of growth and development we will better understand why teenagers act and
think the way they do! To help us we will watch some teen movies and analyse how
Hollywood depicts teenagers and to what extent this influences Australian teenagers
and Australian society. The first two topics will help us to learn ways of gathering,
recording and presenting information, this is referred to as research methodology.
The focus of the third unit, Intercultural Identity, will be based on anthropology. By
studying tribal societies we will better understand the way all societies are organized,
how societies retain their traditions and how they adjust to change over time. This
topic will also help us to learn research methodologies.
The Preliminary course overlaps with the HSC. All information, concepts and skills
taught in the Preliminary course are integrated in the HSC course and may be
examined in the HSC exam. The Preliminary course will be examined by three tests
in Term One valued at 30%, 30% and 40% respectively.
HSC CORE
An important part of the core unit, Social and Cultural Continuity and Change, is the
study of a selected country. Our selected country is Afghanistan. We will study the
traditions of Afghanistan and the way Afghanistan is adjusting to change.
The core topic, Selected Country, will be examined by short answer questions and
multiple choice questions.
The Personal Interest Project is also an important part of the core topic, Social and
Cultural Continuity and Change. It is worth 40% of your HSC mark. You are able to
choose your own topic as long as it is related to the Society and Culture course. You
must carry out your own research on a topic that is personally interesting to you. The
examiners want you to show them that you understand the skills of research
methodology, that is, how to gather, record and present information.
Social and Cultural Continuity and Change will be examined by a short answer
question exam and an extended response valued at 20%.
HSC DEPTH STUDIES
Our first depth study topic is Popular Culture. The focus of this study is the
interconnection between the individual and popular culture. The student may choose
a popular culture as a focus study such as a music genre or a film genre.
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Our second Depth Study topic is Equality and Difference. This topic analyses
prejudice and discrimination in society and looks for solutions to the inequalities
brought about by prejudice and discrimination.
The Depth Studies are assessed by one essay per topic written under exam
conditions valued at 25% each.
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THE PRELIMINARY COURSE
The Preliminary Course is made of three topics, Personal and Social Identity,
Intercultural Communication, and The Social and Cultural World.
Personal and Social Identity will be assessed through a written response on the
theories of Erikson and Piaget on human development. This is valued at 20 marks.
Intercultural Communication will be assessed by the presentation of a project on a
tribal society. This is valued at 40 marks.
The Social and Cultural World will be assessed through a class test on terms and
key concepts relevant to Society and Culture. The terms include key concepts, social
and cultural literacy, micro and macro world and socialisation.. The Social and
Cultural World will also be assessed by testing your knowledge of methodology, this
means ways of finding, gathering, analysing and presenting data. This is valued at
40 marks.
SOCIALISATION
Socialisation: The process by which we grow and develop and
learn to become members of society, by internalising the norms
and values of society, and learning to perform social roles.
Society and Culture explores the discipline of psychology. It is interesting to see how
famous psychologists and sociologists explained the process of growing and
developing from infancy to adulthood. We will look at the theories of Piaget and
Erikson.
Erik Erikson was concerned about teenagers and identity.
He believed the teenage years were an opportunity for individuals to gain a sense of
identity. Of course there is confusion at this stage of life but the maturing process
should lead to an end to confusion. According to Erikson teenagers at this stage of
life choose their values and beliefs, they choose their aspirations, they choose those
parts of their life experiences they will develop, they choose role models to help them
set goals and show them a way to reach those goals. Therefore decision making is a
critical aspect of the teenage years.
Erikson believed there are four ways a teenager reacts to decision making and this
impacts on their identity.
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1 FORECLOSURE: This means a teenage forecloses or avoids making important
decisions.
These decisions are made by a dominant person in the teenager’s life such as a
parent, sibling, or dominant peer. Think about important decisions that have affected
your life lately. Who made the decision? Circle the appropriate response:
1 Leaving school
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
2 Enrolling in TAFE
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
3 Choosing subjects
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
4 Leaving your peer group
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
5 Staying within your peer group
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
6 Leaving home
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
7 Staying at home
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
8 Choosing a mobile phone company
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
9 Getting a part time job
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
10 Learning to drive
