SOCIETY AND CULTURE
THE PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE
THE PRELIMINARY COURSE
The Preliminary course is made up of three topics, The Social and Cultural World, Personal and Social Identity and Intercultural Identity.
The focus of the first two topics, The Social and Cultural World and Personal and Social Identity, will be based on psychology and sociology. By looking at different theories of growth and development we will better understand why teenagers act and think the way they do! To help us we will watch some teen movies and analyse how Hollywood depicts teenagers and to what extent this influences Australian teenagers and Australian society. The first two topics will help us to learn ways of gathering, recording and presenting information, this is referred to as research methodology. The focus of the third unit, Intercultural Identity, will be based on anthropology. By studying tribal societies we will better understand the way all societies are organized, how societies retain their traditions and how they adjust to change over time. This topic will also help us to learn research methodologies.
The Preliminary course overlaps with the HSC. All information, concepts and skills taught in the Preliminary course are integrated in the HSC course and may be examined in the HSC exam. The Preliminary course will be examined by three tests in Term One valued at 30%, 30% and 40% respectively.
HSC CORE
An important part of the core unit, Social and Cultural Continuity and Change, is the study of a selected country. Our selected country is Afghanistan. We will study the traditions of Afghanistan and the way Afghanistan is adjusting to change.
The core topic, Selected Country, will be examined by short answer questions and multiple choice questions.
The Personal Interest Project is also an important part of the core topic, Social and Cultural Continuity and Change. It is worth 40% of your HSC mark. You are able to choose your own topic as long as it is related to the Society and Culture course. You must carry out your own research on a topic that is personally interesting to you. The examiners want you to show them that you understand the skills of research methodology, that is, how to gather, record and present information.
Social and Cultural Continuity and Change will be examined by a short answer question exam and an extended response valued at 20%.
HSC DEPTH STUDIES
Our first depth study topic is Popular Culture. The focus of this study is the interconnection between the individual and popular culture. The student may choose a popular culture as a focus study such as a music genre or a film genre.
Our second Depth Study topic is Equality and Difference. This topic analyses prejudice and discrimination in society and looks for solutions to the inequalities brought about by prejudice and discrimination.
The Depth Studies are assessed by one essay per topic written under exam conditions valued at 25% each.
THE PRELIMINARY COURSE
The Preliminary Course is made of three topics, Personal and Social Identity, Intercultural Communication, and The Social and Cultural World.
Personal and Social Identity will be assessed through a written response on the theories of Erikson and Piaget on human development. This is valued at 20 marks.
Intercultural Communication will be assessed by the presentation of a project on a tribal society. This is valued at 40 marks.
The Social and Cultural World will be assessed through a class test on terms and key concepts relevant to Society and Culture. The terms include key concepts, social and cultural literacy, micro and macro world and socialisation.. The Social and Cultural World will also be assessed by testing your knowledge of methodology, this means ways of finding, gathering, analysing and presenting data. This is valued at 40 marks.
SOCIALISATION
Socialisation: The process by which we grow and develop and learn to become members of society, by internalising the norms and values of society, and learning to perform social roles.
Society and Culture explores the discipline of psychology. It is interesting to see how famous psychologists and sociologists explained the process of growing and developing from infancy to adulthood. We will look at the theories of Piaget and Erikson.
Erik Erikson was concerned about teenagers and identity.
He believed the teenage years were an opportunity for individuals to gain a sense of identity. Of course there is confusion at this stage of life but the maturing process should lead to an end to confusion. According to Erikson teenagers at this stage of life choose their values and beliefs, they choose their aspirations, they choose those parts of their life experiences they will develop, they choose role models to help them set goals and show them a way to reach those goals. Therefore decision making is a critical aspect of the teenage years.
Erikson believed there are four ways a teenager reacts to decision making and this impacts on their identity.
