🏫 Successful socialisation
A child is taught to share, wait their turn and respect others. As an adult they follow the rules and work with other people, so society stays stable.
Learning Our Identity » Socialisation Theories: Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Cambridge spec: 2.1.5
- The difference between consensus and conflict approaches
- How functionalists, Marxists and feminists explain socialisation
- Strengths and limitations of each view
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One family dinner, three readings: functionalists see shared values, Marxists see class, feminists see gender roles
In the last two lessons you learned who socialises us and how they do it. Sociologists also ask a bigger question: who does socialisation really benefit? Different perspectives give different answers. A perspective is a particular way of looking at society, and it affects what a sociologist notices and what they leave out.
The perspectives on socialisation split into two broad groups, called consensus and conflict approaches.
Key terms:
- Consensus approach: a view that society is based on agreement, with most people sharing the same norms and values.
- Conflict approach: a view that society is divided into groups with different interests, and that some groups hold more power than others.
- Functionalism: a consensus perspective that sees society as a system whose parts work together to keep it stable.
- Marxism: a conflict perspective that sees society as divided by social class, with the rich having power over the rest.
- Feminism: a conflict perspective that sees society as unequal between men and women.
The functionalist view: socialisation holds society together
Functionalists take a consensus approach. They compare society to a human body. Each organ does a job, and the body only stays healthy if every organ works. In the same way, the family, schools and workplaces each do a job to keep society running smoothly.
For functionalists, socialisation is one of the most important jobs. It teaches each new generation the shared norms and values of their society. When most people hold the same norms and values, we call this value consensus. Value consensus creates social cohesion, which means people feel they belong together and cooperate rather than fight.
⚠️ Inadequate socialisation
If a child is not properly taught the norms and values, they may not understand how to behave. Functionalists see this as a cause of deviance (behaviour that breaks society's norms) and crime.
Key terms:
- Value consensus: general agreement in society about what is important and how to behave.
- Social cohesion: the sense that members of society are united and work together.
- Inadequate socialisation: when someone has not been taught society's norms and values well enough.
Strengths and limitations of the functionalist view
Strengths: it explains why societies have shared rules, and why every society needs to teach them to its young. It shows why a failure of socialisation can cause problems.
Limitations: it assumes everyone shares the same values, but modern societies have many cultures and groups with different values. It ignores inequality and power, and it treats people as passive learners who simply absorb what they are told.
The Marxist view: socialisation serves the powerful
Marxists take a conflict approach. They say society is divided into two main social classes. The bourgeoisie is the small, wealthy class that owns the businesses, land and factories. The proletariat is the large class of workers who must sell their labour to earn a living. The system in which businesses are privately owned and run to make a profit is called capitalism.
For Marxists, the norms and values we learn are not shared by everyone for the good of all. They are ideas that benefit the bourgeoisie. These ideas form an ideology: a set of beliefs that makes the way society is run seem normal and fair. Examples include "work hard and you will succeed", "obey your boss" and "being rich is a reward for effort".
Marxists argue that agencies such as the family, schools, the media and religion socialise the proletariat into accepting this capitalist ideology. Workers learn to accept low pay, obey authority and see inequality as natural. This is how the class system is passed on from one generation to the next, which is called the reproduction of social class. A child born into a working-class family is socialised to expect a working-class life.
Key terms:
- Bourgeoisie: the wealthy class who own the businesses and land that make profit.
- Proletariat: the working class who sell their labour to earn a living.
- Capitalism: an economic system where businesses are privately owned and run to make a profit.
- Ideology: a set of ideas that supports the interests of one group and makes the system seem fair.
- Reproduction of social class: the way class position is passed from one generation to the next.
Strengths and limitations of the Marxist view
Strengths: it draws attention to power and inequality, and explains why class differences continue across generations. It reminds us that "shared" values may favour some groups more than others.
Limitations: it focuses almost entirely on social class and ignores gender and ethnicity. It treats people as if they simply accept what they are taught, when many people question and resist it. It also ignores the many people who move up the class system through their own efforts.
The feminist view: socialisation serves men
Pink dolls for her, toy trucks for him: feminists say gender role socialisation like this helps keep patriarchy going
Feminists also take a conflict approach, but their focus is gender. They argue that society is a patriarchy, meaning men hold most of the power and women are disadvantaged.
Feminists say socialisation is a main way patriarchy continues. Through gender role socialisation, boys and girls are taught to behave in different ways. Boys are encouraged to be masculine: strong, competitive and independent. Girls are encouraged to be feminine: caring, gentle and focused on appearance and home. Canalisation, from the lesson How Agencies Socialise Us, is an example. Parents steer children towards different toys and activities. Feminists say this prepares girls for lower-status roles and boys for leadership roles, so men keep their power.
Key terms:
- Patriarchy: a society in which men hold most of the power.
- Gender role socialisation: learning the behaviour that society expects of men and women.
- Masculinity: the qualities and behaviour society expects of boys and men.
- Femininity: the qualities and behaviour society expects of girls and women.
Strengths and limitations of the feminist view
Strengths: it highlights how everyday socialisation shapes gender differences, which other perspectives often ignore. It explains why gender inequality can continue even when laws say men and women are equal.
Limitations: it focuses on gender and can overlook social class and ethnicity. Some argue it exaggerates the disadvantages of women, as roles are changing in many societies. It also tends to treat men as one group who all benefit.
Comparing the three views
Functionalism
Consensus. Socialisation teaches shared values and keeps society stable. Benefits everyone.
Marxism
Conflict. Socialisation teaches capitalist ideology and reproduces class. Benefits the bourgeoisie.
Feminism
Conflict. Socialisation teaches gender roles and supports patriarchy. Benefits men.
Common mistakes
1. Saying functionalists think socialisation is bad or unfair. They see it as necessary and positive. 2. Mixing up the two conflict views: Marxists talk about social class, feminists talk about gender. 3. Writing "the bourgeoisie" when you mean the workers. The proletariat are the workers. 4. Describing a view with no strength or limitation, when the question asks you to evaluate it.
Exam-style question
(a) Define the term patriarchy. [2]
(b) Explain two limitations of the functionalist view of socialisation. [4]
Model answer
(a) Patriarchy is a society or system (1) in which men hold most of the power and women are disadvantaged (1).
(b) One limitation is that functionalists assume everyone shares the same norms and values (1). In reality, modern societies contain many cultures and groups with different values, so there is no single value consensus (1). A second limitation is that it ignores inequality and power (1). Marxists argue that the "shared" values mainly benefit the wealthy bourgeoisie, so socialisation is not fair to everyone (1).
Exam tip
For "explain a limitation", state the weakness, then add a "because" or "so" sentence that develops it. Naming another perspective, such as Marxism, is a good way to develop it.