Component 1: Socialisation and Culture

Component 1: Socialisation and Culture is a foundational topic in WJEC A-Level Sociology. It explores how individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviours of their society through socialisation, and how culture shapes identity and social life. The topic covers key concepts such as nature versus nurture, primary and secondary socialisation, and the diversity of cultures, including subcultures and globalisation. Understanding this component is crucial because it underpins all other sociological topics, from education to crime, by explaining how we become social beings.

This component matters because it challenges the idea that our behaviour is purely biological. Sociologists argue that we are products of our social environment, and by studying socialisation and culture, you will learn to critically evaluate how institutions like the family, education, media, and peer groups shape our beliefs and actions. It also introduces you to key sociological perspectives, including functionalism, Marxism, feminism, and postmodernism, which offer different explanations for how socialisation maintains or challenges social order.

In the wider WJEC A-Level Sociology course, Component 1 provides the theoretical toolkit for analysing all other topics. For example, when studying the family, you'll apply concepts of primary socialisation; when examining education, you'll consider how secondary socialisation transmits cultural capital. Mastery of this component is essential for achieving high marks in essays and synoptic questions, as it allows you to draw connections across the entire specification.