Chapter 4:

1. Chapter 4: Socialization and Development

2. What to Expect in This Chapter... • What is Socialization? • Biology vs. Culture in Socialization • The Concept of Self • Dimensions of Human Development • Theories of Development • Early Socialization Influences in American Society • Adult Socialization

3. What is Socialization? Socialization is “...the process of social interaction that teaches the child the intellectual, physical and social skills needed to function as a member of society.

4. This is an age-old controversy, commonly known as the “nature-nurture debate.” Early social scientists minimized the role of biology as a result of experiments by Pavlov, Watson and others The 1970’s witnessed a resurgence of interest in biology, known as sociobiology. Biology vs. Culture in Socialization

5. The Case for Culture: Deprivation and Development • Several cases from the annals of social science research demonstrate the importance of social contact and cultural content in development: • Victor, The Wild Boy of Aveyron who had been living alone in a forest for 5 or 6 years • Anna, illegitimate daughter of a disapproving family who kept her isolated • Genie, daughter of a nearly blind mother who had been kept harnessed to a potty seat for hours each day

6. Human beings have both social identities and personal identities Social identities consist of all the statuses, or positions, that we occupy in society. Personal identities consist of the self-reflections and self-images that are based at least in part on our social identities Our personal identity is also referred to as our self. The Concept of Self

7. Dimensions of Human Development: Cognitive Development • Psychologist Jean Piaget alerted us to the fact that children progress through clear stages in their ability to think • Sensorimotor Stage (birth-2)—reliance on touch for information about the world • Pre-Operational Stage (2-7)—ability to think symbolically but cannot see world from another person’s point of view • Operational Stage (7-12)—can begin to think logically • Formal-Logical Stage (12 on)—capable of abstract, logical thought

8. Dimensions of Human Development: Moral Development • Lawrence Kohlberg alerted us to the fact that individuals go through stages of moral development as well: • Moral orientation toward punishment • Moral orientation toward reward • Moral orientation toward disapproval by others • Moral orientation toward formal laws • Moral orientation toward peer values and democracy • Moral orientation toward one’s own set of values Lawrence Kohlberg

9. Dimensions of Human Development: Gender Identity • Gender identity is one of the most important elements of our sense of self • Some aspects of gender identity are rooted in biology, such as physical strength, pregnancy and nursing, etc. • Most of our gender identity, however, is culturally defined

10. Theories of Development: Charles Horton Cooley • Cooley maintains that the self develops in a three stage process he calls the looking glass self • We imagine how our actions appear to others • We imagine how other people judge these actions • We evaluate ourselves based on presumed judgments of others

11. Theories of Development: George Herbert Mead • Mead suggests that the self is composed of two parts: • “I”—active and spontaneous part of self • “Me”—comprised of responses of others which are internalized • Identifies three stages of development: • Preparatory Stage—imitation of others • Play Stage—child formulates role expectations of one other person at a time • Game Stage—child can incorporate expectations of “others” generally, or the generalized other

12. Psychological Theories of Development: Freud and Erikson • Freud suggested that the personality is made up of three parts which are inherently conflicting: • id– drives and instincts • superego—represents society’s norms and expectations • ego—mediates conflict between id and superego • Erikson identified eight stages of human development, each which pose challenges and hazards Sigmund Freud Erik Erikson

13. Recent Developmental Theory: Daniel Levinson • Levinson blends sociology and psychology in his developmental theory of adult socialization • Suggests that adults go through eight stages: • Early Adult Period—17-22 • Entering the Adult World—22-28 • Age 30 Transitional Period—28-33 • Settling Down—33-40 • Mid-Life Transition—40-45 • Beginning Middle Adulthood—45-50 • Age 50 Transition—50-55 • Culmination of Middle Adulthood—55-60 • Late Adult Transition—60-65

14. Early Socialization Influences in American Society Family School Peer Groups Mass Media

15. The Family • The family is the primary socializing agent for the first few years of life • Socialization in the family varies greatly by social class and ethnicity • Structural changes in the family have resulted in formal child care providers having a greater role in childhood socialization

16. The School • The school is a formal agent of socialization that seeks to socialize children in selected skills and knowledge • Numerous issues face the school as a socializing agent as a result of conflict between local values and state/federal demands: • Prayer • AIDS and sex education • Evolution

17. The Peer Group • Peer group is a socializing agent that involves equals • While parents provide basic values, peer groups have greater influence in lifestyle issues • Peer group socialization often contradicts that of the family and the school

18. The Mass Media • The mass media have become a dominant agent of socialization with the advent of television • 98.2% of American households have at least one television set • American children watch an average of 2 hours of TV per day during the week and more than 4 hours on weekends • Many scholars believe that television is the cause of increased violence in American society

19. Adult Socialization • Adult socialization is the process by which adults internalize new role expectation • An important feature of adult socialization is resocialization, exposure to radically different expectations than one has previously encountered • Often resocialization takes place within total institutions such as prisons, mental hospitals, or religious cults

20. Adult Socialization: Marriage • Marriage is a significant marker of a transition from adolescence to adulthood • Married couples must learn to define their relationship with each other and, as a couple, with society • This is more difficult today than in earlier times because traditional role expectations are being called into question

21. Adult Socialization: Parenthood • Having children introduces great complexity into a marriage relationship • Schedules must be altered • Finances are usually tighter • Often, unexpected feelings emerge

22. Adult Socialization: Career Development • The work world involves new demands that can be stressful • Career socialization is accomplished in a number of ways, including both professional schools and on-the-job training

23. Adult Socialization: Aging • In many societies, such as Japan and China, age brings increased prestige • In American society, older people are usually regarded as less valuable • they are asked to retire at a certain age • they may be put in nursing homes if they are unable to care for themselves • This creates great concerns for the elderly, wondering where they are going to live, who will care for them when they get sick, etc.