WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

Sociology: is the scientific study of society and human behaviour. It studies the
patterns and processes of human relations, social life and social change, and
issues such as poverty, health and diseases, wars, family problems,
urbanization, group/cultural problems etc., the impact they have on the people
and it finds ways/solution to the challenging issues in society.
WHAT IS HEALTH?
According to who, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social
well-being of an individual and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity.
WHAT IS HEALTH SOCIOLOGY?
It is therefore the relationship between illness and health in society. It examines
how social life can impact morbidity and mortality. In this sense it involves
health care, nursing and medicine from sociological perspective.
DISEASE: health sociologist define disease as an objective condition in which
the functioning of the body is impaired due to virus, bacteria etc.
SICKNESS: sickness is the social condition that applies to people who are
deemed by other to be diseased.
HEALTHISM: healthism is another aspect of medicalization that emphasises
on disease prevention and health promotion through exercises, diets, vitamins,
not smoking, moderate to no alcohol drinking, etc.
REASONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIOLOGY
 The industrials revolution in which started in Europe.
 Military revolutions and the overthrow of monarchs.
 World wars and their impacts
 The great depression.
 The feminist movements for gender equality diseases and illness and the
steps to combat them.
SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
Sociology is a scientific discipline that studies society in an empirical method.
Science is based on a systematic observation and generalization, used to
generate theories to explain what is observed and to predict results under similar
conditions. Research is the process of systemic observation used in all sciences.
Theory a set of interrelated statement about reality, usually involving one or
more causes and effects relationships.
Science is divided into two groups: national science and social science.
National Sciences are the sciences that concern with the Physical/National
Sciences: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography

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and Meteorology. Social sciences are the sciences, that study society and human
behaviour and sociology is one of these disciplines.
The aim and objective of sociology is to provide students with the knowledge of
sociological and cultural concepts and their influence on health and diseases.
Sociology stresses, the role of people as part of society and how their status and
behaviours influence the health of all and the community. With sociology, we
are able to self-explore.
Medical sociology itself is an academic discipline that is concerned with the
functions, structure and role of social groups. It about the social facets of health
and illness the social function, of health institutions and organization, as well as
the relationship of systems of healthcare delivery to other social systems and
social behaviour of health personnel and all consumers of health.

MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
1. Sociology in Medicine: this is about how sociology collaborates directly
with the roles of health personnel’s in an attempt to study the social
factors that are relevant to a particular health problem. It is directly
applicable to patient care or to the solving of a particular health problem.
2. Sociology of Medicine: this deals with organization, role relationships,
norm, values and beliefs of medical practice as a form of human behaviour.
This, it focusses on activities and experiences of the human made world. E.g.
 Love
 Marriage
 Friendship
 Religion
 Naming ceremonies
 Funerals etc
WHY STUDY SOCIOLOGY
Nursing is no longer the sum of its task, but much wider, what nurses do has
become a complex set of relationships. The reason for this is that:
1. Sociology is concerned with the exposure of key issues as health with its
inequalities.
2. Sociological imagination enables nurses to move beyond command sense
explanations to the development of an may critical approach to nursing
practice. E.g. why are many people when sick does not report to the
hospitals? Common since thinking.
Note: Generalization can not be made out of common sense.
Sociological knowledge is useful in the implementation of developmental
programmes. For development to take place there must be sociological analysis.
Experience has showing by considering sociological that the society’s needs can

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be adequately met and provided for sociology demonstrated the need to make a
much wider view of why we act as we do.
RELEVANCE OF SOCIOLOGY TO NURSING
1. Sociology enlightens nurses about how society works
2. It gives intellectual value
3. It helps nurse understand those forces and pressures which affect patients
adversely.
4. With sociology, the nurse become knowledgeable in social factors
causing barriers to seeking positive outcomes.
5. Sociology enriches the knowledge of who intend to move it as a carrier
and them to demean of analysing an understanding society and social
issues.
6. The nurse gets information about the sociocultural life of the patient,
which makes planning and treatment implementation easier.
7. It helps the nurse to understand the relationship between disease and
social condition.
8. With sociology, the techniques of adjustment are learnt.
9. Being knowledgeable about rituals and custom in of different people, the
nurse can handle superstitious patients.
10.It aids the nurse understand behaviour, conflicts, interpersonal,
relationships, hierarchy of different people in healthcare settings.
11.Understanding society and social action enables nurses to develop the
right attitude to live with others.
THE ORIGIN OF SOCIOLOGY
Although the study of social influences on human relation or behaviours is as
old as the Ancient Greeks, sociology become a subject of keen interest during
the late 19th Century, when western civilization was undergoing the vast social
upheavals that accompanied the industrial revolution.
The founder of sociology is usually said to be Auguste Comte (1798-1857), a
French philosopher who argue that “the social world should be studied in the
same scientific manner as the natural world” He invented the term ‘Sociology’
from the combination of a Latin word SOCIUS – meaning ‘social’ and a Greek
word LOGOS – meaning ‘reasoning’. Comte’ was also the founder of
positivism; a school of philosophy that rejected all speculations, about ultimate
causes in favour of scientific knowledge of facts and phenomena.
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FOR NURSES
According to Comte, he believed that the purpose of science was to know order
to predict and to predict in order to control. For Comte’ the purpose of
sociology was to discover the laws of social disorder so that stability could be
maintained.

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He divided the subject matter of sociology into statics and dynamics. Statics
covers the stable structure of society which endure over time and dynamics
dealt with the force change and conflict that disrupted the social order. Conflict
here refers to serious disagreement or to be in opposition.
And also, lord Byron state the ‘and when we think we lead, we are most
led’
Doctors, staff nurses or trained nurses, the people supposedly leading the
hospital but who unfortunately found themselves often led against there will be
political, economic and a host of other factor of management causes, sooner or
later found themselves filling the same as Lord Byron in the quotation above.

