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9699 · 1.1

The process of learning and socialisation — practice questions

Practice and worked examples for 9699 The process of learning and socialisation. Short previews only — attempt the full question in MarkScheme against the official scheme.

Worked example 1

Assess the view that the family is the most important agency of socialisation. [15 marks]

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Intro: Define socialisation — process of learning norms, values, roles.

For family (primary): Parsons — personality stabilisation; Oakley — gender role learning in early years; family has intensive, emotional contact when identity forms.

Against / other agencies: Education — hidden curriculum (Bowles & Gintis); peers — youth subcultures (Willis); media — global norms beyond family control; class/ethnic identity may conflict with family values.

Evaluation: Family is foundational but not sole — socialisation is lifelong and agencies reinforce or contradict each other. Strongest answers compare primary vs secondary and note cultural variation (e.g. extended family, same-sex parents).

Conclusion: Family remains central but insufficient alone to explain adult identity.

Worked example 2

A research team conducted a content analysis of 250 children's picture books to study gender socialisation. They found that male characters were depicted in occupational roles (e.g., doctor, builder) 180 times, while female characters were depicted in occupational roles only 65 times. Calculate the percentage of depictions for each gender and explain the significance of these findings for the concept of canalisation.

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This worked example demonstrates how quantitative data can be used to analyse the role of media (in this case, books) as an agency of socialisation.

Step 1: State the formula The formula to calculate a percentage is: Percentage = (Number of specific instances / Total number of instances) * 100

Step 2: Calculate the percentage for male characters in occupational roles

  • Number of male depictions in occupational roles = 180
  • Total number of characters depicted in occupational roles = 180 (male) + 65 (female) = 245
  • Calculation: (180 / 245) * 100
  • Answer: 73.5% (rounded to one decimal place)

Step 3: Calculate the percentage for female characters in occupational roles

  • Number of female depictions in occupational roles = 65
  • Total number of characters depicted in occupational roles = 245
  • Calculation: (65 / 245) * 100
  • Answer: 26.5% (rounded to one decimal place)

Step 4: Sociological Interpretation and Significance

  • Finding: Male characters constitute 73.5% of all characters shown in occupational roles in this sample of children's books, while female characters constitute only 26.5%.
  • Significance: This data provides strong empirical support for feminist theories of gender socialisation. It illustrates the concept of canalisation (Ann Oakley), where children's attention is channelled towards gender-appropriate roles. By overwhelmingly showing men in professional settings and women less frequently, these books, as agents of secondary socialisation, subtly teach children that certain roles are more suitable for boys. This reinforces traditional gender stereotypes from an early age, shaping children's aspirations and perceptions of the world of work.
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