WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology sample

Secondary agents of socialisation Education Knowledge As children get older, other secondary agents of socialisation become important in their lives. The education system plays an important role in socialising children and young people. Children learn many things at school. They will be taught subjects formally in lessons, such as mathematics, English, science and sociology. Schools will also socialise pupils into appropriate norms, values and attitudes, such as how to behave in lessons and how to treat other people. As with other agencies of socialisation, schools socialise children in more than one way. Formal curriculum Example Schools teach children the formal curriculum . This includes the set subjects students are taught and what they learn in those subjects. When the National Curriculum was brought in, in 1988, children across the country followed broadly the same curriculum, but this differs considerably from what is taught in private schools and in other countries (and is changing with the growth in academies and free schools). Hidden curriculum Comparison Pupils also learn through the hidden curriculum . This refers to the messages, norms and values that are passed on to children throughout the day without them realising it. For example, if, in a primary school, most teachers are female, but the head teacher is male, young children might see men as superior. Through the hidden curriculum indicating ways to behave, the child will also learn how to get through the school day. Sanctions Knowledge Another way in which schools socialise children is by the use of sanctions. Both formal and informal sanctions are used in schools. Schools have written rules, and formal sanctions will be used when these are broken, such as giving detention. Informal sanctions are unwritten and are likely to vary between teachers. Negative sanctions might include a ‘telling off’ by a teacher or a disapproving look while positive sanctions might include praise or a certificate for good work. Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission 18 Chapter 1 WHAT AM I GOING TO LEARN? To understand how other agents of secondary socialisation transmit culture. A pupil receiving a negative sanction from a teacher. Do schools treat boys and girls in exactly the same way? Make a list of any differences in the way girls and boys are socialised in schools, such as in sports. What do you think?