9699 · 1.1
The process of learning and socialisation flashcards
Revision flashcards for Cambridge 9699 The process of learning and socialisation (syllabus 1.1). Flip, recall, then mark a real past-paper question.
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Primary socialisation?
First learning of norms/values — mainly family in early childhood (Parsons).
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Secondary socialisation?
Later learning via school, peers, media, workplace.
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Agencies of socialisation?
Family, education, peers, media, religion, workplace.
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Feral children evidence?
Suggests nurture essential — without social contact, 'human' behaviour does not develop normally.
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Mead — looking-glass self?
Self develops through imagining how others see us.
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Parsons — two processes?
Socialisation (learning roles) and social control (conformity).
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Feral Children
Children who have lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. Their inability to acquire language and social norms is cited as key evidence for the importance of nurture and socialisation in human development.
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Hidden Curriculum
The informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in school, such as norms of punctuality, obedience to authority, and competition. It is a key concept in both Functionalist and Marxist analyses of education.
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Canalisation
A concept from feminist sociologist Ann Oakley, describing a process of gender socialisation where parents channel their children's interests towards gender-appropriate toys, games, and activities, thereby reinforcing gender stereotypes.
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Social Control
The mechanisms by which society regulates individual and group behaviour. Socialisation is the primary form of informal social control, as internalising norms and values leads individuals to regulate their own behaviour through conformity.
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Internalisation
The process through which an individual absorbs and accepts social norms and values as their own. This makes social rules part of a person's personality, meaning external sanctions are not always needed to ensure conformity.