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
11 Setting a curfew
myself
family/guardian
peer n/a
12 Buying a car
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
13 Starting a boy/girl relationship
myself family/ guardian
peer n/a
14 Ending a boy/girl relationship
myself family/ guardian
peer
15 Retaining a boy/girl relationship
myself
family/ guardian
peer n/a
16 Choosing clothes
myself
family/ guardian
peer n/a
n/a
According to Erikson the process of making the decision and the outcome of the
decision contribute to a person’s identity. Have you avoided making decisions about
your life?
How many of the above decisions were made only by you? ______
How many of the above decisions were made by other people? _______
How many of the above decisions were made by you and other people? ______
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2 IDENTITY DIFFUSION: Sometimes the circumstances surrounding the decision
are so overwhelming the teenager is unable to make a decision or make an
appropriate decision. They have no options. The circumstances may include
discrimination, poverty, bullying or illness.
3 IDENTITY MORATORIUM: Sometimes students choose to take time out rather
than face the process of making decisions and the outcome of those decisions. This
may occur if the teenager is confused or is still experimenting with different roles,
values or beliefs. The teenager can make a more informed decision at a later date
based on personal experience.
4 IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: In this stage of development the teenager has
resolved many of the issues that were making it difficult to make appropriate
decisions or any decision at all. The teenager is able to balance many roles. The
teenager is aware of their own individuality, and the broader social and cultural
considerations.
Teen movies often explore the teenage identity crisis and the characters often
portray an individual seeking their identity through role play and decision making.
Watch some the following teen movies and judge whether the processes of teenage
decision making have been explored in three movie of the following movies:
Rebel Without a Cause 1955
American Graffiti 1973
The Breakfast Club 1985
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986
Muriel’s Wedding 1994
The Delinquents 1989
Ten Things I Hate About You 1999
Juno 2008
In the table below write a paragraph about one character in three movies you have
watched and show a clear example of a decision the character made, the influences
on the decision and the process of the decision. Each table is valued at 5 marks.
THIS IS PART ONE OF YOUR FIRST PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TASK
(Personal and Social Identity). WATCH THE MOVIES CLOSELY AND TAKE
NOTES. MARKS WIL BE AWARDED FOR EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING
ERIKSON’S THEORY AND APPLYING THIS INFORMATION TO THE
CHARACTERS PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIES. YOU MAY PREPARE THE TASK
AT HOME AND WRITE IT UNDER EXAM CONDITIONS IN CLASS. COPYING THE
WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT WILL RESULT IN A MARK OF ZERO.
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TEEN MOVIE 1: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION,
IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and
the character:
___________________________________________________________
TEEN MOVIE 2: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION,
IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and
the character:
___________________________________________________________
TEEN MOVIE 3: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION,
IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and
the character:
_____________________________________________________________
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Another theorist that was a contemporary of Erikson was Jean Piaget, he was a
Swiss psychologist. He was also interested in the cognitive processes, this means
the way people think. Piaget made some very interesting observations about
teenagers. Piaget referred to the age of twelve onwards as the Formal Operations
Stage. He believed that by the time an individual reached twelve years of age they
were capable of “thinking about one’s thoughts”. (Donnelly et al 2008 p45). He called
this introspection. Part of introspection is a preoccupation with one’s self referred to
as egocentrism and this is an important part of growing up.
Adolescents or teenagers as they are more commonly called are also able to look at
the world around them objectively and make their own decisions. Piaget also
believed teenagers are able to look at their micro world objectively and compare their
family to other families and friends. This helps them to make their own decisions.
In the Formal Operations Stage teenagers are able to see a range of possible
consequences of their decisions and behaviours. This ability allows teenagers to
think logically, often referred to as the skill of reasoning. This ability to “think about
one’s thoughts” (Donnelly at al 2008 p45) also allows the teenager to see
inconsistencies in the logic of their own thinking and other people’s thinking. As it
also allows the teenager to see the consequences of their decisions and behaviour
they are able to comprehend a future.
Another interesting idea of Piaget is delayed gratification. Small children want their
needs satisfied immediately. As children mature they learn that an individual can
benefit in the future by decisions and actions made in the present.
In the table below write a paragraph about one character in one of the movies you
have watched and show a clear example of Piaget’s theory at work.
 Is there evidence of one of the characters looking objectively at the world
