📘 Chapter 4: Culture and Socialisation
1. What is Culture?
Culture = shared beliefs, values, norms, symbols, language, customs, art, literature.
It is learned, shared, dynamic, and transmitted.
Elements of culture:
Material culture: physical objects (houses, machines, clothes).
Non-material culture: ideas, beliefs, values.
2. Features of Culture
Learned through socialisation.
Shared by members of society.
Symbolic (language, gestures).
Dynamic (changes over time).
Provides identity to groups.
3. Importance of Culture
Provides guidelines for behaviour (norms, values).
Gives meaning to social life.
Creates unity and belonging.
Shapes personality and identity.
4. What is Socialisation?
Process by which individuals learn culture and become members of society.
Through socialisation, we acquire language, norms, values, roles.
5. Agencies of Socialisation
Primary (early life): family, kinship.
Secondary (later life): school, peers, media, religion, workplace.
6. Types of Socialisation
Primary Socialisation: occurs in childhood (family).
Secondary Socialisation: occurs in schools, peer groups.
Anticipatory Socialisation: learning roles before actually assuming them (e.g., student preparing for job).
Re-socialisation: when old values/norms are replaced by new ones (e.g., army training, prison).
7. Theories of Socialisation
Cooley’s “Looking-Glass Self”: self develops by imagining how others see us.
Mead’s Theory:
Play stage → children imitate others.
Game stage → learn rules and roles.
Generalised other → learn expectations of society as a whole.
Durkheim: Socialisation integrates individuals into society.
8. Culture, Identity, and Socialisation
Culture shapes identity (caste, religion, gender, class).
Socialisation ensures continuity of culture.
Globalisation and media are creating hybrid and mixed cultures.
🔑 Key Terms
Culture, Socialisation, Norms, Values, Material Culture, Non-Material Culture, Agencies of Socialisation, Looking-Glass Self, Generalised Other.
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