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Section A: Socialisation: Conformity and Deviance EssayStimulus 1Socialisation: What shapes us? Socialisation is the process whereby the helpless infant becomes a self-aware, knowledgeable person, skilled in the ways of the culture into which he or she was born. Socialisation among the young allows for the more general phenomenon of social reproduction—the process whereby societies have structural continuity over time. During the course of socialisation, especially in the early years of life, children learn the ways of their elders, thereby perpetuating their values, norms and social practices. All societies have characteristics that endure over long stretches of time, even though their numbers change as individuals are born and die... The family is the main agent of socialisation. [Later] other agents of socialisation take over some of the responsibility from the family. Schools, peer groups, organisations, the media and eventually the work place become socialising forces for individuals. (Source: Adapted from Sociology (5th edition) Giddens 2006, pp. 163, 166)Stimulus 2The Self as an Individual The world in which we live is one of rapid communication through instant messaging, mobile phones, emails, YouTube, and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. This new network-based informational economy has permeated the ways in which we conduct our lives through work, leisure and social interactions. Both Ulrich Beck (2009) and Anthony Giddens (2001) believe that we live in a world of late modernity, characterised by a break with traditions and replaced with a world of risk and uncertainty. It is a world in which individual identity has become more important and one in which individuals write their own biographies — a manifestation of this can be as online identities on, for example, Facebook where one of the first tasks when registering an account is to create a profile made up of text, photographs, video and other markers with which to construct an online identity. (Source: Adapted from Public Sociology: An Introduction to Australian Society (2nd edition) Germov & Poole 2011, p. 38)Stimulus 3Stimulus 4Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? When is graffiti art, and when is it vandalism? Many people who despair of the way graffiti vandals spray slogans on public transport and public buildings would be surprised to hear that it has now been elevated, by some, to an art form. Street art gains high prices on internet auction sites and the National Gallery has recently purchased a collection of ‘street art’. Rod Quinn spoke about graffiti with Pat Lawson Black, an Australian style consultant, currently based in New York. Pat is an admirer of street art. Rod said that the vast majority of people see graffiti on private property, public buildings and trains as a crime. Pat replied it was necessary to differentiate between the professional, studied street artists and the ‘taggers’ – “the little kids who run around and do their signature, usually in the most inopportune places”. She said the line between art and vandalism is defined by the quality of the work, that street art often involved bigger pieces, usually by a team of people working together who would have permission from the owner of the building. Pat said that on the one hand graffiti is “raw, it’s an expression of freedom of speech” yet, on the other hand, it’s “our taxes at work as it costs a fortune to get rid of this stuff”. Meanwhile some of the established street artists have found fame and recognition. For example a piece of work by the artist ‘Banksy’ recently sold on an internet auction site for over $400 000. On the other hand private property owners burdened with graffiti fume at their property being defaced without permission. Councils around Australia wage war on graffitists; in NSW attempts are being made to prevent sale of spray paints. The Melbourne Council has an anti-graffiti campaign, but has also recognised the value of the street art in some of its lanes and conducts tours! (, 19 May, 2012.)Stimulus 5Paths that lead to drug use and crime One single model cannot account for the drug-crime relationship. Rather there are multiple paths that lead to drug use and crime. Research suggests that drug use and crime involvement have common origins. Factors such as poor social support systems, difficulty in school, membership of deviant peer groups, early contact with government services and a lack of access to economic support systems are common in the backgrounds of both drug users and criminals. (Source: Does drug use cause crime? Understanding the drugs-crime link Australian Institute of Criminology, AICrime reduction matters No. 22. April 2004.)Essay questions:In essay form, answer ONE question from this section. Use the material in any one or more of the extracts (stimuli) provided in Section A, as well as information from the course. Use sociological concepts and theories in your answer. Question 1 Norms are internalised during socialisation as we socially interact within our culture. Social forces shape us. Using the stimulus material and information from the course, discuss and evaluate alternative views about the process of socialisation and mechanisms of social control.Question 2 Explain the role socialisation plays in determining how an individual’s sense of identity is presented. Using the stimulus material and information from the course, evaluate alternative viewpoints in relation to the development of self.Question 3 Deviance as a concept is difficult to define. Using the stimulus material and information from the course, explain why this is so. Discuss what is meant by the relativity of deviance. Evaluate alternative views that arise when trying to describe why deviance occurs.Question 4 Explain and evaluate alternative sociological theories as to why some people are more likely to be involved in drug-taking in contemporary Australian society. Use the stimulus material and information from the course.How you will be assessed:495299371284500523875452247000600075239839500*To do