Sociology Unit 1A Topic 4

Front 1

What do Functionalists argue on the subject of agent Education in secondary socialisation?

[EDUCATION]

Back 1

Functionalistsargue that the hidden curriculum teaches valueconsensus, for example, students learn the importance of hard work, andsuccess through the exam system. When they take part in sports they learn thevalue of competition and teamwork. They learn the importance of conforming torules when they get punished for being late, misbehaving or not handing in workon time.

Front 2

Critcisms of Functionalists?

[EDUCATION]

Back 2

Marxists suchas Bowles and Gintis (1976),

-The hidden curriculum teaches the values of theruling class, so we learn to be conformist, passive and to accept hierarchywhich reflects the need of the ruling class to have a controllable workforce.

-The education system is a ‘myth-makingmachine’. Pupils are taught their place in society, and are encouraged tobelieve that their failures are of their own making. Marxists believe thehidden curriculum is a powerful tool in maintaining the unfair capitaliststate.

Front 3

What does Howard Becker argue?(Interactionist)

Back 3

Labels likely lead to us behaving as we have been labeled and thus conforming to the expectations. This is called self fulfilling prophecy as the labeller assumes that they were correct all along, as their prophecy seems to have come true. Labeling can be positive and negative.

Front 4

What are criticisms of Becker?

[EDUCATION] Comments

Back 4

Labelling theorists ignore the concept of power.

Front 5

What are criticisms of Becker ?

[EDUCATION] Theoretical

Back 5

Marxist theorists would ask - who has the power to label others? Are the powerful or dominant class labelling others according to how they expect them to behave in relation to their social class position, their gender and ethnicity?

Front 6

Where/Who was Adler and Adlers study?

[EDUCATION]

Back 6

A group of white middle class children in the US.

Front 7

What were their general findings? (Adler and Adler?

[EDUCATION]

Back 7

-The peer group was enormously important in the lives of these pre-adolescent children.

-Being popular and having friends made children feel good about themselves, social isolation did the opposite

Front 8

What did they describe? (Adler and Adler)

[EDUCATION]

Back 8

-Friendship groups shifted and changed as children moved in and out.

-Over time a hierarchy develops between groups, and within groups.

-Those with higher status acted as role models for their peers, as friends started to imitate their behavior,such as clothing and styles of speech.

-Friendship cliques exercise their power by accepting some and rejecting others.

Front 9

What are criticisms of Adler and Adler?

[EDUCATION] Comments

Back 9

-The relationshipsbetween peers are often ignored as unimportant, especially by adults.

- While peer groupsare influential, many sociologists question if they are more important thanother agents of socialisation such as the family and education.

Front 10

Who are the Sutton Trust?

[EDUCATION]

Back 10

The Sutton Trust is an organisationthat provides opportunities for people from non-privileged backgrounds througheducation.

Front 11

What information did the Sutton Trust show?[EDUCATION]

Back 11

In 2005, they conducted some research and found that private schools and top universities are a recruiting ground for the country’s top jobs. In relation to MPs they found that:

1/3 of MPs went to private school, despite only 7% of the population attending private education.

72% of MPs attended university,

43% the top 13 universities and 27% attending Oxford or Cambridge.

Front 12

What does the Sutton Trusts findings show?[EDUCATION]

Back 12

This perhaps demonstratesthat our society is not as fair as it first may seem, MPs are supposed torepresent people from all social backgrounds, yet we find that this isn’treally the case. This seems to suggest that the upper class can use theirwealth and influence to buy a good education and then in turn secure a good job.

Front 13

Criticisms of the points made from Sutton Trust?[EDUCATION] Theoretical 1

Back 13

Functionalistsociologists would justify the position of the elite by applying the concept ofmeritocracy. They believe we live ina meritocratic society where hardwork and ability is rewarded with top jobs/positions and wealth in society.

Front 14

Criticisms of the points made from Sutton Trust?[EDUCATION] Theoretical 2

Back 14

Marxists would suggest this research isfurther evidence that the ruling class continues to dominate over the workingclass who often cannot afford the privilege of private education and are oftenput off university due to large amounts of debt. They would call meritocracy a myth.

Front 15

Criticisms of points made from Sutton Trust?

