WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology sample

Key sociological concepts (1) Culture Knowledge One key concept in sociology is that of culture. Culture refers to the shared way of life of a society or group within a society. It includes all the aspects that make up life in that society, such as norms , values , beliefs, roles and status , as well as language, religion, food, fashion and arts. Culture is passed on from generation to generation. Example Children start to learn their culture from a young age. A baby is born with natural instincts, such as crying, sleeping and feeding, and, in the first few months of life, will do little else, but they soon learn how to crawl, walk, talk, eat, pick things up, dress, communicate with others and so on. All these skills are part of the culture of a society. How these skills are performed vary between different societies. For example, all children across the world will need to go to the toilet, but societies will have different rules and practices about how this is done, and these norms have to be passed on to the society’s new members. Hunger is a natural instinct, but children will have to be taught how to eat and what is acceptable to eat in that society, and even where and when to eat. As they grow up, children will be introduced to other customs of that society, such as going to school, celebrating birthdays and religious festivals and so on. Knowledge People learn new aspects of their culture throughout their lives whenever they are introduced to new situations. When children start school, they will have to learn the rules of the classroom, how to behave in assembly and in the dining room and so on. Then, when they grow up and start work, they will need to learn the rules and practices of the workplace. All these expectations, rules of ‘normal’ behaviour and practices of everyday life are part of culture. Norms Knowledge Another important concept for sociologists is a society’s or a culture’s norms. These are the expectations or unwritten informal rules surrounding how someone should behave in a particular situation. There will be norms governing every situation in life, such as the way we eat, dress, how we behave in school, in church and in the supermarket and how we behave towards other people, such as friends, parents, teachers and employers. Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission 10 Chapter 1 WHAT AM I GOING TO LEARN? To develop an understanding of the key concepts of culture and norms. A young child is socialised to use a potty.