PLURALIST SOCIETY
1: Culture
what is culture and how is it passed on?
Pluralist society: a society which consist numerous of different cultures
People who spend large amounts and over a long period of time, develop a common
culture
Culture: all moral standards and other acquired characteristics that members of a group
or society have in common and take for granted
Roles of a culture:
1. It gives direction to the way in which people think and act and, with that, it forms
a framework for regulating their behaviour (culture ensures that people behave
in a well-ordered manner).
2. It lays down what behaviour is acceptable (role behaviour).
3. Culture ensures that people have a common frame of reference (shared moral
standards enable people with the same background to understand each other and
exchange thoughts and feelings).
Socialization: the process whereby people consciously and unconsciously learn the
moral standards and other cultural characteristics of the society they belong to.
Imitation/identification: A person wants to act the same as someone who is important
for him. For example: a kid mirrors his parents.
Socializing institutions:
1. Family
2. School
3. Workplace
4. Circle of friends
5. Religious movements
6. Social groups
7. Government
8. Media
More information about the institutions on page 129/130
Social control: the way in which people stimulate or force other to comply with the
prevailing moral standards.
Formal social control: when based on laws
Informal social control: unwritten rules