1 FORECLOSURE: This means a teenage forecloses or avoids making important decisions.
These decisions are made by a dominant person in the teenager’s life such as a parent, sibling, or dominant peer. Think about important decisions that have affected your life lately. Who made the decision? Circle the appropriate response:
1 Leaving school myself family/ guardian peer n/a
2 Enrolling in TAFE myself family/ guardian peer n/a
3 Choosing subjects myself family/ guardian peer n/a
4 Leaving your peer group myself family/ guardian peer n/a
5 Staying within your peer group myself family/ guardian peer n/a
6 Leaving home myself family/ guardian peer n/a
7 Staying at home myself family/ guardian peer n/a
8 Choosing a mobile phone company myself family/ guardian peer n/a
9 Getting a part time job myself family/ guardian peer n/a
10 Learning to drive myself family/ guardian peer n/a
11 Setting a curfew myself family/guardian peer n/a
12 Buying a car myself family/ guardian peer n/a
13 Starting a boy/girl relationship myself family/ guardian peer n/a
14 Ending a boy/girl relationship myself family/ guardian peer n/a
15 Retaining a boy/girl relationship myself family/ guardian peer n/a
16 Choosing clothes myself family/ guardian peer n/a
According to Erikson the process of making the decision and the outcome of the decision contribute to a person’s identity. Have you avoided making decisions about your life?
How many of the above decisions were made only by you? ______
How many of the above decisions were made by other people? ______
How many of the above decisions were made by you and other people? ______
2 IDENTITY DIFFUSION: Sometimes the circumstances surrounding the decision are so overwhelming the teenager is unable to make a decision or make an appropriate decision. They have no options. The circumstances may include discrimination, poverty, bullying or illness.
3 IDENTITY MORATORIUM: Sometimes students choose to take time out rather than face the process of making decisions and the outcome of those decisions. This may occur if the teenager is confused or is still experimenting with different roles, values or beliefs. The teenager can make a more informed decision at a later date based on personal experience.
4 IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: In this stage of development the teenager has resolved many of the issues that were making it difficult to make appropriate decisions or any decision at all. The teenager is able to balance many roles. The teenager is aware of their own individuality, and the broader social and cultural considerations.
Teen movies often explore the teenage identity crisis and the characters often portray an individual seeking their identity through role play and decision making.
Watch some the following teen movies and judge whether the processes of teenage decision making have been explored in three movie of the following movies:
Rebel Without a Cause 1955
American Graffiti 1973
The Breakfast Club 1985
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986
Muriel’s Wedding 1994
The Delinquents 1989
Ten Things I Hate About You 1999
Juno 2008
In the table below write a paragraph about one character in three movies you have watched and show a clear example of a decision the character made, the influences on the decision and the process of the decision. Each table is valued at 5 marks.
THIS IS PART ONE OF YOUR FIRST PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TASK (Personal and Social Identity). WATCH THE MOVIES CLOSELY AND TAKE NOTES. MARKS WIL BE AWARDED FOR EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING ERIKSON’S THEORY AND APPLYING THIS INFORMATION TO THE CHARACTERS PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIES. YOU MAY PREPARE THE TASK AT HOME AND WRITE IT UNDER EXAM CONDITIONS IN CLASS. COPYING THE WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT WILL RESULT IN A MARK OF ZERO.
TEEN MOVIE 1: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION, IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and the character:______
TEEN MOVIE 2: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION, IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and the character:
______
TEEN MOVIE 3: EVIDENCE OF FORECLOSURE, IDENTITY DIFFUSION, IDENTITY MORATORIUM, OR IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT: Name the movie and the character:
______
Another theorist that was a contemporary of Erikson was Jean Piaget, he was a Swiss psychologist. He was also interested in the cognitive processes, this means the way people think. Piaget made some very interesting observations about teenagers. Piaget referred to the age of twelve onwards as the Formal Operations Stage. He believed that by the time an individual reached twelve years of age they were capable of “thinking about one’s thoughts”. (Donnelly et al 2008 p45). He called this introspection. Part of introspection is a preoccupation with one’s self referred to as egocentrism and this is an important part of growing up.
