Key Sociological Concepts

Key Concepts

Society: A group of people who share a geographical location and culture; societal norms and values are passed down through generations via cultural transmission.
Culture: The way of life of a society, including its beliefs, values, norms, and symbols; culture is learned and shared within a community.
Cultural Transmission: The process of passing on culturally significant knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values from person to person or from society to society.
Norms: Rules that a society or group uses to define acceptable and appropriate behaviours.
Values: Principles or standards that a society holds in high regard; they influence the behaviour and attitudes of individuals in the society.
Subculture: A group within a larger culture that has its own distinctive values, norms, and lifestyle.
Socialisation: The lifelong process by which individuals learn and internalise the values, beliefs, and norms of their society, enabling them to function and communicate effectively within it.

Primary Socialisation: This occurs in early childhood and is carried out primarily by family; it involves teaching children basic skills, values, norms, and behaviours necessary to function in their cultural environment.
Secondary Socialisation: This occurs after primary socialisation and is carried out by various social institutions like school, peer groups, media, religion, and workplaces. It reinforces and complements the values and skills taught in primary socialisation.
Formal Socialisation: This involves explicit teaching of cultural values, norms, and practices, often in established institutions like schools or workplaces.
Informal Socialisation: This involves learning cultural values, norms, and practices through observation, imitation, and general social interaction.
Resocialisation: This involves unlearning old behaviours and learning new ones, typically when individuals move into new societal roles (for example, becoming a parent or starting a new job).
Cultural Diffusion: This is the spreading of cultural traits, including ideas, styles, religions, technologies, languages etc… from one culture to another.
Cultural Shock: This is the feeling of disorientation or discomfort that one may experience when they come into contact with a culturally different environment.