Which groups and institutions shape how a person behaves?
The agencies of socialisation - family, school, peer group, media, religion and the workplace - and how each influences a person's norms, values and behaviour.
An SQA National 5 Care answer on the agencies of socialisation - family, school, peer group, media, religion and the workplace - and how each one shapes a person's norms, values and behaviour.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to name the agencies of socialisation - the groups and institutions that shape a person - and explain how each one influences their norms, values and behaviour. These agencies are the means by which socialisation actually happens.
The main agencies of socialisation
You should be able to describe each agency and how it influences a person.
- The family
- The first and most influential agency, central to primary socialisation. The family teaches a child to speak, basic manners, right from wrong, and the family's values and culture. Because it acts first and through close relationships, the family's influence is deep and lasting.
- The school
- A major agency of secondary socialisation. School teaches knowledge and skills, but also how to follow rules set by people outside the family, how to cooperate and compete, and the norms of wider society such as punctuality and respect for authority.
- The peer group
- A person's friends and equals. The peer group is very powerful, especially in adolescence. People may copy how friends dress, speak and behave in order to fit in, and peer pressure can push them towards or away from certain behaviours.
- The media
- Television, newspapers, the internet and social media. The media shapes attitudes, fashions, language and ideas about what is normal. It can influence views on body image, relationships and behaviour, and its reach has grown with social media.
- Religion
- For many people, religion is an agency that passes on beliefs, values and moral guidance, such as ideas about right and wrong, how to treat others, and important customs and ceremonies.
- The workplace
- In adulthood, the workplace socialises people into the rules and expected behaviour of their job: punctuality, procedures, dress and professional conduct. It shows that secondary socialisation continues throughout life.
Why agencies matter in care
Different agencies, and different families, peer groups, faiths and cultures, give people different norms and values. A care worker who understands this respects the variety in the people they support and does not assume everyone shares their own norms. Recognising the strong influence of the peer group also helps when supporting young people, and understanding the media's influence helps when discussing issues such as body image or online behaviour.
Try this
Q1. Name the agency of socialisation that is most influential in early childhood. [1 mark]
- Cue. The family.
Q2. State one way the peer group can influence a young person's behaviour. [1 mark]
- Cue. Through peer pressure or copying friends, for example in how they dress or speak, to fit in.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style4 marksExplain how two agencies of socialisation, other than the family, can influence a young person's behaviour.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark explain question wants two agencies, each developed, so choose two and explain the influence of each.
Peer group. Friends strongly influence a young person's behaviour. They may copy the way friends dress, speak or spend their time in order to fit in, and peer pressure can push them towards or away from certain behaviours.
Media. Television, social media and the internet shape attitudes and behaviour. A young person may copy fashions, language or ideas they see online, and the media can affect their view of body image, relationships or what is normal.
Markers reward each agency correctly named (not the family) and clearly explained with how it influences behaviour. Naming an agency with no explanation would not gain full marks.
SQA N5 style3 marksDescribe how the workplace can act as an agency of socialisation.Show worked answer →
This is a describe question worth 3 marks, so make three clear points about the workplace as an agency.
Point 1. At work a person learns the rules and expected behaviour of the job, such as being punctual, following procedures and dressing appropriately.
Point 2. They take on the norms and values of the workplace, for example how to speak to colleagues and customers and what counts as professional conduct.
Point 3. The workplace is an example of secondary socialisation that continues in adulthood, showing that socialisation does not stop in childhood.
Markers reward correct points about how the workplace passes on norms and behaviour. Repeating one idea in different words, or describing a different agency, would limit the marks.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- National 5 Care Course Specification — SQA (2017)