THE FOUNDERS OR THE PIONEERING SOCIOLOGISTS:

1. AUGUSTE COMTE, FRENCH SOCIAL PHILOSOPHER (1798 –
1957)
The idea of applying the scientific method to the social world is known as
‘positivism’ apparently was first proposed by Auguste Comte.
Comte was the first social philosopher to coin and use the term sociology. He
was also the first to regard himself as a sociologist. He defined sociology as the
scientific study of social dynamics and social static. He argued that sociology
can and should study society and social phenomena following the pattern and
procedure of the natural science. Comte believed that a theoretical science of
society and the systematic investigation of human behaviour were needed to
improve society. He argued that the new science of society could and should
make a critical contribution towards a new and improved human society. Comte
defined sociology as the study of social dynamic and social static, the former
signifying the changing progressing and developmental dimensions of society
while the latter refers to the social order and those elements of society and
social phenomena which tend to persist and relatively permanent, defying
change.
Comet become interested in what holds society together. What creates social
order, he wondered, instead of anarchy or chaos? And then, once society does
become set on a particular course, what causes it to change?
As he considered this question, Comte concluded that the right way to answer
that was to apply the scientific method to social life. Just as this method had
revealed the law of gravity, so too, it will uncover the laws that underlie society.
Since Comte insists that we must observe and classify human activities in other
to uncover society’s fundamental laws, and because he developed this ideal and
coined the term ‘sociology’ Comte of often credited as being the founder of
sociology.

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 2. HERBERT SPENCER, BRITISH SOCIAL PHILOSOPHER, (1820-
1903)
Spence was a prominent social philosopher of the 19 th century. He was famous
for the organic analogy of human society. He viewed society as an organic
system, having it sown structure and functioning in ways analogous to the
biological system. Spence’s ideas of the evolution of human society from the
lowest (‘barbarism’) to highest form (‘civilized’) according to fixed laws were
famous. It was called ‘social Darwinism is the attempt to apply by analogy the
evolutionary theories of plan and animal development to the explanation of
human society and social phenomena.
3. KARL MARX (GERMAN, 1818-1883)
Marx was a world-renowned social philosopher, sociologist and economics
historian. He made remarkable contributions to the development of various
social sciences including sociology. He contributed greatly to sociological
ideas. He introduced key concepts in sociology like social class, social class
conflict, social oppression, alienation, etc. Marx, like Comte, argue that people
should make active efforts to bring about societal reforms. According to Marx,
economic forces are the keys to underestimating society and social change. He
dreamed of, and worked hard towards society, one in which there will be no
exploitation and oppression of one class by another, and wherein all individuals
will work according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. He
believed that engine of human history is “Class conflict”.

4. MAX WEBBER, GERMAN SOCIOLOGIST (1864-1920)

Webber was another prominent social scientist. According to him, sociology is
the scientific study of human social action. Social action refers to any action
oriented to influence of influenced by another person or persons. It is not
necessary for more than one person to be physically present of action to be
regarded as social action. It is concerned with the interpretive understanding of
human social action and the meaning people attach to their own actions and
behaviours and those of others. Webber was a renowned scholar who like Marx,
wrote in several academic fields. He agreed with much Marxian theses but did
not accept this idea that economic forces are central to social change. Webber
argues that we cannot understand human behaviour by just looking at statistics.
Every activity and behaviour or people need to be interpreted. He argued that a
sociologist must aim at what are called subjective meanings, the ways in which
people interpret their own behaviour or the meanings people attach to their own
behaviour.

5. HARRIET MARTINEAU, BRITISH SOCIOLOGIST (1802-1876)

At a time when women were greatly stereotyped and denied access to influential
social-political and academic arena, it is interesting to have a female academic
to be numbered among the pioneering sociologist. Harriet was interested in

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social issues and studied both in the United States and England. She came
across with the writings of Comte and read them. She was an active advocate of
the abolition of slavery and she wrote on many crosscutting issues such as racial
and gender relations, and she travelled widely. She helped popularize the ideas
and writings of Comte by translating them into English.
HEALTH/ILLNESS BEHAVIOUR
Culture: is learned behaviour or social heritage. Learned behaviour in any
particular society includes those ideas, techniques and habits which are passed
on by one generation to another. Social heritage is virtually a set of solutions to
problems that in the course of time, others have met and solved before. Culture
includes not only artefacts of its living members but also those of members of
past generations. This is the heritage awaiting those as yet unborn. Human being
is able to develop and pass on their culture by means of language, which is, of
course, itself a product of culture. The elements of a culture are learned and
acquired through socialization; the process by which we acquire our social
characteristics and learn the ways of thoughts and behaviours appropriate in our
society.
Though culture people and groups define themselves, conform to society shard
values, and contribute to society. Thus, culture includes many societal aspects;
language, customs, values, norms, rules, tools, technologies. Products
organizations and institutions.
Culture is the characteristic of group of people defined by everything such as
language, religion, lifestyle etc. different people in different societies have
different culture but they also have some similarities. The culture varies in
different things such as clothes, foods, religion and many others.
Culture id the identity of a group of people living in specific place, they have
their own sketch of life what the culture says they follow that. We have seen
that a lot of people do some specific thing they first thought about their culture,
what my culture says on this occasion. Especially when wedding and some
other celebrating days they follow strictly their culture. Those who do not
follow their culture or do some changes in that, they haven’t given any values to
them because they are not following their religion.
Different people define culture in different ways, for example “Culture: learned
and shared human patterns or models of living; day-to-day living patterns, these
patterns and models pervade all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is
mankind’s primary adaptive mechanism”. Another author says that “culture is
the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of
one category of people from another, form these definitions it is clear that both
explains the same idea but in different words, says that culture is first learned
after learning, it is then shared so it’s a common fact that the younger first learn
the culture from their elders and when these young become elders they transfer
it to the next generation. But the culture learned it includes all the aspects of

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human interaction and thus it become the making’s adoptive mechanism. In the
second definition the author says that the culture is the programming of mid, so
it includes everything related with the mind programming and because of these
different minds programming different group of people distinguish from each
other’s.
CHARACTERISTICS
Culture has its own characteristics; we will discuss some of its characteristics
here.
 Learnt
 Shared
 Social
 Continuous
 Adaptive
 Varies
SOCIAL
Culture is social it is not the individual phenomena, it is the product of society
and originates and grow through social interaction. Somethings differentiable to
us through comparison, so for distinguishes culture we have to compared it with
some other then we will know about all aspects of that culture therefore, the
culture must be social and without it there is no concept of culture. One author
says that culture can be thought of as the normative order, operating through
operational and social influence, that guide and constrains the behaviour of
culture. Human learn their culture through language, the parents first learned
language to the kids after that they gradually also learn their culture.
FAMILY
Family is one of the most important concepts in the culture. Different cultures
define family in different ways. Some says that those who have a blood relation
with you in your family members, other says that only your wife and kids are
included in your family. According to an author, “Anthropologists say a
culture’s biological and marital kinship rules and patterns of reciprocal
obligations define family”, the definition varies of different cultures. The people
form rural background define family in a large sense they include all their
relatives in the family and those from urban background define family in a little
narrow sense as compared to the urban background people.
RELIGION
Religion is the most important in cultural society. In most of the culture the
religion is very respectful to all the culture member and they also strictly obey
their religion. And the most respectful religion among all the culture is Islam.
Those cultures that have Islam as religion they apply the order of Islam in their
daily and mostly these people led a very happy life without much resources.
According to my survey a lot of my audience say that they follow their religion
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strictly and says five-time prayers which is the most important things as
considered to Islam, and those audiences whose religion was other than Islam
they mostly say that we are not so much following our religion.
EDUCATION
Education also play important role in building a cultural society. Education is
the basic need of human. Without education humanity is not possible, therefor
almost all the cultures give importance to education and they possess only
education for their success. But still there are also some culture which do not
gives focus to education. Some cultures give importance only to boy’s
education and not to female. The numbers of these types of cultures is
decreasing slowly. In general, most cultures give importance to education and
they love the educated people of their culture.
IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE
Culture has great importance. Culture is the identity of the national; without
culture the society is impossible. And author says about the importance of
culture that “culture is the set of transmitted and learned behaviour patterns,
belief, institutions and all other products of human work and through that
characterize the functioning of particular population, profession, organization or
community”, so the only representative of the particular community or
population is the culture. Culture is the basic root of any community which
gives them the ways of life. The culture provides solution to the critical problem
that is faced to community. Culture teach us to think for the whole national not
individually, it provides the concept of family, nation etc.