well on this criterion:- Use a range of sociological concepts. Your essay should be written in sociological language. - Refer to the stimuli throughout your essay. - Aim to use three different theories in your essay. Include the last name of the theorists (e.g. Durkheim’s functionalist theory explains that…)- Point out the strengths and weaknesses in the theories (e.g. Durkheim’s functionalist theory is flawed because it assumes that there is cohesion in society)571500290449000561975166624000*To do well on this criterion:- Structure your essay with a clear introduction, 4-5 body paragraphs and a conclusion. - Edit your work for spelling, repetition and grammar issues. - Note that you are NOT assessed on referencing for this task. Question 1: IdeasDefinition of socialisationDefinition of social control Obedience and conformityThe process of socialisation (internalisation of norms and values through positive and negative sanctions)Informal (e.g. peers) and formal (e.g. law) sanctions. Peers can be a particularly strong influence in terms of informal social control via social media (stimulus 2) The agents of socialisation (family, peers, school and media) (stimulus 1)The stages of socialisation (primary, secondary and tertiary)Roles (expectation surrounding roles)Status (how does power determine whether you obey/conform to societal expectations – think about Milgram’s electric shock experiment) Certain groups are more like to be socially controlled by others (e.g. women, racial minorities, indigenous people, low socio-economic groups etc.)Subcultures and countercultures (evidence of people not conforming/not being socially controlled)Theories: Functionalist, Conflict, Interactionist, Feminist and Control theory.Resocialisation, desocialisation and anticipatory socialisation. Question 2: IdeasDefinition of socialisationDefinition of identity/the selfThe process of socialisation (internalisation of norms and values through positive and negative sanctions)Informal (e.g. peers) and formal (e.g. law) sanctions. Peers can be a particularly strong influence in terms of identity formation via social media (stimulus 2) The agents of socialisation (family, peers, school and media) (stimulus 1)The stages of socialisation (primary, secondary and tertiary) – discuss how influential family are in determining one’s set of norms, values and beliefs and thus one’s identity (e.g. social reproduction) Roles (ascribed and achieved) Subcultures and countercultures (how does membership to a subculture/counterculture change one’s identity?)Gender identity (fluid/changeable/constructed --- links with late modernity from stimulus 2) Theories: Interactionist theories (Mead, Cooley and Goffman), Functionalist, Conflict and Feminist theories. Question 3 - IdeasDefinitions of devianceWhy it is difficult to define: contemporary sociologists view deviance as a social construct. In other words, it is impossible to separate people or behaviours into two categories (e.g. deviant/not-deviant). Deviance cannot be separated from its social setting. The social setting will determine whether behaviour is considered deviant or not. Deviance is in the eye of the beholder (i.e. depends on the status of the actor and the audience). What is deviant to one person or group will not be deviant to another person or group. Deviance is a process not a behaviour or person. The above point leads to the fundamental idea that deviance is relative. It is relative to time, place, culture (including subcultures and countercultures), religion, the status of the actor and the audience. For example vandalism/graffiti is socially acceptable among some groups and deviant among others (stimulus 4). Having dreadlocks and piercings would receive positive sanctions in certain subcultures and negative sanctions in others (stimulus 3). The second part of this question asks you to explain deviance using theories. Try to link the theories to the behaviour discussed in the stimuli (appearance, vandalism/graffiti and drug taking). You may want to choose just 1-2 of these areas due to time restraints. Theories: Functionalist (Durkheim’s Traditional Functionalist theory, Merton’s Structural-strain theory, Cohen’s Delinquent Subculture theory, Sutherland’s Differential Association theory, Hirschi’s Social Control theory) Conflict (Chambliss and other Marxists theory regarding capitalism) Interactionist (Becker’s Labelling theory, moral panics, stigmatisation) Question 4 – Ideas Definitions of devianceContemporary sociologists view deviance as a social construct. In other words, it is impossible to separate people or behaviours into two categories (e.g. deviant/not-deviant). Deviance cannot be separated from its social setting. The social setting will determine whether behaviour is considered deviant or not. Deviance is in the eye of the beholder (i.e. depends on the status of the actor and the audience). What is deviant to one person or group will not be deviant to another person or group. Deviance is a process not a behaviour or person. Deviance is, therefore, relative. This question asks you explain drug-taking behaviour using theories of deviance. It is a good idea to read through stimulus 5 a number of times and think about which theories would best explain the behaviour described. It is important to also point out why they do not tell the full picture (i.e. point out flaws in theories). You may also want to explain why other theories are not as relevant for explaining the behaviour, as this also shows your understanding. If you have time, also discuss some of the behaviour described in the other stimuli (e.g. alternative appearances (stimulus 3) and vandalism/graffiti (stimulus 4). Theories: Functionalist (Durkheim’s Traditional Functionalist theory, Merton’s Structural-strain theory, Cohen’s Delinquent Subculture theory, Sutherland’s Differential Association theory, Hirschi’s Social Control theory) Conflict (Chambliss and other Marxists theory regarding capitalism) Interactionist (Becker’s Labelling theory, moral panics, stigmatisation) ................
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