1. Introduction to sociology

2. Sociology:
• A systematic study of human societies
• The analysis of the structure of social
relationships as constituted by social
interaction

3. Ideology
• Refers to a set of beliefs covering everything
from scientific knowledge, to religion, to every
day beliefs about proper conduct irrespective
of whether it is true or false.
• Ideology can be defined as a tightly knit body
of beliefs organized around a few central
values.

4. Dominant Ideology
• A set of beliefs about the social world and the
way it works or should work
• These beliefs tend to benefit the powerful and
have the capacity to “distort reality”

5. Culture and Behaviour
• Culture directs actions
and defines attitudes
• Culture defines
accepted ways to
behave

6. Socialisation
• This is the process by which the individual
learns the culture of their society
• Primary Socialisation- FAMILY
• Other socialisation agents –Peers, educational
system, the media, gender, occupational
group, social class and stratification.

7. Norms
• These are guidelines which direct conduct in
particular situations.e.g dress codes
• Norms are enforced by “positive” (rewards) and
“negative”(punishment) sanctions
• Norms can be sanctioned informally
• Formalised norms can be Laws enforced by official
sanctions. These sanctions are mechanisms of social
control and are used to maintain order.

8. Status
• This is a social position
e.g. Occupational, family
and gender
• Honour, prestige and power
is bestowed on the individual
by ones status
• Statuses are culturally
defined

9. Hegemony
A term to describe how
the domination of one
class over others is
achieved by a
combination of political
and ideological means.
(Gramsci,1971)