(a) What does the term 'socialisation' mean in sociology? [2]
Socialisation is the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, beliefs and behaviours expected by their society. It usually begins in the family during childhood (primary socialisation) and continues through other institutions such as school, peer groups and the media throughout life (secondary socialisation). Through socialisation, people learn how to function as members of their society.
Mark allocation: 1 mark for identifying it as the process of learning norms/values/behaviours, 1 mark for additional detail such as mentioning primary/secondary socialisation or giving examples of agents.
(b) What role did village elders play in Mere Tui's identity formation, according to Source B? [2]
According to Source B, village elders taught children traditional songs, dances and fishing techniques. They passed on cultural knowledge through everyday activities, thereby shaping children's cultural identity and connecting them to their community's heritage and traditions.
Mark allocation: 1 mark for identifying what the elders taught (songs, dances, fishing techniques), 1 mark for explaining how this shaped cultural identity.
(c) Describe one way in which the media can influence a young person's sense of identity. [4]
Social media exposes young people to lifestyles, values and cultural influences from other societies and communities. By following influencers, watching content from other countries, and participating in global online communities, young people may adopt new fashion styles, language patterns, attitudes or aspirations that differ from those they learned at home.
This can lead young people to question their existing identity and develop new aspects of who they are. For example, a teenager in a traditional rural community who regularly watches content from cosmopolitan cities may begin to adopt urban values and consumer habits, potentially creating tension with the identity formed through primary socialisation in the family.
Mark allocation: 1 mark for identifying the way, up to 3 marks for development explaining how this influences identity.
(d) What is meant by the sociological concept of 'culture'? [2]
Culture refers to the whole way of life of a group of people, including their shared norms, values, beliefs, customs, language, traditions and material practices. Culture is not biologically inherited but is learned through socialisation and passed from one generation to the next. Each society has its own culture, and subcultures may exist within a larger culture.
Mark allocation: 1 mark for identifying culture as the way of life of a group, 1 mark for listing components or noting that it is learned/shared.
(e) What conflict between traditional and modern values does Source B illustrate? [4]
Source B illustrates a conflict between the traditional values Mere Tui learned from village elders on her island (traditional songs, dances, fishing techniques, community-centred ways of life) and the modern, Western values she encountered through media and urban life after moving to Suva.
The modern influences made her question the values she had learned at home, creating confusion about her identity. This represents a broader sociological tension: as globalisation and media penetration increase, young people in traditional societies are exposed to competing value systems. The values transmitted through primary socialisation by family and community elders can conflict with the values encountered through secondary socialisation via media, peers and urban culture.
Mark allocation: 1 mark for identifying the traditional values from the source, 1 mark for identifying the modern influences, 1 mark for describing the tension or conflict, 1 mark for linking to identity confusion.
(f) Describe how primary socialisation within the family differs from secondary socialisation in schools. [6]
Primary socialisation takes place in the family during early childhood. It involves learning basic norms, values, language and cultural practices from parents and close relatives. This process is informal, based on close emotional bonds, and happens through everyday interactions such as mealtimes, play, routines and conversation. The family teaches culturally specific values such as religious beliefs, dietary practices and attitudes towards authority.
Secondary socialisation occurs later, primarily through institutions such as schools, but also through peer groups, the media and workplaces. In schools, socialisation is more formal and structured, delivered through a set curriculum, rules, timetables and assessment systems. Schools introduce children to wider societal expectations, including academic knowledge, civic values and social skills that go beyond what the family teaches.
A key difference is the emotional basis. Family socialisation is built on love, attachment and intimate relationships, making it deeply influential. School socialisation is more impersonal and rule-based, though it broadens the child's social world by exposing them to diverse perspectives and new forms of authority.
Mark allocation: Up to 6 marks. Award marks for describing each type with specific features, and for drawing out clear contrasts between them.
(g) What influence do peer groups have on the identity of young people in modern societies? [8]
Peer groups become increasingly important during adolescence as young people seek acceptance, approval and belonging from friends rather than primarily from parents. Several specific influences can be identified:
Conformity and belonging: Peer pressure can lead individuals to adopt particular clothing styles, musical tastes, language patterns and behaviours that become part of their identity. Young people may change their appearance, interests and attitudes to fit in with their peer group, demonstrating the power of the desire to belong.
Reinforcing or challenging family values: Peer groups may reinforce the values learned during primary socialisation (if friends come from similar backgrounds) or challenge them (if peers hold different attitudes towards education, authority, religion or lifestyle). This can create conflict between the identity formed at home and the identity expected by friends.
Online peer communities: In modern societies, peer influence extends beyond local friendship groups through social media and online platforms. Young people can connect with communities based on shared interests, identities or subcultures across geographical boundaries, exposing them to diverse perspectives and alternative identities.
Counter-cultures: Some peer groups form counter-cultures or subcultures that deliberately reject mainstream values. Young people who join such groups may adopt identities that are explicitly oppositional to the values of their family, school or wider society. Paul Willis's study of working-class boys ('Learning to Labour') showed how peer group anti-school culture shaped identity and future life chances.
Mark allocation: Up to 8 marks. 2 marks per well-developed point. Credit for sociological concepts and examples.
(h) Describe the ways in which sociologists argue that identity is shaped by both social factors and individual choices. [7]
Social factors:
Agents of socialisation such as the family, school, media and peer groups all shape identity by teaching norms, values and expected behaviour. A child born into a particular social class, ethnic group and religious community will be socialised into the identity associated with those groups. Social class, gender, ethnicity and religion influence how others perceive and treat an individual, which in turn affects their sense of self.
Structural factors such as poverty, inequality and discrimination can constrain identity by limiting the choices available to individuals. A person's position in the social structure shapes their life chances and the identities that are realistically open to them.
Individual choices:
People are not passive recipients of socialisation. They actively interpret and respond to social influences, choosing which aspects of their culture to accept, modify or reject. A young person raised in a religious family may choose to abandon their faith; someone from a working-class background may pursue education and adopt a middle-class identity.
In modern societies, individuals have greater freedom to construct their own identity through lifestyle choices, such as fashion, diet, hobbies, political affiliations and online personas. Some sociologists describe this as reflexive identity (a concept associated with Anthony Giddens), where people continuously reflect on and reshape who they are rather than simply accepting the identity assigned by society.
The sociological consensus is that identity is shaped by the interaction between social structures and individual agency. Social factors provide the framework within which identity is formed, but individuals exercise choice within that framework.
Mark allocation: Up to 7 marks. Award marks for discussing both social factors and individual choices, with sociological depth and examples.
