What is culture?

    OCR
    A-Level

    This topic introduces the fundamental sociological concepts of culture, norms, and values. It explores the relative nature of culture, the various types of culture (subculture, high, popular, global, and consumer), and the concepts of cultural diversity and cultural hybridity.

    0
    Objectives
    3
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    0
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    Quick Revision Summary (Key Takeaway)

    Culture refers to the shared norms, values, beliefs, and practices that characterise a group or society, shaping individual behaviour and social identity. In OCR A-Level Sociology, culture is studied alongside concepts like norms, values, roles, and socialisation to understand how societies maintain order and how subcultures and multiculturalism challenge dominant cultural forms.

    Topic Overview

    Culture is a foundational concept in sociology, referring to the shared norms, values, beliefs, and practices that bind a society together. It is not biological but learned through socialisation, and it provides individuals with a framework for understanding the world and their place in it. In OCR A-Level Sociology, you will explore how culture is transmitted, how it varies across societies and groups, and how it relates to power and inequality.

    Understanding culture is essential for analysing social order, social change, and identity. It connects to topics like families, education, and crime, as these institutions both shape and are shaped by culture. For example, the education system transmits the dominant culture, while subcultures may resist it. Culture is also central to debates about multiculturalism and national identity in contemporary UK society.

    This topic is assessed through short answer questions, essays, and source-based questions. You will need to define key terms, apply sociological theories, and evaluate different perspectives. A strong grasp of culture will help you excel in the 'Socialisation, Culture and Identity' component of the exam.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Norms: unwritten rules of behaviour that are socially acceptable, e.g., queuing in the UK.
    • →Values: shared beliefs about what is important or desirable, e.g., individual freedom.
    • →Cultural diversity: the variety of cultures within a society, including subcultures and ethnic groups.
    • →Socialisation: the process of learning culture, including primary (family) and secondary (school, media) socialisation.
    • →Cultural relativism: the idea that cultures should be understood on their own terms, not judged by another culture's standards.

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Understanding of the relative nature of culture, norms, and values
    • Ability to define and distinguish between types of culture (subculture, high, popular, global, consumer)
    • Understanding of cultural diversity and cultural hybridity
    • Effective use of cross-cultural material to illustrate sociological points

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Understanding of the relative nature of culture, norms, and values
    • Ability to define and distinguish between types of culture (subculture, high, popular, global, consumer)
    • Understanding of cultural diversity and cultural hybridity
    • Effective use of cross-cultural material to illustrate sociological points

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Ensure you can provide specific examples for each type of culture listed in the specification
    • 💡Practice applying the concept of 'relativity' to different cultural norms and values
    • 💡Use cross-cultural comparisons to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of cultural diversity
    • 💡Always define culture using sociological terms (norms, values, beliefs) and give a specific example to illustrate.
    • 💡When evaluating cultural diversity, use a range of perspectives (functionalist, Marxist, feminist, postmodern) to show depth.
    • 💡Link culture to other topics like identity, socialisation, and power to demonstrate synoptic understanding.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Failing to use cross-cultural examples to demonstrate the relativity of culture
    • Confusing the definitions of different types of culture (e.g., high culture vs. popular culture)
    • Treating culture as a static or universal concept rather than a relative one
    • Misconception: Culture is the same as society. Correction: Society refers to a group of people living together, while culture is the shared meanings and practices they create.
    • Misconception: Culture is fixed and unchanging. Correction: Culture is dynamic and evolves over time due to globalisation, migration, and social change.
    • Misconception: Everyone in a society shares the same culture. Correction: Societies are culturally diverse, with subcultures and countercultures that may challenge the dominant culture.

    Revision Plan

    How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks

    1. 1Week 1: Learn the core definitions of culture, norms, values, and socialisation. Create flashcards and mind maps.
    2. 2Week 2: Explore cultural diversity and subcultures. Read case studies and watch documentaries on UK subcultures.
    3. 3Week 3: Practice exam questions, focusing on defining and evaluating culture. Use past papers and mark schemes.
    4. 4Week 4: Revise by teaching the topic to a peer or writing a timed essay. Review examiner feedback.

    Exam Question Types

    How this topic typically appears in the exam

    • 📋Short answer questions (2-4 marks) asking to define or explain a concept, e.g., 'Define culture and give an example.'
    • 📋Structured questions (6-8 marks) requiring application of concepts to a source or scenario.
    • 📋Essay questions (12-20 marks) evaluating a statement, e.g., 'Evaluate the view that culture is a source of social solidarity.'
    • 📋Source-based questions where you analyse a text or data on cultural diversity.

