Culture and Identity | AQA A-Level Sociology (7192)
Culture and Identity
- 68 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 2: Topics in Sociology, two of eight
- Paper 2
Culture and Identity is one of the optional topics on Paper 2.
It runs from the different meanings of culture through the agencies that socialise us, to how identity is caused and constructed, and how consumption and globalisation have changed it.
Sample questions from Culture and Identity
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Conceptions of culture
What two features are commonly associated with mass culture?
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Commercialisation and standardisation. -
Conceptions of culture
What is low culture?
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Low culture refers to cultural products and activities considered to lack intellectual or aesthetic merit, often associated with entertainment for the masses. -
Socialisation and the agencies of socialisation
How does secondary socialisation differ from primary socialisation in terms of timing and agencies involved?
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Secondary socialisation occurs later in life through agencies beyond the family, whereas primary socialisation occurs in early childhood mainly within the family. -
Socialisation and the agencies of socialisation
How might peer group socialisation relate to family socialisation?
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Peer groups may either reinforce or challenge the socialisation received from the family. -
The self, identity and difference
What does it mean to say that identity is socially caused?
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It means that social structures, institutions and processes shape the identities available to individuals. -
The self, identity and difference
Give an example of how the meaning attached to an identity category might differ across cultures or time periods.
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The meaning of 'old age' varies between societies — in some cultures elderly people are revered as wise, while in others they may be seen as dependent or unproductive, showing that the identity category is not naturally fixed but culturally defined. -
Identity, age, disability, ethnicity, gender and class
What is ethnic identity?
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Ethnic identity refers to a sense of belonging to a group based on shared cultural heritage, ancestry, language, religion or traditions. -
Identity, age, disability, ethnicity, gender and class
What is national identity?
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National identity refers to a sense of belonging to a nation, involving shared symbols, history, language and cultural practices.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptions of culture | Subculture, mass, folk, high, low, popular and global culture, and why the high and low distinction is socially constructed. | 15 |
| Socialisation and the agencies of socialisation | Primary and secondary socialisation, and the part played by family, education, peers, media, religion and work. | 11 |
| The self, identity and difference | The self, identity and difference, and the debate between identity as socially caused and as socially constructed. | 13 |
| Identity, age, disability, ethnicity, gender and class | How identity relates to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, nationality, sexuality and class, and hybrid identities. | 17 |
| Identity, production, consumption and globalisation | The shift from work-based to consumption-based identity, cultural homogenisation and resistance, and glocalisation. | 12 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Sociology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,116 questions with their answers.