Sociology is the systematic study of human societies and social relationships. Ideology refers to a set of beliefs about how society works or should work. A dominant ideology benefits the powerful and can distort reality. Culture directs actions and defines acceptable behaviors through socialization from family, peers, education and other agents. Norms provide guidelines for conduct enforced through rewards and punishments to maintain social control and order. Status defines social positions with attached prestige, honor and power. Hegemony describes how domination of one class over others occurs through political and ideological means.

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)