around them?
 Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing inconsistencies in their own
logic?
 Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing inconsistencies in the logic
of other people?
 Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing the consequences of their
decisions?
 Is there evidence of one of the characters delaying gratification?
THIS IS PART TWO OF YOUR FIRST PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TASK
(Personal and Social Identity). WATCH THE MOVIES CLOSELY AND TAKE
NOTES. MARKS WILL BE AWARDED FOR EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING
PIAGET’S THEORY AND APPLYING THIS INFORMATION TO THE
CHARACTERS PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIES. YOU MAY PREPARE THE TASK
AT HOME AND WRITE IT UNDER EXAM CONDITIONS IN CLASS. COPYING THE
WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT WILL RESULT IN A MARK OF ZERO.
COMPLETION OF THE TABLE IS VALUED AT 5 MARKS.
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Name the movie and the character:___________________________________
TOTAL MARK FOR ASESSMENT TASK ONE:
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Genie’s Story
Socialisation: The process by which we grow and develop and
learn to become members of society, by internalising the norms
and values of society, and learning to perform social roles.
However, sometimes the socialisation of individuals goes wrong. Over time there
have been reports of children abandoned by their family and raised in isolation from
human contact. One such case is Genie. Genie was discovered at age 13. She had
spent the first 13 years of her life locked in her room.
Genie was the fourth child in her family. The eldest daughter, unwanted by her
father, was placed in the garage and died of pneumonia at two months. A second
child, a boy also died in infancy. A third child, a boy was rescued by his grandmother
and survived. Unfortunately for Genie the grandmother was killed in an accident and
Genie was at the mercy of her parents.
Genie was strapped in a harness and spent every day either in her cot or strapped to
a potty chair. She was fed sporadically by her brother who had returned to his
parents’ home. The brother was forbidden to speak to Genie, in fact all verbal
communication with Genie was banned. At times the father barked or growled at
Genie but that was all. If she made any noise she was beaten. Genie had a few
homemade toys but overall everyday was spent in isolation, in silence without
anything to do or see.
When Genie was discovered and taken to Los Angeles Children’s Hospital her
condition was heart breaking. Genie had received none of the socialisation that
allows all human beings to grow and develop and learn to become members of
society. Genie had not internalised the norms and values of society, as she was
isolated from them. Genie had not learnt to perform social roles as she had no role
and had not interacted or communicated with other people.
The discovery of Genie restarted the nature v. nurture debate. Are we the result of
our parents’ nurturing and care? Are our values, beliefs, abilities, behaviours,
manners and mores a direct result of the agents of socialisation that have
surrounded us since birth? Or are we biologically predetermined to hold certain
values, behave in a certain way and have certain abilities? Could Genie answer
these questions?
Genie was unable to speak, walk properly, stand up straight, control her silent bouts
of rage or behave in a socially expected manner. The psychologists at the hospital
wanted to know whether she was born with an intellectual and physical disability or
was she in fact an average child subjected to unusual circumstances. Unfortunately
Genie was subjected to years of testing and monitoring to find the answer to this
question.
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However Genie proved she was more than a victim of abuse and more than a
scientific experiment. She was eager to make human contact and engaged all who
met her. They were drawn to her curiosity about the world, her innocence and the
vulnerability in her eyes and frail body.
Genie learnt to speak but her vocabulary was very limited. It was also difficult to
change her behaviour. If she saw someone with something she liked she simply
walked up to that person and took the item. One of her carers taught Genie to
express anger by shouting and stamping her feet. Unfortunately as the years
progressed Genie had much to be angry about. She was moved from one foster
home to another, some of her carers were abusive. Eventually she was placed in a
home for intellectually disabled adults.
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In the first thirteen years of her life Genie was abandoned and isolated from all the
agents of socialisation that help an individual grow and develop from infancy to
adulthood. Make a list below of the individuals, experiences, and institutions in our
society that act as agents of socialisation:
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Socialisation is often recognized by rites of passage, these are ceremonies or rituals
that mark important stages in our life as we grow and develop and learn to perform
social roles. Rites of passage are often a link between the micro and macro world.
Make a list of some important rites of passage in our society:
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LITERACY
The aim of socialisation is to learn to become members of society, by internalising
the norms and values of society, and learning to perform social roles. People who
have internalised the norms and values of society and are able to perform their
social roles successfully are socially and culturally literate.
The socially and culturally literate person:

