Culture: all moral standards and other acquired characteristics that members of a group or society have
in common and take for granted.
Roles of culture:
Gives a direction to the way you think/act
Ensures that people behave in a well-ordered manner
It offers the opportunity to communicate with each other (same language)
Social identity: who you are and how you present yourself. (The culture you are in contributes to
your social identity.)
Common frame of reference: shared moral standards and customs enable people with the same
backgrounds to understand each other and exchange thoughts and feelings more easily.
Transfer of culture:
- Socialization:
The major characteristics of a culture are continuously transferred to new members. (adaptation.)
It is the process whereby people consciously and unconsciously learn the moral standards and other
cultural characteristics of the society they belong to.
- Imitation and identification:
Usually children who copy behaviour (imitation) and wanting to act like the adults he/she has a strong
bond with.
Socializing institutions: the places where socialization takes place.
Family: anything parents or other family members teach someone throughout his/her life. E.g.
manners, first words, sharing with others.
School: working with others, discipline, getting used to getting their work marked.
Workplace: cooperate with other people, perform certain activities, requires a certain discipline.
Circle of friends: people are often prepared to adopt thoughts and behaviour from their friends.
Religious movements: people who behave in accordance with the moral standards of religious
movements.
Social groups: sports clubs for example teach you how to mix with others and how to be a good
loser.
Government: the rules (laws) we must obey. E.g. stealing
Media: television, radio, newspapers, films, books and the internet all influence people’s
behaviour.
- Social control:
The way in which people stimulate others to comply with the prevailing moral standards.
Formal social control: when the rules are written e.g. laws
Informal social control: rules of etiquette or other unwritten rules e.g. sending a card when someone is
ill.
Sanctions: (the form in which social control is exercised, can be negative or positive.)
Formal positive: diploma or increase in salary.
Formal negative: prison sentence, extra work at school, fines.
Informal positive: compliment, a tip.
Informal negative: a child that is sent to his/her room.
in common and take for granted.
Roles of culture:
Gives a direction to the way you think/act
Ensures that people behave in a well-ordered manner
It offers the opportunity to communicate with each other (same language)
Social identity: who you are and how you present yourself. (The culture you are in contributes to
your social identity.)
Common frame of reference: shared moral standards and customs enable people with the same
backgrounds to understand each other and exchange thoughts and feelings more easily.
Transfer of culture:
- Socialization:
The major characteristics of a culture are continuously transferred to new members. (adaptation.)
It is the process whereby people consciously and unconsciously learn the moral standards and other
cultural characteristics of the society they belong to.
- Imitation and identification:
Usually children who copy behaviour (imitation) and wanting to act like the adults he/she has a strong
bond with.
Socializing institutions: the places where socialization takes place.
Family: anything parents or other family members teach someone throughout his/her life. E.g.
manners, first words, sharing with others.
School: working with others, discipline, getting used to getting their work marked.
Workplace: cooperate with other people, perform certain activities, requires a certain discipline.
Circle of friends: people are often prepared to adopt thoughts and behaviour from their friends.
Religious movements: people who behave in accordance with the moral standards of religious
movements.
Social groups: sports clubs for example teach you how to mix with others and how to be a good
loser.
Government: the rules (laws) we must obey. E.g. stealing
Media: television, radio, newspapers, films, books and the internet all influence people’s
behaviour.
- Social control:
The way in which people stimulate others to comply with the prevailing moral standards.
Formal social control: when the rules are written e.g. laws
Informal social control: rules of etiquette or other unwritten rules e.g. sending a card when someone is
ill.
Sanctions: (the form in which social control is exercised, can be negative or positive.)
Formal positive: diploma or increase in salary.
Formal negative: prison sentence, extra work at school, fines.
Informal positive: compliment, a tip.
Informal negative: a child that is sent to his/her room.