DRESSING
Dressing is the important thing in culture. It identifies the cultural society, for
example when a stranger form other country come to Pakistan and he know
little about here culture dressing so he will identify the place. Every culture give
most importance to their culture. They did not appreciate those who are wearing
their own cultural dress.
Gradually the dressing importance is also disappearing from the people. There a
lot of people when they go to the other cultural society, they adopt that and
forget about their culture. According to my survey, I have done some days ago a
lot of people say that we are not giving do much importance to our culture.
Nowadays the culture is changing so much fast because of this reason that the
people not giving so much importance to their culture, especially dress.
FOOD
According to the Colombia University press “everything having to do with food
its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption represents a cultural act”
so definitely food when reach to us first is pass from different stages like its

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cultivation, every culture has its own process of cultivation, capturing and
preparation. This means that food is also one of the important parts of the
materials culture.
BUILDING
Building means construction. Building also plays important role in culture
identity. Different cultures have different type of buildings. Some cultures have
big houses while some have small. There are also some cultural people who do
not construct houses also, all life they pass in different places. Usually the
cultural people from rural areas have big houses while those much low and the
place available for the house is very cheap as compare to the city. May be of
this reason this culture is raised in the rural areas.
Non-materials culture
Non-material culture consists of thoughts and behaviour that people learn as
part of the culture they have live in, it includes language rules, customs, family,
religion or beliefs, values and knowledge. We will discuss some of them.
LANGUAGE
Language is one of the most important forms of material culture, without
language there is no concept of culture. Different cultures have different
speaking of language. Even when the language is same between the two
cultures but still there will be difference in speaking and one will easily
difference between them. Sometime because of cultures a large number of
cultures are treated as one culture, for example in Pakistan there is a lot of
cultures but still to the out countries they treat as just like one culture and is
known as Pakistan culture. Even subcontinent is also treated as one culture but
this in a specific occasion for example Asia is the largest subcontinent but the
countries outside the Asia also say the words like Asian culture and we say the
European culture or African culture.
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the system of social
standing. Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people
into rankings based on factors like wealth, income, education, family
background, and power.
Geologists also use the word “stratification” to describe the distinct vertical
layers found in rock. Typically, society’s layers, made of people, represent the
uneven distribution of society’s resources. Society views the people with more
resources as the top layer of the social structure of stratification. Other groups of
people, with fewer and fewer resources, represent the lower layers. An
individual’s place within this stratification is called socioeconomic status
(SES).

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Imagine a pyramid that represents society. The most powerful social groups are
at the top of the pyramid, while the least powerful are at the bottom.

FORMS OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

In modern times, several forms of stratification are recognised based on factors
other than those highlighted above. Let's look at social stratification based on
gender, ethnicity and age.
 STRATIFICATION BY GENDER
Gender is an identity based on the social roles and characteristics associated
with femininity and masculinity. It is separate from sex, which is generally
based on biological and physical distinctions of "male" and "female".
Sociologists believe that gender socialisation - bringing up and treating girls and
boys differently - is the main way people learn to "do" gender, rather than due
to innate biological differences.
Feminist sociologists argue that society is patriarchal - it is structured to
benefit men at the expense of women because men tend to have more economic,
political and social power. Despite considerable advances, gender inequality can
be still be observed in many areas of society:
 STRATIFICATION BY ETHNICITY
Ethnic groups are composed of people who share the same or similar culture,
history, language, and/or religion. "Ethnic minority" groups are those who
constitute a minority amongst the general population (who make up the "ethnic
majority").
Sociologists recognise and study racism, stratification and prejudice based on
ethnicity faced by ethnic minorities in several fields, such as:
 High levels of unemployment and underemployment
 Reduced chances of getting high paid positions and being promoted
 Underrepresentation in all levels of politics
 Being unfairly targeted by law enforcement
Ethnicity is often conflated with race, but sociologists usually prefer to use the
term "ethnicity" as "race" is based on out-dated notions of biological differences
between racial groups.
 STRATIFICATION BY AGE

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Age can be understood as both a biological and chronological category and a
social category. Sociologists are interested in age as a social category and how
various ages are perceived.
People face different challenges at different ages throughout their lives, which
can be worsened by factors such as class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability,
etc. Let's take a look at the experiences of young and elderly people.
YOUTH
Teenagers and young adults alike can face stratification and inequality in
several ways.
 Young people may be unable to live independently and have to depend on
their parents/live at home.
 They may suffer high levels of unemployment due to personal and
economic uncertainty.
 Also, they may be unable to access higher education and well-paying jobs
based on their income or social class.
OLD AGE
We may think of older people as experienced and secure, but they can also
face age discrimination and inequality.
 For example, getting older is viewed negatively in some part of the world
and is considered something to be avoided.
 Older people can be disregarded for certain jobs and roles (although this
is now illegal).
 Some older people also don't have substantial pensions saved up and so
struggle to get by once they retire.
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: Caste and class One of the primary ways
people face stratification in society, regardless of other circumstances, is
through their social class background.
MEASURING SOCIAL CLASS
Social class is often based on occupation because an individual's occupation is
usually closely linked to their income, social status and life chances.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCIAL CLASS
There are many on-going debates about whether social class is as significant in
people's lives as it used to be. Some believe that class identity has declined,
while others argue that class is still incredibly important in shaping lives and
experiences.
SOCIAL MOBILITY AND STRATIFICATION

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Social mobility refers to when people move up and down the social class
hierarchy.
The level of social mobility in society is important to keep track of. High levels
of mobility - lots of people changing their social status - can reveal if the society
in question is meritocratic, for example.
Upward social mobility can technically be achieved through routes such as high
educational attainment, marrying into a well-off family, etc. However, working-
class people in the UK have lower chances of moving up the social ladder as
they may lack the privileges and connections of the middle class.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL
MOBILITY
Social mobility should not be confused with social stratification. Social
stratification refers to the hierarchising of different social classes, and social
mobility is when people move between these classes.

