Sociology: The Study of Culture Essay

Socialization is the process by which members in society learn from each other. This instills and carries on the intentions the society withholds. We begin being trained by others as children to gain a multitude of social skills and continue to learn from others all throughout our lives. Through socialization we are also latently taught how to perceive the world. Perception is why we have different opinions on whether a culture is strange, if our country is the best, or if going to college is essential. Sometimes, the learning is fun, as when we learn a new sport, art, or musical technique from a friend or teacher. At other times, social learning can be painful, as when we learn not to drive too fast by receiving a large fine for speeding.

In this essay, I will assess the strengths and limitations of unstructured interviews for investigating the effect of material deprivation on educational achievement by using Item B and my own knowledge. Material deprivation is the idea that a lack of money leads to disadvantages, Item B gives an example of ‘low household income, poor housing and a lack of work space in the home.’

“Culture comprises traditional ideas and related values, and it is the product of actions” (Kroeber and Kluckhohn, 1952); “it is learned, shared, and transmitted from one generation to the next (Linton, 1945); and it organizes life and helps interpret existence” (Gordon, 1964).

Socialization is the lifelong process through which people learn culture and become functioning members of society. Socialization establishes our social identity, teaches us role taking, controls our behavior, and transmits culture to the next generation (Introduction to Sociology, 2015). We are who we are because of socialization. Culture that is passed to the next generation are languages, beliefs, norms, valves, and symbols.

Socialization is an ongoing process in which individuals obtains a personal identity, learns norms, values and behaviour appropriate to his/her position. People constantly require approval of the things they do, they continually seek to be socially competent and to be accepted by those around them. It is human nature to want to be similar from others in order to be accepted in a certain social spheres but at the same time wanting to be different and unique. There are primary and secondary agents of socialization. The primary agents are those that are basic and fundamental to social beings, these include family and friends from which we learn behaviour at young age; they transmit norms and values to us. The secondary agents are those that are more external to us than family such as social institutions/organisations, these include schools,

A second strength of the sociocultural perspective is the emphasis on the role of adults in childhood cognitive development through guided participation. Vygotsky introduced the idea that children learn in a zone of proximal development. Meaning the distance between what an individual can do alone and what they can do with guidance and assistance from a capable member of society (Mcleod, 2010). Any skills outside the zone would be already mastered or still too difficult to attempt alone. “To Vygotsky, learning in collaboration with more knowledgeable companions drives cognitive development (Sigelman).” This is true throughout the world. Children in many cultures learn from a teacher, from family members, and many others. In other cultures, children learn skills from relatives, members of their village or tribe, or from other skilled members in their group. This perspective satisfies the need to recognize the role of adults in

basic view of what is right and wrong, so their beliefs are not that different from our culture. This

Our actions, beliefs and interpretations are influenced by our culture. There are many cultural universals among different

James G. Peoples, an author said, “Culture affects our views of reality. It provides the mental concepts by which people perceive, interpret, analyze, and explain events in the world around them”(notable-quotes.com). The extent of a person’s culture informs the way they view themselves, others, and the world through whom they’re surrounded by, opinions they form, and the way one adapts to new surroundings. Those you have surrounded yourself with and those you have grown up with influence the way you view not only the world, but yourself. In Robert Lake’s essay, “An Indian Father’s Plea”, Lake is writing a letter to his son’s teacher about how his son is not a slow learner, but was taught with different cultural views.

The first concept which I will explore is culture and what this means to different individuals. In simplified terms, culture refers to how we do things and also how we perceive things within a group. Culture is a shared set of assumptions, values, social conventions and perceptions, which are established on concepts of common language and

Identify the four major sociological theoretical paradigms. For each, what are the key tenets? How does each explain how society works?

The term socialization can be defined as the process in which individuals learn the behavioral patterns that are most likely accepted and tolerated in society. This process includes the learning values in which children are taught and they develop the social values of their parents or guardians just by observing them. Socialization occurs from the birth of the individual and continues throughout their life. Socialization is classified as one of the most important process in the family. Of all the major sociological perspectives, symbolic interactionism has probably developed the most detailed theory of socialization, Haralambos, Holborn. Sociology -

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The peer group shares with the school the important function of allowing the child to be away from the family where the child learns different models of behavior as well as well as new relationships and values they might not have learned in their family life. Peer groups also allow the opportunity to discuss interests that adults may not share (clothes, music). The peer group also teaches children how to deal with conflicts.

The concept of culture is something that defines many aspects of one’s life. From physical objects to different ways of thinking, culture adds significance to human life and makes groups of people distinct from one another. Culture is essentially a group of people who come together with similar interests and points of view. According to the Center for Advanced Language Acquisition of the University of Minnesota, “culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization.” From a more sociological perspective, culture is a way in which people come together in order to fulfill their needs. These shared patterns and ideas identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.” Culture is one of the things that sets the United States apart from the rest of the world. Not that the rest of the world is not cultural, but the circumstance here is different. Many people of different cultural backroads come to this country in search of a better life. As a consequence, the United States has become a place where many cultures merge together like a colossal pot soup.