Socialisation

This is the process of learning

how to behave in a way that is
appropriate and acceptable to
your culture.
 Primary socialisation
• This takes place in early childhood.

• It usually takes place in the home.

• It offers the basic norms and values

of the family and the culture
 Secondary socialisation
• This involves external agencies and
modifies the primary socialisation.

• It teaches norms for specific

situations and can be interpersonal
(teacher and pupil) or impersonal
(media to audience)
 Agencies of Socialisation
• There are a variety of agencies of
socialisation:
– Family,
– Peer group
– Education
– Religion
– Mass media
 Functionalists
• These are generally American
thinkers.
• They say that the purpose of
socialisation is to unite society in a
set of shared norms and values.
• This is a ‘consensus’ sociology.
 Marxists
• These people say that the purpose of
socialisation is to control the weak
and defenceless and to give them the
ideas that the powerful promote.
• People are taught an ideology
• This is known as ‘conflict’ sociology.
 Thus …
• Agencies of socialisation are also agencies
of social control.

• Which viewpoint (Marxist or functionalist)

you accept is your choice.

• Be certain you can support your view with

evidence.
 Conclusions
• You are taught the rules of your society
throughout your life.
• You share cultural values with people
around you.
• Socialisation gives you a social identity.
• You may or may not be experiencing mind
control – but if you are, you are probably
not aware of it.