SOCIAL PROBLEM
Social change creates many social problems in a functional society (i.e.). The
norms, values, customs, traditions, mores, and laws of social change as the
changes occur inside society. It means that society is disturbed by external or
internal forces of social change. A changing society inevitably develops
problems; either the conditions themselves change and become unacceptable
(population growth, soil erosion, and deforestation create a conservation
problem) or the society's changing values define an old shape as no longer
tolerable (child labour, poverty, racism. or sex inequality)
PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF SOCIAL PROBLEM
Social problems are the general factors that affect the society. Social problems
often involve problems that affect real life. It also affects how people react to
certain situations. People practice and promote social evils because they are
ignorant of the adversities. There are lots of NGOs and INGOs which are
working to eliminate social problems. The awareness programs they introduce
do not reach to the actual victims. Some causes of social problems are listed
below:
UNEMPLOYMENT
Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment
is unable to find work. Unemployment is one of the causes of social problems.
It leads to the frustration. Due to unemployment, problems like burglary, loot,
murder, theft arises.
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. It
includes social, economic, and political elements. Poverty causes lack of food,

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health services and others. Rural people in Nepal generally have large families,
very small landholdings or none at all, and high rates of illiteracy. Because of
poor growth in the agricultural sector, living standards in rural areas causes
poverty. The growing population has put heavy pressure on cultivable land.

RAPID POPULATION GROWTH

Rapid population growth is the increase in the number of individuals. Over-
population is caused by the number of factors. It leads to the unemployment and
poverty.
URBANIZATION: is the population shift from rural to urban areas.
Urbanization creates enormous social, economic and environmental changes,
which provide an opportunity for sustainability with the potential to use
resources more efficiently. It is the cause of social problems. It is believed that
living in a city can provide opportunities, diversity, and marketplace
competition. As against this, there may be stress, increased cost of living, and
negative social aspects that result from a mass.
LACK OF EDUCATION
Lack of education is one of the causes of social problems. People without good
education are at risk from a lifetime of poor diet, long manual working and
worsening mental health. Lack of education can have serious effects on children
and adults and can affect health, living conditions and social situations. Due to
lack of education, people do not take care of themselves because they are less
educated about topics such as family planning and proper hygiene.
SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS
The superstitious beliefs which are deeply rooted in Nepalese societies are also
promoting social problems. People believe in various traditions which would
not let an individual to progress. This happens because people are innocent.
They are not conscious about the consequences of their beliefs and practices.
Such people can be easily convinced and cheated. People in rural areas still visit
dhimmis and jhankris.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Our society is highly influenced by gender discrimination. Most of the domestic
decisions are finalized by the males. Most of the time discrimination may not be
visible on the surface. Even our religious scriptures are considered full of such
stories which show women under the Subjugation of their male counterpart
CASTE DISCRIMINATION:
Lots of people are victimized in the name of caste. This happens because people
have been divided as touchable and untouchables. This sort of discrimination
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occurs because the so-called higher caste does not regard others as fellow
human beings. They are not aware that everyone is born equal. Lack of
education, remaining stuck to old traditions, unwillingness to change, lack of
consciousness is at the core of such discrimination.

LACK OF GUIDANCE TO YOUNGSTERS

Many of the younger generation fall easily to bad habits. In the absence of
proper guidance and counselling they are involved in various anti- social
behaviour like stealing, robbery, murder, kidnapping etc. They prefer expensive
gadgets just to exhibit them in front of their friends. They feel proud when they
give a false impression of being rich and wealthy. They should not copy or get
impressed by the false life of the celebrities and expensive commercial movies.
Parents, teachers and educated members of the society should give proper
guidance and advise them.
NATURAL DISASTERS: Nature has been bountiful to man no doubt. But
man, often becomes a victim of its wrath. Floods, famines, cyclones,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami, outburst of contagious diseases, etc.
represent the furious faces of nature. Almost every year, lakhs of people in the
world become the victims of these extremes of nature. Man’s attempts to
control nature and its forces have not been complete and can never become so.
Somewhere at some time some people or the other will have to pay a great price
in the form of facing the wrath of nature.
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DANGERS: Nature is not the only source
causing danger to man’s life; man, himself creates conditions that often prove to
be not only harmful but even dangerous. Like political revolution, revolts,
communal riots, racial conflicts, terrorism, ethnic clashes, mass movements,
military rebellion, arson and loots, bomb explosions, etc., disturb even the
society which has a well-established organization.
SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS
The solution of the social problem is to be found in the problem itself. Social
problems refer to any undesirable condition that is opposed either by the whole
society or by a section of the society. Social problems and evils are the barriers
to development and progress.
SOME OF THE MAJOR SOLUTIONS ARE AS FOLLOW:
 Mass awareness
 Education
 Humanity

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  Positive attitude
 Tolerance
SOCIAL AGENCIES AND REMEDIAL MEASURES
These are the agencies that provide health, welfare and rehabilitation services.
The aim is to improve quality of life. Social agency can be a private or
government runs organisation.
SOCIETY
Introduction: A society is not only the group of people and their culture, but
the relationships between the people and the institutions within that group. All
human societies have a culture which can only exist where there is a society.
Sociologists distinguish between society and culture despite their close inter
connectedness primarily for analytical purposes. It allows sociologists to think
about societal development independent of culture and cultural change even
though societal change and development are contingent upon culture.
An extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic
organization. It is the persons, collectively considered, who live in any region or
any period; any community of individuals who are united together by a common
bond or nearness. Sociologists define society as the people who interact in such
a way as to share a common culture.
DEFINITION SOCIETY
SOCIETY: is a group of people usually found in the same geographical
location, interacting together and sharing common beliefs and values.
TYPE'S OF SOCIETY
Sociologists have classified the different types of societies into six categories,
1. Hunting and Gathering Societies
2. Pastoral Societies
3. Horticultural Societies
4. Agricultural Societies
5. Industrial Societies
6. Post Industrial Societies.
1. HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES: These are the earliest
form of society, the members survive primarily by hunting, trapping,
fishing and gathering edible plans. A hunting and gather society have five
characteristics. Family is the society's primary institution. Family
determines the distribution of food and how to socialize children.
These societies small compared to the others
They are nomadic, which means that they move constantly in order to
find food and water
They are mutually dependent upon each other
Although there is an equal division of labour among the members of
hunting and gather societies, there is a division of lab based on sex. Men
are typically responsible for hunting and women are gatherers.