Is self aware, with a sense of personal, social and cultural identity

Is interested in, observes, and asks questions about, the immediate (micro)
and wider (macro) world

Questions the information presented in the media and is aware of bias

Makes informed decisions

Empathises with people of different societies and culture

Shows concern for the rights and dignity of all people

Researches effectively and ethically

Communicates effectively

Recognizes the past, lives in the present and plans for the future.
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KEY CONCEPTS
PERSONS: Every person is a unique individual, but each
develops in a social setting in which they are influenced by, and
interact with, other persons. The process of communication is
one of these fundamental interactions.
SOCIETY: Society is made up of people, groups, networks,
institutions, organizations and systems. These aspects of
society may include local, national, and international patterns of
relationships. People belong to informal and formal groups, and
within and between groups there are patterns of interactions.
CULTURE: Culture refers to the knowledge, ways of thinking
and behaving that bind each society together and give each
society its distinctive way of life. Culture is demonstrated by the
beliefs, customs, values, laws, technology and artefacts people
use as they interpret meaning from their world and solve
present and future problems.
TECHNOLOGY: Technology means the tools that make life
easier, enhancing the natural ability of persons to perform
those tasks.
How do we put these concepts into practice? Let’s look at tribal societies to
understand the key concepts in context:
The first tribal society we are studying is the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in the
Himalayas. Watch the DVD and consider the key concepts of Persons, Society and
Culture and Technology of this tribe.
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PERSONS: Every person is a unique individual, but each develops in a social
setting in which they are influenced by, and interact with, other persons. The process
of communication is one of these fundamental interactions.
In a traditional tribal society the individual is often less important than the group or
community. Some members of the Adi tribe have never left their remote community.
The social setting in which they develop is limited to their family, extended family and
tribal members. There is no evidence that interaction is influenced by gender or
hierarchy. The group identity is very strong, during celebrations no one takes
prominence, the whole community celebrates together.
However individuality is important. The village shaman resents her loss of prestige in
the community over time. Some Adis have rejected the tribal religion of animism and
have converted to Christianity, there is no sanction from the elders for this decision,
their individual decision is respected.
SOCIETY: Society is made up of people, groups, networks, institutions,
organizations and systems. These aspects of society may include local, national,
and international patterns of relationships. People belong to informal and formal
groups, and within and between groups there are patterns of interactions.
The Adi are organized in a tribal social structure. However it is a unique social
structure, the village elder is respected but the democracy of the community respects
all points of view.
CULTURE: Culture refers to the knowledge, ways of thinking and behaving that bind
each society together and give each society its distinctive way of life. Culture is
demonstrated by the beliefs, customs, values, laws, technology and artefacts people
use as they interpret meaning from their world and solve present and future
problems.
In your own words describe the culture of the Adi people:
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Now consider the definition of the key concept of Technology: Technology means
the tools that make life easier, enhancing the natural ability of persons to perform
those tasks.
In your own words describe the technology of the Adi people:
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The Babongo tribe of Gabon in Central Africa were once referred to as pygmies. The
term pygmy is now considered discriminatory and they are now called the forest
people. Watch the DVD and consider the key concepts of Society, Culture and
Technology of this tribe.
SOCIETY: Society is made up of people, groups, networks, institutions,
organizations and systems. These aspects of society may include local, national,
and international patterns of relationships. People belong to informal and formal
groups, and within and between groups there are patterns of interactions.
The Babongo are organized in a traditional tribal social structure. Institutions,
organizations and systems do not exist. The society is hierarchical, there is a chief
whose position is inherited. The social structure is patriarchal, only initiated men can
visit the men’s hut. The tribe is based on the family and the bond that exists
throughout the extended family and the tribe. The Babongo were isolated in the
rainforest until logging companies built roads into the forest. The patterns of
relationships once extended to the neighbouring tribe particularly the Bantu tribe.
The relationship with the Bantu tribe is a master / servant relationship. The patterns
of relationships now extended to the wider world as many Babongo leave the village
to work for multinational logging companies. The forest is being opened up to eco
tourism which will bring other patterns of relationships to the tribe.
The Babongo are no longer nomadic. They have settled in villages and now
construct permanent houses. They are hunter gathers but the women also grow
potatoes and maize.
CULTURE: Culture refers to the knowledge, ways of thinking and behaving that bind
each society together and give each society its distinctive way of life. Culture is
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demonstrated by the beliefs, customs, values, laws, technology and artefacts people
use as they interpret meaning from their world and solve present and future
problems.
The Babongo are a closely bonded tribe. The discrimination from other tribes in
Gabon unites the Babongo people. Their ways of thinking and behaving are also
influenced by survival in the forest. They interpret meaning from their world through
