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Sociology (key concepts)

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  • What is the difference between extended and nuclear families?
    Extended families include additional relatives beyond parents and children, while nuclear families do not.
  • What is the nuclear family?
    A family consisting of two parents and their biological or adopted children living together.
  • What is nature vs nurture?
    The debate over whether biology or environment shapes human behavior.
  • What is the functionalist view of education?
    That it provides socialisation, prepares individuals for work, and promotes meritocracy.
  • What is material deprivation?
    The lack of resources needed for educational success, like books or a quiet study space.
  • What is setting?
    Dividing students into groups based on ability for specific subjects.
  • Name 3 types of schools in the UK
    State schools, academies, free schools, grammar schools, private schools.
  • What are state schools?
    Schools funded and run by the government, free to attend.
  • Give one example of material deprivation affecting educational achievement.
    Lack of access to resources like books, internet, or a quiet study space.
  • What is socialisation?
    The process through which individuals learn norms, values, and roles.
  • What is a role?
    A set of norms and expectations associated with a social position.
  • Give one reason for the increase in cohabitation.
    Reduced stigma around living together before or instead of marriage.
  • What is the difference between formal and informal education?
    Formal education happens in schools with a structured curriculum, while informal education occurs through everyday experiences.
  • What is streaming?
    Dividing students into groups based on ability for all subjects.
  • According to Marxists, what is one function of the family?
    To reproduce class inequality by socialising children into capitalist norms and values.
  • What is the functionalist view of the family?
    That the family performs essential functions such as socialisation, emotional support, and economic provision.
  • What is an anti-school subculture?
    A group of students who reject school values and norms, often leading to underachievement.
  • Define cultural capital.
    The knowledge, skills, and experiences that give middle-class students an advantage in education.
  • What are norms?
    Social rules that define acceptable behavior in specific situations.
  • What is identity?
    A person's sense of self, shaped by socialisation and cultural influences.
  • What is culture?
    The shared way of life of a group, including their norms, values, beliefs, and traditions.
  • What are academies?
    State-funded schools with more independence from local authority control.
  • What is status?
    A person's social position or rank within society.
  • What are grammar schools?
    State schools that select students based on academic ability.
  • What is meritocracy?
    The idea that everyone has equal opportunities to succeed based on effort and ability.
  • How have changing gender roles affected family life?
    There is more equality in domestic roles, though women often still do more housework and childcare.
  • How does labelling affect education?
    Negative labels can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies and lower achievement.
  • How might teacher expectations affect student achievement?
    High expectations can boost achievement, while low expectations can lower performance.
  • Name one policy introduced to reduce educational inequality.
    Pupil Premium.
  • What do feminists criticise about the family structure?
    That it reinforces patriarchy and traditional gender roles.
  • What is cultural deprivation?
    The lack of cultural resources, like language or parental support, needed for success.
  • What is marketisation of education?
    The introduction of competition and consumer choice in education, like league tables and Ofsted ratings.
  • What is the gender gap in educational achievement?
    The trend that girls tend to outperform boys in most subjects at GCSE level.
  • What is a reconstituted family?
    A family where one or both partners have children from previous relationships, forming a new family unit.
  • What are sanctions?
    Rewards or punishments used to enforce norms.
  • What is a beanpole family?
    A family with a long and thin structure, involving fewer children and more generations.
  • What is gender socialisation?
    The process through which individuals learn the behaviors expected of their gender.
  • What is subculture?
    A smaller culture within a larger culture, with its own distinct norms and values.
  • Name one reason for the increase in divorce rates in the UK since the 1960s.
    Changes in laws making divorce easier (e.g. Divorce Reform Act 1969).
  • What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
    When a person internalizes a label and behaves in a way that confirms it.
  • Define the term "household."
    A group of people living together, sharing a residence, whether related or not.
  • What is the hidden curriculum?
    The informal learning of norms, values, and beliefs through school routines and expectations.
  • What is the ethnocentric curriculum?
    A curriculum that reflects the culture of one ethnic group, usually white British.
  • What is primary socialisation?
    The process of learning norms and values during early childhood, typically from the family.
  • What is meant by "child-centred" society?
    A society where the needs and interests of children are prioritised.
  • What are values?
    Beliefs or ideals shared by members of a culture about what is good or desirable.
  • Explain one way that social class affect education
    Working-class students often face barriers like material deprivation, cultural deprivation and negative labelling.
  • What is a stereotype?
    A fixed and oversimplified idea of a group or individual.
  • What is labelling?
    The process of attaching a category or stereotype to an individual.
  • What is meant by a lone-parent family?
    A family headed by a single adult, typically a mother, raising one or more children.
  • What are private schools?
    Fee-paying schools that operate independently of government funding.
  • What is primary socialisation?
    Socialisation that takes place within the family during early childhood.
  • What is social control?
    Mechanisms by which society regulates behavior, such as laws or norms.
  • What is cultural capital?
    Knowledge, skills, and education that give someone an advantage in society.
  • What is dual burden?
    When women do paid work and also carry the main responsibility for housework and childcare.
  • According to Marxists, how does education serve capitalism?
    By preparing a compliant workforce and reproducing class inequality.
  • What is secondary socialisation?
    Socialisation that occurs outside the family, such as in schools or workplaces.
  • How does material deprivation affect education?
    It limits access to resources, resulting in poorer academic performance.
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