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 2. PASTORAL SOCIETIES: It began around 12,000 years ago. They are
obtained through the domestication and breeding of animals for
transportation and food. Pastoral societies are common in areas where
crops cannot be supported.
3. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES: it started between 10,000 and
12,000 years ago probably within Latin America, Asia and parts of the
Middle East. These societies are mainly based on the cultivation of fruits,
vegetables and plants in order to survive. They are also referred to as
agrarian societies.
4. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES: The use of technology in order to
cultivated crops in larges areas, including rice and corn. The technology
advances led to an increase in food supplies and increase in population,
and development of trade centers. This period of technological changes is
referred to as the agricultural revolution.
5. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES: They developed with the industrial
revolution that started around 1769. The industrial revolution began with
England's improvement and used of steam engines as a way to power
machines.
EFFECT OF SOCIETY'S ON PEOPLE
Society affects everyone. It can cause a change in the behaviour and thoughts of
an individual.
Social influence- refers to the way in which individuals change their ideas
and actions to meet the demands of a social group, role authority etc.
TRADITION: is a belief or behaviour passed down within a group or society
with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. It is an
inherited pattern of thoughts or action. Tradition is from a Latin word Traders
which literally means to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping.
BELIEFS
DEFINITION OF BELIEFS: Belief means faith. Belief is the divine truth
without proof. Belief can also mean religions. For example, the Christian faith
and the Muslim faith. Faith is also trust, strong faith or unquestioning
confidence in somebody or something. For example: I have put my faith in God.
I have lost faith in that boy. I haven't much belief in this medicine.
BELIEF: is what a person knows or assumes to be true. Example is belief in
religion. It is also the acceptance of a fact, opinion or assertion as real or true
without immediate personal knowledge or proof. Beliefs may be held with
varying degree of certainty.
Why do we pray? We pray because we believe our prayer is a means of
communicating with God/Allah even though we do not see him.
Another form of belief is life after death. This is also common in traditional
religion. It is believed that on the death of a man man’s nature is enhanced in
the spirit world. The man or earth therefore believes that the spirit pleads to God
on his behalf. It us man’s belief in the spirit that has caused man to depend on
the spirit of the dead.
e.g. Roman Catholic Believe In:

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 1. Ash Wednesday - first day of lent fasting begins
2. Palm Sunday - the entry of Jesus in to Jerusalem
3. Good Friday - marks the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus
4. Easter Sunday - the resurrection of Jesus
5. All soul’s day - we go to the cemetery, pray with the dead, complain to
them what is happened at home and asked them to guide and protect us.
All in the name of belief.
Our parent also belief that their children must go to porro or bondo society bush
before he or she can be a complete man or woman.
TYPES OF BELIEFS
1. Religious beliefs
2. Society beliefs
3. Parental beliefs
4. Cultural beliefs
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE, SOCIETY AND NURSING
Culture and society are related. A culture consists of the objects of a society,
whereas a society consists of the people who share a common culture. Nurses in
their nursing practice will have to deal with people from diverse cultures. In
order to improve health care delivery and outcomes, nurses must develop the
cultural competence to serve patients from diverse cultures. Though a nurse
comes from and belong to a particular culture, yet he/she should not allow
his/her culture interfere with the quality of service he/she provides. The nurse
when delivering nursing services should know the patient’s cultural views on.
Health and wellness, death and dying, food beliefs and diet, religion, causes and
treatment of illness, and traditional or western medicine. This is because nursing
is practiced within a society with specific or various cultures.
INFLUENCE OR CULTURE ON HEALTH AND ILLNESS
One’s health and illness could be determined by one’s way of life, culture. In
fact, there are diseases known as life style diseases. Cultural beliefs such as
customs and traditions can dictate the kinds of food we eat, and even how we
prepare and eat our food. Gender roles and relationships, religion, fertility,
sexuality, childbirth, and role of family are all aspects of culture that can affect
our physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. Child marriage for
instance is causing increase in maternal and infant mortality. It can also cause
teenage pregnancy and birth complication.
Cultural Factors Affecting Acceptance and Utilization of Health Care Services
Some of the cultural factors that can determine acceptance and utilization of
health care services are as follows:
 Belief about causes and treatment of illness, disease (physical and
mental)
 Belief in traditional medicine (herbal medicine).
 Religious belief
 How they perceive health care workers and their action e.g. immunization
 Belief about who should deliver babies
 Customs

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  Traditions.

RELATIONSHIP IN HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS

Sociology and Hospital Organizations and Impact of Doctor, Nurse, Patient
Relationship
The hospital is a social structure and sociology is interested in how people
interact and form relationships here. The prominent and regular interaction and
relationship observed are the doctor-nurse, doctor-patient, and nurse patient
relationships. The hospital is organized in such way as to allow amicable
interaction. This is guided by hierarchy and ethical principles. The goal of the
relationship is to provide the best care possible and restore the health of
patients.
INTER AND INTRA PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Inter professional relationship: is the interaction between and among the various
professionals in the hospitals and health care settings. Nurses, doctors,
pharmacist, radiologist and laboratory technicians. The contribution of each of
these professionals is vital in achieving the best patient outcome, which is the
goal of their interaction. Presently, in health care delivery there is push for
holistic care, team work. No one profession should consider their services more
important than others.
Intra professional relationship: is the interaction within and among members of
a particular profession. Example, the interaction within and among nurses, chief
nursing officer, matron, sisters, staff midwives, in-charges, staff nurses, and
train nurses. Indeed, nurse don't work alone, they consult and collaborate with
colleagues to achieve the best possible patient outcome.
NURSE-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
The relationship between the nurse and patient is fiduciary in nature, which
means it is based on tract. The nurse trusts the patient to disclose all the
information that may be relevant to his or her condition or illness, and to be
truthful while disclosing it. In return, the patient trusts the nurse to maintain
high standards of competence, to protect the confidentiality of private
information; and to carry out his or her work in the best interests of the patient
rather than taking advantage of the patient’s vulnerability. Nurses are obligated
to act according to ethical and legal standards.
Role Functions: Independent, interdependent and Dependent Functions
Independent Functions - Despite the interaction among health professionals
there are certain times when they act independent of others. Example, when a
patient rigor and is sweating a nurse will immediately start tepid sponging.
INTERDEPENDENT FUNCTION
These are the actions that taken in consultation and
collaboration with other health professionals. Example the doctor depends on
the nurse
for information on the response of the patient, and the nurse depends on the
doctor for information on dosage and frequency of a medication to administer.
Are the actions that are based on the decision of another

