Sociology and society.

particular culture. These particular beliefs are said to vary between societies. The second

component is values. These are considered to be vague beliefs about what is right and

what is correct in the world. These values imply that there are certain appropriate forms

of action, which should be taken. For example in the Western culture, we believe that life

is precious and therefore we agree that it is wrong to kill anybody and if such a crime is

Committed then the person should be appropriately punished. The third component of

Culture is norms. Norms are socially expected patterns of behaviour. These can also be

described as actions that are regarded as normal. For example, a norm of our society is to

say hello on meeting someone or forming an orderly queue at a bus stop and not pushing

in. The fourth component, which is said to make up culture, is roles. Social roles can be

described as patterns of behaviour expected of certain people according to there

occupation or position they hold within society. For example, it is not considered

acceptable within most societies for a clergyman to be a swearing, heavy-drinking

gambler. A fifth component of culture is role conflict. Role conflict takes place when a person within a certain society has more than one social role. On the whole these social roles will be complementary but on occasions these roles may conflict. For example, the role of being a policeman and a friend may cause role conflict. For example if a policeman apprehends a friend who is speeding does he treat him as a friend or as an offender. This particular situation is known as role conflict.

When we are looking at and examining the topic of culture it is important to remember that there are and have been a wide variety of different cultures. It is wrong to see the British culture as the ‘normal’ culture and to measure all others alongside ours. This is known as ethnocentrism.  A good example of a culture which was considered to be as strong as ours but completely different is the Cheyenne Indians. The Cheyenne existed for thousands of years in the west of what is now known as the United Sates. In this particular culture, wealth was regarded as a bad thing and there was no status attached to owning goods. On the other hand, to give things away was regarded as an action worthy of admiration. Therefore in special ceremonies those more successful members of the tribe gave away most of their possessions to others. Also powerful positions could not be inherited. It is clear to see from this example alone that cultures do differ and there is not just one set ‘normal’ culture.

All societies are said to have a culture, or a common way of life. A society’s culture can include differentiating factors. For example, Language, customs, moral values (belief that a man should have no more than one wife etc.) and social norms. Norms such as saying queuing in a shop, are considered to be patterns of behaviour which are accepted as normal and right. During our upbringing we learn to accept many social rules. These then help to govern our behaviour. This learning process is known as socialisation. In the British culture socialisation  takes place in three forms. The first is known as primary socialisation and this normally includes what the child is learned in the home. The second stage is known as secondary socialisation and this is concerned with the influences that take place outside the home. For example the peer group and the mass media. The third stage of socialisation is known as adult socialisation. This takes place normally within the work place, as we need to learn and be socialised into our work roles.

A famous sociologist called Durkheim had a large influence on the topic of culture. He was interested in finding an explanation to explain society. However, he wanted this explanation to be of the lowest level possible. Durkheim believed that the lowest level needed to explain society was culture. The reason why is because Durkheim argues that culture is functional and that it holds society together. Durkheim believes that the way in which this is achieved is through rituals. He believes that rituals display the fact that we all like everyone else and makes us recognise this as well. He calls this ‘collective representations’. Durkheim believes these rituals take place to indicate and make us aware that we are all the same during the ritual. A good example which was used to illustrate this was made in relation to a particular African Tribe. The ritual which this particular tribe partook in was that the married men and mothers in law have sex in a pit once a year. This ritual is said to help bind society together. The African tribe identified that one of the main problems, which occur within society, are problems associated within the family and imparticular between son-in-laws and mother-in-laws. The tribe believes that partaking in this particular ritual portrays a symbolic expression of family solidarity, therefore the tension between the son-in-law and the mother-in-law is relieved for a short while during sex. Durkheim argues that it is rituals like this particular one, which makes us realise the importance of certain social structures over others.

After looking at and analysing Durkheim’s view of culture and culture in general, it is reasonable to say that culture varies from society to society. Culture can also differ over a period of time within the same society. Therefore behaviour which is regarded as normal in one society may be seen as abnormal in another. The same might be said of the behaviour which is regarded as normal in today’s society, if it was to be viewed by our great grandparents. I can therefore conclude that culture is the learned, shared behaviour of members of a particular society. Socialisation is the process by which culture is learned and can take place in many different forms.