the religion of animism and their interpretation of animism called Wiki.
The Babongo are renowned for their knowledge of the forest, the plants and the
animals. Other tribes consider the Babongo are sorcerers because of their
knowledge of plants.
The Babonga require three to four hours of work to sustain livelihood. The rest of the
day is spent caring for each other, playing with the children and telling stories. There
are rituals for every aspect of life. The Babongo have a flamboyant culture of singing
and dancing. At the heart of the culture is the iboga ceremony. The initiate drinks
and eats ibogo, an hallucinogenic substance gathered from the root of the iboga
tree. The drug acts on the part of the brain that deals with sorrow and remorse. The
initiate relives in dreams his past wrongs and is able to feel the hurt he has caused
to other people.
TECHNOLOGY: Technology means the tools that make life easier, enhancing the
natural ability of persons to perform those tasks.
Technology is changing the society and culture of this once remote tribe. Roads
cleared for logging trucks make it easier for villages to visit the city or find work
clearing the forest. The introduction of the axe has also changed culture. Instead of
climbing trees to gather honey the trees are felled. Bows and poison arrows for
hunting are being replaced by rifles.
THIS IS YOUR SECOND PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TASK (Intercultural
Communication). WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY FILMS CLOSELY AND TAKE
NOTES. MARKS WILL BE AWARDED FOR EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING
THE KEY CONCEPTS OF SOCIETY AND CULTURE AND RELATING THEM TO A
TRIBAL SOCIETY. YOU MAY PREPARE THE TASK AT HOME. COPYING THE
WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT WILL RESULT IN A MARK OF ZERO. THE
PROJECT MUST BE BETWEEN 700 AND 1000 WORDS. THE PROJECT IS
VALUED AT 40 MARKS.
Choose a tribal society for your own research. I will show you DVDs of several tribal
societies to help you. Once you have made your decision you will find additional
information on the internet and in National Geographic magazines in the library.
Firstly write a short introduction describing the geographic location of the tribe.
Secondly, divide the information into four subheadings: Choose any four from the
key concepts of Society and Culture, Persons, Society, Culture, Time, Environment,
Gender, Power, Authority and Technology. Finally write a short conclusion on a
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future scenario for the tribe. The project may include pictures to help illustrate the
key concepts. Include a bibliography. The project must be between 700 and 1000
words. The project will be valued at 40%
Define the following terms:
TIME:
ENVIRONMENT:
GENDER:
POWER:
AUTHORITY:
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METHODOLOGY
You have already learnt a great deal about finding, gathering, analysing and
presenting data. Watching documentaries, reading books, magazines and
newspaper articles and finding information on the internet is called content analysis.
It is a secondary methodology because you are relying on information provided by
someone else. Analysing teen movies and how they influence Australian teenagers
is content analysis. Analysing Bruce Parry’s documentaries on tribal societies is also
content analysis. However the research carried out by Parry is an ethnographic case
study, he becomes part of the tribe to gather as a much data as he can about the
tribe.
METHODOLOGY
CONTENT ANALYSIS:
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
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ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE
STUDY:
You are about to begin your Personal Interest Project. Remember the examiners
want to see how well you understand the methodology of research. The following
table will help you to complete a successful Personal Interest Project.
METHODOLOGY
SURVEY:
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTGES
FOCUS GROUP:
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OBSERVATION:
The five methodologies will be assessed as your final Preliminary assessment task.
You will also be tested on the nine key concepts. The terms socialisation and social
and cultural literacy will also be tested. The terms micro and macro world will also be
tested. The task will be valued at 40%
Now you are ready to begin your Personal Interest project. Choose a topic, do a lot
of background reading, write a plan and start to write your survey.
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RESEARCH METHODOLGY
Now it is time to learn about research methodology. This is at the core of the Society
and Culture course. There are many ways research can be carried out. Usually
effective research includes more than one research methodology to reach a reliable
and justifiable conclusion. We will begin by learning about surveys.
A survey is a way of gathering and recording data. Sometimes the data can be
gathered by observation and recorded on a data recording sheet. Usually a
questionnaire is used to gather the data. The questions may be closed questions,
open questions or Lickett scale questions, that means, questions that provide a
sliding scale of responses. Observation provides qualitative data. A questionnaire
provides both qualitative and qualitative data. Data can also be gathered from a
structured interview. The questions are prepared beforehand by the interviewee.
This is a qualitative research method because the interview is one – on - one and
usually face to face. Surveys provide primary information. When the data is gathered
the researcher must analyse the data. The information may be presented as a report
or as a graph.
Choose a research topic that is relevant to Society and Culture.
Topic: ______________________________________________________________
Write a questionnaire that relates to the topic. Include in your questionnaire relevant
closed questions, Lickett scale questions and open questions. You will need at least
twenty respondents to make your data reliable and justifiable. When you have
gathered the data present your findings in either a short report of 700 words or as
graphs
1. Write a questionnaire of at least ten relevant questions. 10 marks
2. Show evidence of at least twenty respondents. 5 marks
3. Present a report or a graph. 5 marks
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