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Dependent Function professional. Example, the nurse will only admit a patient
in the ward only when the doctor decided that the patient be admitted.
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR EFFECT ON INDIVIDUALS
Social institution consist of a group of people who have come together for a
common purpose. These institutions are a part of the social order of society and
them govern behaviour and expectations of individuals.
THE BASIC INSTITUTION SIN SOCIETY INCLUDE: THE FAMILY,
SCHOOL, RELIGION.
Each society teachers its concepts, values and accepted behaviours to its
children. This is largely accomplished by social institutions such as the home,
school and church or mosque such systematic institutions, together with the
examples set by adults or other models tends to make for some degree of
uniformity and to establish what may be called the basic personality type of the
particular society.
THE FAMILY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION.
Family is the first agent of socialization, mothers and fathers, siblings and
grandparents, plus member of an extended family, all teach a child what he or
she needs to know for e.g. they show the child how to use. Objects such as
eating intensely, clothes, bikes etc. how to relate to others (some as family;
others as friend, still others as strangers or teachers or neighbours) socialization
involves includes teaching and learning about an unending array of objects and
ideas.
Families do not socialize children alone; many social factors affect the way a
family reuses its children. Fore give can use sociological imagination to
recognize that an individual behaviour and affected by the historical period in
which the take place. Sixty years ago, it would not have been considered
especially strict for a father to hit his son with a wooden spoon or a belt it he
misbehaved, but today that same action might be considered child abuse.
The family is the most important social institution serving as the means of
transferring culture from one stage to another. The family is a socially
recognized group (usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation or adoption)
that forms an emotional connection and serves as an economic unit of society.
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL AS A SOCIALIZING WENT
One social agency created to enhance the processes of socialization and
education is the school. The school can be regarded as a formally constituted
community set up for the of socialization and cultural transmission purpose.
It is the second most important agency of socialization. Schooling has been
defined by Biddle as 'the appear once of organized instructional activity in
which the position of the teacher is differentiated from other positions in the
system and given the explicit task of socializing neophytes'.
The school is the first large scale organization of which the child becomes a
member one way of appreciating the school's potential for socialization lies in
the simple reckoning of the amount of time children spend in school and in
school related activities. The school combines the formal (e.g. classroom

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teaching, caning suspension, expulsions, prizes) and informal (e.g. Peer group
influences) approaches in its socializing function.

SCHOOLS PERFORM THE FUNCTION OF SOCIALIZATION

THROUGH:
1. The curriculum - this provides the child with knowledge of book
intellectual skills studies as reading, writing, quantitative and other
cognitive abilities.
2. Educational systems socialize students to become members of society, to
play meaningful roles in the complex network of independent positions.
3. Education helps in shaping values and attitudes to the needs of the
contemporary society.
4. Education widens the mental horizons of pupils and teacher them new
ways of looking at themselves and their society.
5. Education offers young people opportunities for intellectual emotional
and social growth. Thus, education can be influential in promoting new
values and stimulating adaptation of chancing conditions.
6. The school enables the child to learn a number of other social roles and
skills which are also important for his/her overall development as a
member of society for e.g. education teaches the laws, traditions and
norms of the community.
Education teaches how to share things and ideas
Education teaches how to compete responsibly
Schooling installs the community's pattern of respect, thus how to relate to
others well and obey rules.

RELIGION AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

Religion is the set of beliefs and practices regarding sacred things that help a
society understand the meaning and purpose of life. Because it is such an
important social institution, religion has long been a key sociological topic.
Smile Durkheim observed long ago that every society has belief about things
that are supernatural and awe-inspiring and beliefs about things that are more
practical and down-to-earth he called the former beliefs sacred beliefs and the
latter beliefs protean beliefs.
Durkheim tried to understand the role played by religion in social life and the
impact on religion of social structure and social change.
When families attend religious services or put up decorative in honour of a
holiday, they are teaching their children about their religion and how to observe
it. By engaging in these activities and traditions, children are united with others
of the same religion around the world. In this way, families teach their own
culture as well as the culture of the society at large. Religions based on the
belief in a single deity are monotheistic. Those that encompass many deities are
polytheistic.
Sociologists group religious organization into three categories:
Church/mosque, sect and cult.

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A church/mosque is a religious group integrated with society
A sect is a religious group that sets itself apart from society as a whole
Cult is a religious group that is outside standard cultural norms typically
centered on a charismatic leader.
Generally, there are five types of socialization, primary, secondary,
developmental, anticipatory and socialization.
PRIMARY SOCIALIZATION: This type of socialization happens when a
child learns the values, norms and behaviours that should be displayed in order
to live according to specific culture e.g. a child hears his father speak absence
language. The child would think that this behaviour socially acceptable, so he
would to the same toilet training is another.
SECONDARY SOCIALIZATION: This type of socialization occurs when a
person learns an appropriate behaviour to be displayed within a smaller group
which is still part of a larger society. The changes within the values, attitudes
and beliefs of an individual are seen to be less important than the changes made
in him as he participates in the larger society. E.g. a senior secondary school
student chooses a career in nursing after participating in a small group career
seminar led by nursing students.
DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIALIZATION: This type of socialization involves
a learning process wherein the focus is on developing our social skills e.g. a shy
senior secondary school student becomes a leader of their L & DS team in order
to develop verbal communication.
ANTICIPATORY SOCIALIZATION: This type of socialization refers to the
process wherein a person practices or rehearses for future social relationships.
E.g. A child anticipate parenthood as he observes his parents perform their daily
roles, rehearsing for a job interview.

SOCIALIZATION
Generally, refers to the process of socialization through which a person
acquires. Socialization is the process through which individual's acquire beliefs,
values, social norms and practices that allow them to successfully interact with
society. (Goncii and Gavain, 2012, Rogott, 2003).
Socialization, therefore addresses two important problems of social life, the
problem of societal continuity and the problem of human development. Because
of its broad scope and importance, socialization is claimed as a major process
by most social science disciplines. Different disciplines, however, have
emphasized different aspects of this process.
Anthropology tends to view socialization primarily as cultural transmission
from one generation to the next.
Psychologists are more likely to emphasize various aspects of the individual's
development.
For developmental psychologists, socialization in largely a matter of cognitive
development that typical viewed as a combination of social influences and
maintaining.