    Command Word Expectations (OCR)

    What examiners look for when using specific command words in this specification

    Define

    Provide a precise, sociological definition of the term, often with an example. No evaluation needed.

    Explain

    Give reasons or causes, showing how and why something occurs. Use sociological concepts and examples.

    Evaluate

    Assess the strengths and weaknesses of a view or theory, using evidence and sociological arguments. Reach a balanced conclusion.

    How Students Lose Marks (Examiner Pitfalls)

    Common mark loss traps and how to write 100% full-mark answers

    Pitfall: Students often confuse 'culture' with 'society' or 'identity', and fail to distinguish between the abstract concept of culture and its concrete manifestations. They also neglect to apply the concept to specific sociological theories.
    ❌ Weak Answer (Loses Marks):Culture is the way of life of a group of people, like their food, music, and clothes.
    ✅ 100% Model Answer (Full Marks):Culture refers to the shared norms, values, beliefs, and practices that are learned and transmitted through socialisation. It provides a framework for interpreting the world and guides behaviour. For example, in the UK, the value of individualism is reflected in norms around personal achievement and competition, which are reinforced through institutions like education and the media.
    Examiner Tip: Always define culture using sociological terminology (norms, values, beliefs) and link it to socialisation and social order. Use specific examples from UK society to illustrate your points.
    Pitfall: Students often describe cultural diversity without explaining the sociological significance, such as how multiculturalism challenges the idea of a single 'national culture' or how subcultures resist dominant norms.
    ❌ Weak Answer (Loses Marks):The UK is multicultural, so there are many different cultures living together.
    ✅ 100% Model Answer (Full Marks):Cultural diversity in the UK is a result of globalisation and migration, leading to a multicultural society. This challenges the notion of a single, homogeneous British culture. For example, the existence of subcultures like punk or goth demonstrates that not everyone shares the same norms and values. Sociologists like Stuart Hall argue that culture is a site of struggle, where dominant groups attempt to impose their culture, while subordinate groups resist and create alternative identities.
    Examiner Tip: When discussing cultural diversity, always link it to sociological concepts like power, ideology, and resistance. Use examples of subcultures or ethnic minority cultures to show how they relate to the dominant culture.

    Step-by-Step Worked Solutions

    Detailed solution breakdown for typical exam problems

    Question: Identify and explain two ways in which culture shapes individual identity. (4 marks)

    1. 1.Step 1: Define culture and identity briefly.
    2. 2.Step 2: Identify the first way: culture provides a set of norms and values that individuals internalise through socialisation, shaping their sense of self. Explain with an example, e.g., gender roles.
    3. 3.Step 3: Identify the second way: culture offers a shared language and symbols that allow individuals to communicate and express their identity. Explain with an example, e.g., religious symbols.
    4. 4.Step 4: Conclude by linking back to the question.
    Final Answer: Culture shapes identity by providing norms and values that individuals internalise, such as gender roles, and by offering shared symbols and language, like religious dress, which individuals use to express their belonging.

    Question: Evaluate the view that British culture is becoming more diverse. (12 marks)

    1. 1.Step 1: Define cultural diversity and British culture.
    2. 2.Step 2: Present arguments for diversity: migration, globalisation, multiculturalism, examples of hybrid identities.
    3. 3.Step 3: Present arguments against: dominant culture persists, ethnocentrism, assimilation pressures.
    4. 4.Step 4: Use sociological theories: functionalism (culture as shared value consensus), Marxism (culture as ruling class ideology), postmodernism (fragmentation of culture).
    5. 5.Step 5: Reach a conclusion that acknowledges both perspectives but weighs evidence.
    Final Answer: British culture is becoming more diverse due to migration and globalisation, but this is contested. While multiculturalism and hybrid identities are evident, the dominant culture still exerts influence, and there are forces of assimilation. Therefore, the view is partially supported, but it is an ongoing process.

    Active Recall Memory Test

    Test your memory before revealing the key facts

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic understanding of socialisation and identity.
    • •Familiarity with key sociological perspectives (functionalism, Marxism, feminism).
    • •Knowledge of contemporary UK society and cultural diversity.

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Define
    Explain
    Describe
    Discuss
    Analyse

    Ready to test yourself?

    Practice questions tailored to this topic

    Related Topics in OCR A-Level Sociology

    Research methods and researching social inequalities

    View Topic

    What is the impact of digital forms of communication in a global context?

    View Topic

    Introducing socialisation, culture and identity

    View Topic

    What is socialisation?

    View Topic