[EDUCATION] Comments

Back 15

Identifying acommon educational background of MPs does not prove the existence of an elitegroup such as the ruling class or that such as group is conspiring to dominatethe rest of society.

Front 16

What/Who did Hey Study?

[EDUCATION]

Back 16

Hey studies notes sent in classrooms and listened to interactions between teenage girls.

Front 17

What were Hey's general findings?

[EDUCATION]

Back 17

Teenage girls excluded and insulted peers which were not conforming to expectations.

Cliques tended to form among those of the same social class.

They involve a core of best friends and some who move in and out of favor with the core groups.

There is much jostling and negotiation within these groups with some actin in competition with other for the company of a favored partner.

Front 18

How did the two class groups interact? (Hey)

[EDUCATION]

Back 18

Working class girls called each other slags if their behavior was seen as too promiscuous and so their sexual behavior was controlled via this sanction.

Middle class girls have more freedom and autonomy in terms of sexual behaviors but often seen as 'boffins' and unattractive sexually by working class girls.

Working class girls are seen as dangerous and excluding by middle class girls who reject their overly feminine-sexual behavior.

Front 19

What/Who did Sewell study?

[EDUCATION]

Back 19

disaffected African-Caribbean youth in British inner cities.

Front 20

What was his main argument? (Sewell)

[EDUCATION]

Back 20

Peer group pressure is extremely influential in shaping ethnic identity among disaffected African-Caribbean youth in British inner cities.An is probably partly responsible for educational underachievement and the high levels of exclusion found in this group.

Front 21

How does Sewell explain how peer pressure affects these youths in this way?

[EDUCATION]

Back 21

The African-Caribbean male identity is focused on being 'hyper-male' and 'gangster' in the eyes of their peers.

He argues that this often compensates for a lack of a father figure in the lives of many of these teenagers.

The mass media contributes to this street identity by encourages such youths to subscribe to consumer culture which diverts priorities away from education.

Front 22

What are criticisms of Sewell?

[EDUCATION] Comments

Back 22

Many argue thatthe street identity highlighted in Sewell’s study has permeated white youth aswell, while others criticise it for its’ over emphasis on the influence of themedia.

Front 23

What does Walters generally argue?

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 23

A new sexism , 'hyper sexual culture, is becoming increasingly acceptable as women are judged more on their physical appearance.

Front 24

What does a hyper sexual culture entail?

(Walters)

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 24

-Women are increasingly portrayed as sexual objects rather than as people with intelligence,desires and needs

Front 25

What factors have lead to hyper sexual culture emerging? (Walters)

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 25

-The media and its overemphasis on sexualised clothing for young girls and programmes about cosmetic surgery.

-Sexualised images of women all over the internet and pornography is readily available.

-The work of sex workers has become more accepted.

Front 26

What is Walters main concern about this 'hyper sexual culture'

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 26

Increasing pressure on young women to 'look good' which may account for increased instances of eating disorders. Pornography is creating unrealistic expectations of women and sex.

Front 27

Criticisms of Walters?

[MASS MEDIA] Comments

Back 27

Many criticiseWalters for failing to recognise that women are exercising more sexual freedomand are choosing to engage in a hypersexual culture and that is a break awayfrom traditional views of femininity held in the past.

However, Walters counters this criticism as beingtoo simplistic and that a hypersexualised culture gives women fewer choices andless freedom to opt out of such a culture.

Front 28

What is Jock Youngs main point?

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 28

Themedia has the most influence on poorer groups like the working class. He argues that the media culturally includes everybody but economically excludes those that can’t afford it.

Front 29

What essentially does Jock Youngs main point mean?

Back 29

Everybodyis exposed to the materialistic consumerist messages through advertising and ontelevision, yet not everybody can buy the products and lifestyle we are toldwill make our lives better.

Front 30

How does this effect the working class or those unable to afford that which the media advertises?

(Jock Young)

[MASS MEDIA]

Back 30

-Leads tofrustration and a certain anxiety about status

-May lead theworking class to commit crime such as theft, shop lifting and burglary.

-Peoplestrive to achieve their individualistic needs but cannot achieve themlegitimately (legally) and so turn to crime.

Front 31

Criticisms of Jock Young?

[MASS MEDIA] Comments

Back 31

While the mediais clearly influential, many question if other agents like the family and educationhave more impact on a person’s socialisation.