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For behavioural psychologists, socialization is synonymous with learning
patterns of behaviours, primarily through environmental reinforcement or
through the vicarious process such as modelling.
For clinical psychologists, socialization is viewed as the establishment of
personality traits, usually in the context of early childhood experiences.
RESOCIALIZATION: This type of socialization involves effecting previous
behaviour patterns and accepting new so the individual can shift from one part
of his life to another. Resocialization is said to be happening throughout human
life cycle. For e.g. when a criminal is rehabilitated, he has to change his role
radically.

FEATURES OF SOCIALIZATION
Socialization inculcates basic discipline: a person learns to control his impulses.
He may show a discipline behaviour to gain social approval.
Socialization helps to control human behaviours. An individual from birth to
death undergoes training and his behaviours is controlled by numerous ways. In
order to maintain the social order, there are definite procedures or mechanism in
society. These procedures become part of the personal life and the person gets
adjusted to the society. Through socialization, society intend to control the
behaviours if its members unconsciously.
Socialization takes place formally and informally: formal socialization occurs
through direct instruction and education schools and colleges. Family is
however, there primary
TRADITION
TRADITION: is a belief or behaviour passed down within a group or society
with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. It is an
inherited pattern of thoughts or action. Tradition is from an Eatin word Trader
which literally means to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping.
A tradition is a belief or behaviour (folk xuatome) passed down within a group
or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the
past. A component of folklore, common example includes holidays or
impractical but socially meaningful clothes (Likely lawyer's wigs or military
officer's spurs), but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as
greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years to social
norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of
years the word tradition itself derives from the Latin trader literally meaning to
transmit, to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. While it is
commonly assumed that traditions have ancient history, many traditions have
been invented on purpose, whether that be political or cultural, over short
periods of time. Various academic disciplines also us the word in a variety of
ways.
The concept of tradition, in early sociological research (around the turn of the
19th and 20th century), referred to that of the traditional society, as contrasted
by the more modern traditional society. This approach was most notably
portrayed in Max Weber's concepts of authority and modern rational-legal

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authority. In more modern works, one hundred years later, sociology sees
tradition as a social construct used to contrast past with the present and as a
form of rationality used to justify certain course of actions.
Traditional society is characterized by lack of distinction between family and
business, division of lab out influenced primarily by age, gender, and status
high position of custom in the system of values, self-sufficiency, preference to
saving and accumulation of capital instead of productive investment, relative
autarky.

Traditional society is characterized by lack of distinction between family and

business, division of labour influenced primarily by age, gender, and status,
high position of custom in the system of values, self-sufficiency, preference to
saving and accumulation of capital instead of productive investment, relative
autarky. [12] Early theories positing the simple, unilineal evolution of societies
from traditional to industrial model are now seen as too: simplistic.[12]
In 1981 Edward Shils in his book Tradition put forward a definition of tradition
that became universally accepted. [12] According to Shits, tradition is anything
which is transmitted or handed down from the past to the present. [12]
Another important sociological aspect of tradition is the one that relates to
rationality. It is also related to the works of Max Weber (see theories of
rationality), and were popularized and redefined in 1992 by Raymond Boudon
in his book Action.[12] In this context tradition refers to the mode of thinking
and action justified as "it has always been that way".[12] This line of reasoning
forms the basis of the logical flaw of the appeal to tradition (or argumentum ad
antiquitatem),[31] which takes the form "this is right because we've always
done it this way."[32] In most cases such an appeal can be refuted on the
grounds that the "tradition" being advocated may no longer be desirable, or,
indeed, may never have been despite its previous popularity.
WHAT IS TRADITION IN SOCIOLOGY?
In sociology, traditional society refers to a society characterized by an
orientation to the past. not the future, with a predominant role for custom and
habit. Such societies are marked by a hack of distinction between family and
business, with the division of labour influenced primarily by age, gender, and
status.

TYPES OF TRADITION
Myth. A traditional story that is retold by successive generations to relay culture
or knowledge. Storytelling. Traditional storytelling that is factual or that admits
to being fictional.
 Language.
 Knowledge.
 Norms.
 Etiquette.
 Systems.
 Authority.

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FUNCTION OF TRADITION
Traditions represent a critical piece of our culture. They help form the structure,
and foundation of our families and our society. They remind us that we are part
of a history that defines our past, shapes who we are today and who we are
likely to become. Once we ignore the meaning of our traditions, we're in danger
of damaging the underpinning of our identity.
Tradition contributes a sense of comfort and belonging. It brings families
together and enables people to reconnect with friends.
Tradition reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education,
personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless.
Tradition provides a forum to showcase role models and celebrate the things
that really matter in life.
Tradition offers a chance to say "thank you" for the contribution that someone
has made.
Tradition enables us to showcase the principles of our Founding Fathers,
celebrate diversity, and unite as a country.
Tradition serves as an avenue for creating lasting memories for our families and
friends
Tradition offers an excellent context for meaningful pause and reflection.
As leaders, role models, and parents, we must strive to utilize every opportunity
available to us to reinforce the values and beliefs that we hold dear. The
alternative to action is taking these values for granted. The result is that our
beliefs will get so diluted, over time, that our way of life will become foreign to
us. It's like good health. You may take it for granted until you lose it. If we
disregard our values. we'll open our eyes one day and won't be able recognize
“our world" anymore. The values that support the backbone of our country, our
family, and our faith will have drifted for so long that the fabric of our society
will be torn.
TYPES OF ORAL TRADITIONS
Oral Traditions come in many forms
 Stories
 songs
 dances
 narratives
 oratory
these traditions are expressed in many ways:
 family crests
 totem poles
 baskets
 petroglyphs
 paintings
 masks
 blankets
 pictographs
 carvings

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MYTHS
Myth attempts to explain the world, culture and society.
Most myths concern events which are not regarded as having taken place in the
past.
Myths have religious character, and they are therefore transmitted with carer -
They are very valuable, source particularly in the area of beliefs, religion,
TYPES OF ORAL TRADITIONS
 Myths
 Legends
 Folk Tales
 Tall Tales
 Fables
 Epics
SOCIALIZATION
DEFINITION
Socialization refers to a process in which an individual accepts a given set of
cultural norms and becomes a member of a given society.
Every society has its unique pattern of social behaviour. The process by which
an individual learns the behavioural patterns of the society he lives in, thus
transforming himself from a natural man into a socialized man, is called
socialization.
Socialization is the lifelong process of social interaction through which
individuals acquire a self-identity and the physical, mental, and social skills
needed for survival in society (Kendall, 2008)
DEFINING SOCIALIZATION
Anderson and Parker: “Socialization is a learning process of development of
habits, attitudes and traits that differentiate individual from one another.”
Lundberg, “Socialization is a process of interaction where the individual learns
habits, skills, beliefs and standard of judgments which are necessary for
effective participation at social groups and communities.”
Macionis, J.J: “Socialization refers to the lifelong social experience by which
people develop their human potential and learn culture
SIGNIFICANACE OF SOCIALIZATION
Socialization is significant to individuals and society
it is essential for the individual’s survival and for human development.

