Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery - Kenya

1. BASIC CONCEPTS: CULTURE,
NORMSAND VALUESAND
SOCIALISATION
Martha Loefler

2. Introduction.
In the introductory lecture I said that one of our aims
in sociology is to discover what is really going on in
society. Today we'll continue in the pursuit of that
theme by looking more closely at what society is
made up of.

3. Outline.
This session involves defining and explaining in
some depth some sociological terms (jargon) that
are used to describe society, because we need a
working knowledge of these terms in order to
discuss our society

4. Culture
People often think of culture as meaning the "higher"
things of the mind such as art, literature, music and
painting. Sociologists include these things but also
much more.
There are various definitions of culture, a useful one is
from Haralambos:

5. Culture- Haralambos
"The way of life of a society. The collection of
ideas and habits which they learn, share and
transmit from generation to generation."

6. Culture
Two important points to note from this definition are
that culture is learned and shared.
Since human beings have no instincts to guide their
actions, their behaviour must be based on guidelines,
which are learned.

7. Culture
In order for society to operate effectively, these
guidelines must be shared by its members.
So culture may be thought of as learned behaviour in
any particular society, (including ideas, techniques
and habits) which is passed on by one generation to
the next.

8. Culture
Giddens notes that our personalities and outlooks are strongly
influenced by the culture and society in which each of us happens
to exist.
Give some examples:
At the same time, in our day-to-day behaviour we actively re-
create and re-shape the cultural and social contexts in which our
activities occur.

9. Culture
So culture defines accepted ways of behaving for members
of a particular society, such definitions vary from society to
society. e.g. Courtship rituals cultures, i.e. the way men
behave towards women.
May lead to problems and misunderstandings in cross-
cultural situations.

10. Culture
It is important to be aware that cultures are not
homogenous so should avoid generalizations and also
that cultures are never static - they are constantly
changing.
Its also important to be aware that there are a wide
variety of different cultures.

11. Culture
It is wrong to see YOUR culture as the normal
culture and to measure all other cultures alongside
ours. This is known as ethnocentrism.

12. Components of culture- Norm
What are norms?
• "Standards of behaviour expected of individuals
by their social group."

13. Components of culture- Norm
• Specific guides to action, which define acceptable and
appropriate behaviour in particular situations.
• There are many norms governing our behaviour, e.g.
wearing clothes is considered appropriate and acceptable.
• Enforced by positive or negative sanctions. i.e.
Punishments or rewards designed to control behaviour.

14. Components of culture- Norm
• The normative behaviour of wearing clothes is
reinforced by negative sanctions against
nakedness, such as staring, laughter, shouts.
• Norms vary from culture to culture.

15. Components of culture- Norm
• How about norms in a particular cultural setting a
hospital ward. e.g. punctuality and dress.
• So norms provide specific directives for conduct.

16. Values
• Values on the other hand provide more general
guidelines -abstract ideals. May be defined as: A
belief that something is good and desirable. It
defines what is important, worthwhile and
worth striving for.

17. Values
• Many of our norms may be seen as reflections of
values and a variety of norms can be seen as an
expression of a single value. e.g. In Western
society -the value that life is precious.

18. Values
• Therefore many norms are concerned with
protecting life -from public safety, legal
settlement of disputes without taking life, rules
governing behaviour on roads. Like norms values
vary from society to society.

19. Role and Status
Role refers to patterns of behaviour expected of
certain people according to the position or
occupation they hold in society. e.g. doctor.

20. Role and Status
Status refers to the position of a person or social
role in society according to the amount of prestige
they receive from others.

21. Socialization.
• Norms and values are learned through the process of
socialization.
• "The process by which individuals learn the norms and
values of their social group."
• The most important part is that it is a learning process.

22. Socialization.
• Through the process of socialization human infants
develop into social persons, initiated into the beliefs and
ways of life of their social group and able to play their
own part in society.
• These ways of life and beliefs are learned rather than
instinctive.

23. Socialization.
Some writers distinguish between primary and secondary
socialization.
• Primary. Early socialization between the child and family
and peer group.
• Secondary. More formal socialization in later childhood
and adulthood in the school, workplace and outside world.

24. Socialization.
Its not a particularly important distinction and its sometimes
difficult to find cut-off points between primary and secondary
socialization, - what is important is to be aware that we are
continually being socialized in any given situation, and also
that it’s very much a process of interaction.

25. Socialization.
i.e. People learn how to behave by the reaction of other
people towards them. These reactions, in their simplest form
are approval or disapproval.

26. Agents of Socialization- The
Family
The family is the main agent of primary socialization- its the
first human group a person usually belongs to.
Children learn basic behaviour patterns by responding to the
approval or disapproval of parents and by copying their
example.

27. Agents of Socialization- The
Family
Parents may intentionally teach their children some
appropriate behaviour - such as eating with their mouths shut
and saying please and thank you - these are conventions that
they need to be aware of to be accepted in the outside world.

28. Agents of Socialization
They also unintentionally teach them very much more
observation.
e.g. Its in the family that children learn the ways in which
people in authority behave and the difference in the way that
men and women and behave.

29. Agents of Socialization
So it’s in the family that they usually learn what behaviour is
appropriate in the particular society in which they will live.
Although socialization is a lifelong process some of the most
significant developments occur during the highly
impressionable & formative period of early childhood.

30. Agents of Socialization
Hence the immense importance of the family and the quality
of family relationships.

31. Agents of Socialization- "peer group"
The 2nd important agency of primary socialization is the "peer group" -i.e. other
children with whom a child comes into contact - friends & playmates.
The peer group is probably the first means by which children encounter ideas and
ways of behaving different from those at home, they also learn to modify their
behaviour in order to seek peer approval.
This early socialization is characterized by close emotional ties, in which children
identify with "significant others", &, because they care about them & for them,
their influence is very strong and goes very deep.

32. Some overlap here with social psychology -
because children are developing their self.
We learn who we are through the reactions of
others towards us, and learn how to behave
through other people's approval or
disapproval – The looking glass self

33. Secondary Socialization
Secondary socialization usually happens in more formal
situations in later childhood and adulthood.
In order to function in a socially appropriate manner we have
to learn new rules when we enter any new and strange
situations

34. Secondary Socialization
Important agencies of secondary socialization are schools,
the mass media and occupations.
Schools - not just formally taught curriculum, also hidden
curriculum.

35. Secondary Socialization
Mass media - in all its forms -not quite the same as the other
agents we've mentioned because there is no interaction, but it
is influential in disseminating ideas & particular values and
beliefs.
Socialization is an important aspect of all human activity, a
subtle, complex and pervasive process.

36. SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION
• Reading.
• Haralambos, M. (1995) Sociology, Themes and Perspectives. [Chapter 1 Theories of
Society.]
• Giddens, A. (1997) Sociology. [Chapter 21 Sociological Theory.]
• Bond, J. & Bond, S. (1994) Sociology and Health Care. [Chap 2 Perspectives in
Sociology.]
• Jones, L. (1994) The Social Context of Health and Work. [Chap 2 The Scope of
Sociological Enquiry.]
• Senior, M. & Viveash, B. Health and Illness [Chap.11 Perspectives in Health Care]
•