Front 32

What does Baudrillard argue?

[MASS MEDIA]

POSTMODERNIST

Back 32

Society focuses upon signs,symbols, and images. Reality (people and things) are relatively unimportant in comparison to 'signifies'.

Television is a force to confuse the boundaries between reality and fantasy. We often think television is like a window allowing us to see reality, however Baudrillard suggests that television and its editors manipulate reality, changing it without us recognizing it.

Front 33

Criticisms of Baudrillard?

[MASS MEDIA] Theoretical

POSTMODERNIST

Back 33

Postmodernists are criticised for suggesting people are passive receivers of media messages,others argue that people are critical and question what they see and hear fromthe media.

Front 34

What/Who did Butler study?

[RELIGION]

Back 34

A group of teenage Muslim girls in the East Midlands.

Front 35

What did Butler find during her study?

[RELIGION]

Back 35

-Girls moving away from parents traditions

-Remained firmly committed to Muslim identity but were modifying it in certain ways

-Their experience in Britain had lead them to disregard some ethnic customs

(not essential features of Islam) as irrelevant in their lives i.e arranged marriage

-Developing a more independent lifestyle which fits British nationality while still maintaining commitment to Islam.

Front 36

What does Butlers study essentially show?

[RELIGION]

Back 36

How religious beliefs can be adapted to fit changing circumstances.

Front 37

Criticisms of Butler?

[RELIGION] Comments

Back 37

Butler’s studyhighlights that traditional religions ideas are influential, however, over timeand with the next generation they become less important and are often adaptedand changed.

Front 38

What did Bruce essentially argue?

[RELIGION]

Back 38

That religion is sometime used as a cultural defence.

Front 39

What does cultural defence mean (Bruce)?

[RELIGION]

Back 39

Older people may use religion to hold onto traditions from their past in a world changing to quickly. The stability of the norms and values of traditional religions are used by older people as a defence from what they perceive as confusing and unrelenting changing in society around them.

Front 40

What effect does this action of cultural defence have? (Bruce)?

[RELIGION]

Back 40

Religion as a result of cultural defence thus reinforces the norm of conservatism within old age,reinforcing the identity of older people as resistant to change.

Front 41

Criticisms of Bruce?

[RELIGION] Comments

Back 41

Some argue thatreligion is becoming less significant in exchange for other types of beliefsuch as tarot cards, crystal healing, yoga, alternative theory etc.

Front 42

What does P.A.J. Waddington's research essentially show?

Back 42

How canteen culture can help socialise police officers.

Front 43

What is canteen culture? (Waddington)

[WORK]

Back 43

Police officers learn from listening to other officers tell 'war stories' and pick up practical advice.

Front 44

What does Waddington argue this canteen culture have the effect of doing?

[WORK]

Back 44

Helps officers deal with their stressful job. boosts their occupational self esteem by giving them a 'heroic' identity.

It reinforces their sense of 'mission' and celebrates certain values that are more or less essential in police work such as 'macho' emphasis on physical strength and courage.

Front 45

Critcisms of Waddington?

[WORK]

Back 45

Some argue thatthis canteen culture could be responsible for racist and sexist attitudes whichfoster within these predominantly white male groups.

Front 46

What/Who did Skeggs carry out research on?

[WORK]

Back 46

A group of working class women retraining to become health care workers.

Front 47

What did Skeggs find out?

[WORK]

Back 47

That as their training progressed the women were socialized into new behaviors . For example although they wore more feminine attire outside of work they began to realise this was not the norm inside of their new career and adapted their dress code to fit in.

Front 48

What does Skeggs findings show?

[WORK]

Back 48

How work can act as an agent of re-socialisation.

(We change our norms as a result of being introduced into a new environment with new expectations)

Front 49

Critcisms of Skeggs?

Back 49

While work isinfluential many argue it is the least important of the agents ofsocialisation.

Front 50

What does Marx argue on the subject of work in secondary socialisation?

Back 50

Karl Marx (1848) believed that thebourgeoisie exploit the proletariat. They take advantage of their freedom and choice because they own abusiness, while the proletariat have no choice but to sell their labour powerand accept low wages and standards of living. Ultimately for Marx, this unequal work situation

Front 51

What is Secularia

Back 51

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