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Socialisation and Culture
Quick questions on Socialisation, culture and identity (Component 1, Section A) - WJEC A-Level Sociology
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is culture?Show answer
Culture is learned, not inherited. That is why it varies so widely between societies: what is normal in one culture (eating with the hands, particular gender roles) may be deviant in another. Cultural diversity within one society, and subcultures (smaller groups with their own distinctive norms and values, such as youth subcultures), both show culture is socially constructed rather than fixed by biology.
What is the acquisition of identity?Show answer
Identity is socially constructed through these agencies. Sociologists study several dimensions:
What is hidden curriculum and identity?Show answer
A pupil learns the timetabled subjects (the formal curriculum) but also absorbs unspoken expectations: to obey authority, be punctual, accept rewards and sanctions, and accept that some pupils are ranked above others. Functionalists read this as preparing pupils for the world of work and transmitting shared values; Marxists read the same process as reproducing a docile, obedient workforce that accepts hierarchy. The point for Section A is that one agency (education) transmits culture and shapes identity in ways different perspectives interpret very differently.
What is q1?Show answer
Distinguish between a norm and a value, with an example of each. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain the difference between primary and secondary socialisation. [6 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Evaluate the view that the agencies of socialisation shape identity more than biology does. [16 marks]
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