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The many people who met the early material and social needs of each of us
were central to our establishing our own identity.
Socialization is also important for the survival and stability of society. Members
of a society must be socialized to support and maintain the existing social
structure.
Socialization enables a society to “reproduce” itself by passing on its culture
from one generation to the next.
AGENTS AND AGENCIES OF SOCIALIZATION:
Agents and agencies of socialization are the persons, groups, or institutions that
teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society.
In general, Agents are people involved in our socialization while Agencies
represent the organizations involved in our socialization.
Institutions pass on expectations about appropriate social behaviour:
 Family
 Media
 Peers
 Religion
THE FAMILY
Families introduce children to the expectations of society. The kind of human
being that we become depends greatly on the particular society and social
groups that surround us at birth and during early childhood.
How parents define and treat a child is crucial to the development of the child’s
sense of self.
Through close interaction with parents and small number of others, child:
 Learns to think and speak
 Internalizes norms, beliefs, and values
 Learns gender roles
 Develops capacity for intimate and personal relationships
 Begins to develop a self-image…
Studies show that families socialize their children somewhat differently based
on race, ethnicity, and class (Kohn, 1977; Kohn et al., 1990; Harrison et al.,
1990).
Social class (as measured by parental occupation) is one of the strongest
influences on what and how parents teach their children.

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Working-class parents, typically emphasize to their children the importance of
obedience and conformity. On the other hand, parents from the middle and
professional classes, socialize their children in a way to make their own
decisions and to be creative.
GENDER SOCIALIZATION:
Parents raise their daughters and sons quite differently as they interact with
them from birth.
Parents help their girls learn how to act and think “like girls,” and they help
their boys learn how to act and think “like boys.” That is, they help their
daughters and sons learn their gender (Wood, 2009).
For example,
they are gentler with their daughters and rougher with their sons.
They give their girls dolls to play with, and their sons guns.
Girls may be made of “sugar and spice and everything nice” and boys
something quite different, but their parents help them greatly, for better or
worse, to turn out that way.

Socialization is not a unitary process Different categories of people will

participate in socialization in different ways: One of the most important of those
differences is gender Most differences between sexes are cultural, not
biological.
GENDER SOCIALIZATION: Learning cultural expectations of masculinity
and femininity from birth, parents treat girls and boys in “gender appropriate”
ways. As they grow up, boys and girls face different expectations, are assigned
different tasks, and learn about typical male and female domestic and
occupational roles.

2. THE SCHOOL
Structured - the emphasis is on acquiring skills that enable the students to fit
into a larger society
Most socialization is deliberate: schools teach specific knowledge and skills,
they also have a profound effect on children’s self-image, beliefs, and values.
As children enter school for the first time, they are evaluated and systematically
compared with one another by the teacher.

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Schools socialize children by teaching them their formal curriculum but also a
hidden curriculum.
The formal curriculum is the “three Rs”: Reading, wRiting, and Arithmetic.
The Hidden Curriculum consists of the informal and often subtle messages
about social roles conveyed through classroom interaction and materials.
Respect Authority. Sit in rows, please their teachers, Positive history of the
country’s past. Sing songs to praise their country.
There is also a hidden curriculum that schools impart, and that is the cultural
values of the society in which the schools are found.
The Hidden Curriculum consists of the informal and often subtle messages
about social roles conveyed through classroom interaction and materials.
RESPECT AUTHORITY.
Sit in rows, please their teachers,
Positive history of the country’s past.
Sing songs to praise their country.
Extracurricular activities teach; teamwork, practice Unintentional/ unstructured
socialization – some teachers and peers become role models for students Peer
groups are abundant in school

3. PEER GROUP
A peer group is a group of people who are linked by common interests, equal
social position, and (usually) similar age.
The first peer group is the neighbourhood play group; with little or no choice
Later in life, peer groups become more influential in school and the workplace;
Unlike the neighbourhood playgroups, in the school the child gets to choose his
own friends.
Peers influence our tastes in music, clothes, and so many other aspects of our
lives. We often want to obtain same valued material (such as toys, wrist watch
or cell phones) which our peers possess.
We rely on them for fun, for emotional comfort and support, and for
companionship.
Peer also offer a chance to discuss interests that adults may not share with their
children or permit (e.g. music, drugs etc).
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Unlike families and schools, peer groups provide children and adolescents with
some degree of freedom from parents and other authority figures.
Peer Pressure; To be accepted by our peers we often behave certain ways– we
try to be the kind of person we think they want us to be
Desire to fit in - there’s a focus on group interests and acquiring skills needed to
fit into a subculture (underage smoking, delinquency)
4. MASS MEDIA
Mass media; Forms of communication that reach large audiences with no
personal contact between those sending and receiving the information – TV,
newspaper, radio, films, magazines, Internet, etc…
Profound impact on both children and adults
Electronic media- the most influential
Television shows, movies, popular music, magazines, Web sites, and other
aspects of the mass media influence our political views; our tastes in popular
culture; our views of women, Mullah, and Khwajasara; and many other beliefs
and practices.
Commercials can greatly influence our choice of soda, shoes, mobile sim
service, soap, shampoo, dress, and countless other products
Studies have also shown that exposure to violence in the media can contribute
to aggressive behaviour, insensitivity to violence.
The media function as socializing agents in several ways:
(1) they inform us about events;
(2) they introduce us to a wide variety of people;
(3) they provide an array of viewpoints on current issues;
(4) They make us aware of products and services that, if we purchase them, will
supposedly help us to be accepted by others.
THE PROCESS OF RESOCIALIZATION
 Resocialization-the process of abandoning one or more social positions in
favour of others that are more suitable for a newly acquired status
 Resocialization is the process of learning a new and different set of
attitudes, values, and behaviours from those in one’s background and
previous experience.
 Resocialization may be voluntary or involuntary.

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