Giddens (2006) Socialisation is the process
through which culture is passed from
generation to generation.
Nature/Nurture debate - Feral Children
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljVd6XS-J0s
 What does this tell us about the nature/nurture
argument?
Agents of socialization These are the people or groups that play a part in our
socialization. Sometimes they play an important part
without us realising it.
Agents of socialisation
 Primary
 Secondary
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Family
Education
Media
Peer group
Religion
Workplace
Primary socialization The early years of life are important in the learning
process. This is the stage of primary socialization
when we are normally in intimate and prolonged
contact with our parents.
 We learn : Rules of general behaviour – Norms and values e.g
queuing for a bus
 Norms and values associated with gender,
ethnicity, social class.
 Our parent’s are our “significant others”. They have a
great influence on us and we care about their
judgements of us. They play a key part in teaching us
basic norms and values.
Family and Parents
 The majority of children still grow up in a family
headed by both natural parents.
 Over the last 30 years there has been an increase in the
number of lone-parent and step-famliies.
 Family life has therefore become more DIVERSE.
 Whatever the particular family set-up, parental figures
remain the main agents of primary socialization.
 A sense of security during the earliest years has been
identified as being crucial to developing a stable
personality later on.
Learning
from
parents One way children learn from their
parents is through IMITATION. They
may copy the way their parents’ talk
or their table-manners for example.
 By a process of trial and error and with the application
of formal and informal sanctions (social control)
children learn what is unacceptable and unacceptable.
 As children get older they use their parents as role-
models.
 The experience of growing up ina family also varies
according to its social and cultural values.
 A Muslim family may ensure that religion plays a
strong part in a child’s upbringing.
Gender Roles
 Read pg 7 in booklets
 Think of ways that the family and parents teach us
how to be feminine and masculine.
 5 minutes in pairs
Activity
 Complete questions on page 7 of your booklets.
 Discuss
Secondary socialisation
 Education
 From the age of 5 in the Uk the family continues to be
important for socialisation but Education also plays a
big role. We are taught in two ways: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkhd9YZH98&fe
ature=related
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quzGekDaP88&fea
ture=related
Activity
 Use page 10 of the textbook to make your own notes on
the following: Formal Curriculum
 Formal Social Control in schools
 Informal (hidden) Curriculum
 Informal Social Control in schools.
Plenary questions
 How do you think Functionalists might view the
‘hidden curriculum’?
 How do you think Marxists might view the use of
the ‘hidden curriculum’
 How do you think Feminists might view the
‘hidden curriculum’
 Give an example of a formal sanction used by a
school
 Give an example of informal sanction used by peer
groups.
Recap
• The two kinds of social control
• Agent of primary socialisation
• Two agents of secondary socialisation
• One way that parents ensure appropriate gender
behaviour is learned.
• Phrase used to describe the teaching of social skills
in school.
• Name for teaching of knowledge like maths and
English
Objectives
 To be able to describe ways that the media influences
socialisation
 To answer and peer assess a real exam question.
The Mass Media
 The media has an impact on the development of
gender roles, ethnic identity and social class identities.
 Media includes?
How does it happen?
 What were the three ways that children learn norms
and values and ways of behaving from their parents?
 ???
 Can these be applied to the media?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy3BblcjCA
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypIbTpnuNgg&fea
ture=related
Research into influence of media
 McRobbie – 1970s found that girls magazines tended
to encourage romance and ‘keeping a man’ often
through domesticity.
 Currie (1999) found dramatic increase in emphasis
on beautification. Concept of ‘slimblondeness’
 Rutherford 2000 onwards - Growth of male
magazines FHM, Loaded etc.and focus on body
image.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp7IP1XB9WY&f
eature=player_embedded
Peer Assessed Activity
 Using evidence from sociological
research and your own examples
explain how the media acts as an agent
of secondary socialisation. (10 Marks)
 15 minutes
Peer Assess
 3 marks - They have described HOW the media
influences socialisation through imitation, role
modelling and sanctions.
 2 marks – They have included examples of the
above?
 2 marks – They have included one piece of
research evidence.
 2 marks – they have included a second piece of
research evidence.
 1 marks – The explanation is clearly
communicated.
Plenary
 Write an improvement target for your
partner and discuss it with them.
Religion
 Religion can have a profound effect on socialisation.
 Recent TV program about Amish teenagers!
 The UK has been changing and becoming more
‘Secularised’
 BSA (2006) found that in 1964 26% did not identify
with any religion. By 2006 this rose to 69%.
Peer Group
 Some peer groups develop which are conforming
to norms e.g boys playing football on the field and
excluding girls.
 Some form as an expression of rebellion against
the norm e.g Youth subcultures e.g emos,
 Groups often form around issues of commonality
e.g ethnicity, gender, class.
 Each group has norms and values and we are
encouraged to conform through peer group
pressure – rewards and sanctions
Describe the norms and values
 Geeks
 Boffs
 Plastics
 Emo kids
 Lads
 ??????? Any others
 What would you have to do to become a member of
their culture?
The workplace
 Read the description of the study by Ward and
Winstanley (2005) on page 25 of the OCR book and
write a summary in your own words.
Functionalists
 These are generally American thinkers.
 They say that the purpose of socialisation is to
unite society in a set of shared norms and values.
 This is a ‘consensus’ sociology.
 Talcott Parsons said that all societies have
functional prerequisites which must be met and
shared culture provides for these needs.
Marxists
 These people say that the purpose of socialisation
is to control the weak and defenceless and to give
them the ideas that the powerful promote.
 People are taught an ideology
 This is known as ‘conflict’ sociology.
 Socialisation is conditioning which prepares the
masses for exploitation
Feminism and Socialisation
 Oakley (1974) Socialisation perpetuates gender
inequality. Gender differences are due to culture not
biology.
 Thorne (1993) School systems also reinforce gender
differences.
 Socialisation is preparing us for differentiated gender
roles and to accept patriarchy.
Part b) 10 marks = 10 minutes
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This will ask you about:Culture transmission
Agents of Socialisation (primary and secondary)
Processes involved in socialisation (formal and informal social
control) e.g
 Using material from the item and your own knowledge,
describe and explain the ways in which any two agents of
socialisation can influence behaviour. [10]
 AO1 - There should be 4 points made showing knowledge and
accurate and appropriate use of sociological terms should be
evident for full marks.
 AO2 - At least 3 of those points will be explained with examples
or reference to the item.
Timed Essay Plan
 P – What is Socialisation – (Giddens,2006) and distinguish
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between primary and secondary
E – Give an example of both
A – Therefore Culture is transmitted via ongoing process of
socialisation.
E – Funtionalists argue this is a good thing for social solidarity
however what would Marxists say?
P – Describe one agent of socialisation + example, evaluation, and
analysis
P – Describe another agent + example, evaluation and analysis.
Include the HOW – Imitation, Role Modelling and Sanctions
Include gender roles and include two perspectives.
Activity
 Turn to page 27 and complete the gap fill exercise on
socialisation.