Adolescents or teenagers as they are more commonly called are also able to look at the world around them objectively and make their own decisions. Piaget also believed teenagers are able to look at their micro world objectively and compare their family to other families and friends. This helps them to make their own decisions.
In the Formal Operations Stage teenagers are able to see a range of possible consequences of their decisions and behaviours. This ability allows teenagers to think logically, often referred to as the skill of reasoning. This ability to “think about one’s thoughts” (Donnelly at al 2008 p45) also allows the teenager to see inconsistencies in the logic of their own thinking and other people’s thinking. As it also allows the teenager to see the consequences of their decisions and behaviour they are able to comprehend a future.
Another interesting idea of Piaget is delayed gratification. Small children want their needs satisfied immediately. As children mature they learn that an individual can benefit in the future by decisions and actions made in the present.
In the table below write a paragraph about one character in one of the movies you have watched and show a clear example of Piaget’s theory at work.
· Is there evidence of one of the characters looking objectively at the world around them?
· Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing inconsistencies in their own logic?
· Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing inconsistencies in the logic of other people?
· Is there evidence of one of the characters seeing the consequences of their decisions?
· Is there evidence of one of the characters delaying gratification?
THIS IS PART TWO OF YOUR FIRST PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TASK (Personal and Social Identity). WATCH THE MOVIES CLOSELY AND TAKE NOTES. MARKS WILL BE AWARDED FOR EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING PIAGET’S THEORY AND APPLYING THIS INFORMATION TO THE CHARACTERS PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIES. YOU MAY PREPARE THE TASK AT HOME AND WRITE IT UNDER EXAM CONDITIONS IN CLASS. COPYING THE WORK OF ANOTHER STUDENT WILL RESULT IN A MARK OF ZERO. COMPLETION OF THE TABLE IS VALUED AT 5 MARKS.
Name the movie and the character:______TOTAL MARK FOR ASESSMENT TASK ONE: /20
Genie’s Story
Socialisation: The process by which we grow and develop and learn to become members of society, by internalising the norms and values of society, and learning to perform social roles.
However, sometimes the socialisation of individuals goes wrong. Over time there have been reports of children abandoned by their family and raised in isolation from human contact. One such case is Genie. Genie was discovered at age 13. She had spent the first 13 years of her life locked in her room.
Genie was the fourth child in her family. The eldest daughter, unwanted by her father, was placed in the garage and died of pneumonia at two months. A second child, a boy also died in infancy. A third child, a boy was rescued by his grandmother and survived. Unfortunately for Genie the grandmother was killed in an accident and Genie was at the mercy of her parents.
Genie was strapped in a harness and spent every day either in her cot or strapped to a potty chair. She was fed sporadically by her brother who had returned to his parents’ home. The brother was forbidden to speak to Genie, in fact all verbal communication with Genie was banned. At times the father barked or growled at Genie but that was all. If she made any noise she was beaten. Genie had a few homemade toys but overall everyday was spent in isolation, in silence without anything to do or see.
When Genie was discovered and taken to Los Angeles Children’s Hospital her condition was heart breaking. Genie had received none of the socialisation that allows all human beings to grow and develop and learn to become members of society. Genie had not internalised the norms and values of society, as she was isolated from them. Genie had not learnt to perform social roles as she had no role and had not interacted or communicated with other people.
The discovery of Genie restarted the nature v. nurture debate. Are we the result of our parents’ nurturing and care? Are our values, beliefs, abilities, behaviours, manners and mores a direct result of the agents of socialisation that have surrounded us since birth? Or are we biologically predetermined to hold certain values, behave in a certain way and have certain abilities? Could Genie answer these questions?
Genie was unable to speak, walk properly, stand up straight, control her silent bouts of rage or behave in a socially expected manner. The psychologists at the hospital wanted to know whether she was born with an intellectual and physical disability or was she in fact an average child subjected to unusual circumstances. Unfortunately Genie was subjected to years of testing and monitoring to find the answer to this question.