Ch. 4

1. Ch. 4 Socialization

2. Questions for Consideration • Which do you feel is more influential in development, nature or nurture? Why? • Do you think individuals can have a sense of self without interaction with others?

3. What is Human Nature? Nature vs. Nurture – Twins: Oskar and Jack • Feral Children – Child raised by Monkeys • Isolated Children – Isabelle • Institutionalized Children - • Deprived Animals - Monkeys

4. Social Isolation Among Humans • Isabelle: child of a deaf-mute mother. Both she and her mother stayed in a dark room, secluded from the rest of the family. • Found at age 6 ½; physically ill from inadequate diet and lack of sunshine; unable to talk. • Communicated with mother through gestures; Reacted with fear and hostility toward strangers. • After 2 years of an intensive rehabilitation program, she acquired the skills mastered by a 6-year-old. • Anna: was confined to an attic-like room in a farmhouse. Kept alive on milk until age of 5. • When found, was extremely emaciated and undernourished. • No signs of intelligence were shown; could not walk or talk. • At time of death (10) she could carry out instructions, identify few colors, wash hands, brush hair, and try to help others. • Genie: from the age of 2 was kept isolated by her father in a locked room. • Found at age of 13; behavior was “subhuman”, completely silent (did not cry or sob). Could not chew (had not been given solid food). Primitive social behavior. • 4 year period of attempts to socialize were unsuccessful; could not read, only speak in short phrases, and had begun to control some of her feelings.

5. In Sum… Society Makes Us Human

6. Socialization • Socialization – life long process of learning to participate in group life through the acquisition of culture; learning what the expectations of behavior are in order to adjust and adapt. • Process by which we learn the ways of our society, through interaction with others. • Personality – the relatively organized complex of attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors associated with an individual.

7. Theoretical Perspectives and Socialization

8. Cooley and The Looking Glass Self • Challenged the prominent belief that human nature is biologically determined. • Self-concept – an image of oneself as an entity separate from other people. Our sense of self develops from interaction with others. • Looking-glass self – a self-concept based on our perception of others’ judgments of us. • Product of a 3 stage process that is constantly taking place. • We Imagine How We Appear to Others • We Interpret Others’ Reactions (How they evaluate us) • We Develop a Self-Concept (According to how we imagine other’s have judged us)

9. Mead’s Theory of Development of Self • Agreed w/Cooley but added play as critical to development of a ‘self’ • In play we learn to the role of others • Significant others – Children are first able to take only their role (mother, father, grandparents, playmates, etc.) • Internalize the Expectations • A cognitive process that permits us to play out scenes in our mind. • Generalized other – an integrated conception of norms, values, beliefs, and expectations of one’s community/society

10. Ability to Role Take - Mead • Imitation Stage – begins around 1 ½ to 2 years of age. The child mimics the physical and verbal behavior of a significant other. • Play Stage – (Age 3) children take on roles of others one at a time (e.g., playing house, mom,firefighter). • Game Stage – (1st yr. of school) children learn to engage in more sophisticated role taking. Must learn the role of each member (e.g., able to truly play soccer).

11. How We Learn to Take the Role of the Other: Mead’s Three Stages

12. Erik Erikson - Psychosocial Development • Described eight developmental stages that occur from infancy to old age; personality changes throughout life. • Each stage is accompanied by a psychosocial crisis, or developmental task. • Socialization and personality development are lifelong processes.

13. Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

14. Jean Piaget and Cognitive Development • Children gradually develop cognitive abilities through interaction with their social settings; children are active participants. • Each of us must pass through 4 stages in the proper developmental sequence: • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2) • Preoperational Stage (2-7) • Concrete Operational Stage (7-12) • Formal Operational Stage (12+)

15. Learning Personality, Morality, and Emotions Sigmund Freud – Psychoanalytic Perspective • The personality has three parts: • Id - biologically inherited urges and impulses; selfish and irrational; ruled by pleasure principle. • Ego - the conscious, rational part of the personality; balances the id and the Superego • Superego - socal conscience; contains all the “right” and “wrong” ideas we have learned; all the “shoulds” we have learned from society.

16. Socialization into Emotions • Not simply result of biology; also dependent on socialization w/in a particular society • Global Emotions – Paul Ekram • Expressing Emotions - Varies • What We Feel • Research Needed

17. Socialization into Gender • Learning the Gender Map • Gender Messages in the Family • Gender Messages from Peers • Gender Messages in the Mass Media • Advertising • Television • Video Games • Anime Film: Consuming Kids

18. Mass Media Mass Media – means of communication designed to reach the general population. • Sociologists agree that mass media are powerful socializing agencies. • Children learn behavior expected of individuals in certain social statuses. • The media display role models for children to imitate.

19. Functions of the Mass Media • Provides valuable information. • Promotes social continuity and integration. • Provides entertainment. • Explains and interprets meanings of events and information. • Helps mobilizes a society.

20. Dysfunctions of the Mass Media • Fosters panic. • Increases social conformity. • Legitimates the status quo. • Impedes social change while promoting social continuity and integration. • Diverts the public from serious issues through trivial entertainment. • Shapes views through editorializing as they “interpret” events and information. • Creates violence via public mobilization.

21. Conflict Theory and the Media: Marxian View • Workers are exploited by being paid less than they deserve. • Ruling class monopolizes the media and receives excessive profits. • Ruling class views media as necessary to disseminate the ideology of the ruling class. • The media are a tool of manipulation by which the ruling class maintains its power.

22. Conflict Theory and the Media: Power Elite • Power elite – a unified coalition of top military, corporate, and government leaders. • Evidence that the media is controlled by the ruling class: • Concentration of power in the media • Agenda-setting power of the media • Media’s ability to socialize the population

23. Agents of Socialization Family - is the child’s first exposure to the world. • Through members of the family we learn to: • think and speak; • internalize norms, beliefs, and values; • form basic attitudes; • develop capacity for intimate and personal relationships; • acquire a self-image. • The First Group with Impact • The Family and Social Class

24. Agents of Socialization School - provides children with non-related care. • Manifest Function • Exposes children to objective standards of performance and punishment. • Encourages them to develop loyalties beyond their own families. • Latent Functions • Hidden curriculum – informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught as preparation for life in larger society. • Trains children to be disciplined, orderly, cooperative, and conforming. • Corridor curriculum

25. Agents of Socialization Neighborhood – has an impact on kid’s development • Some places are better for kids to grow up in than others • Residents of more affluent neighborhoods watch out for kids more than do residents of poorer neighborhoods

26. Agents of Socialization Religion – plays a major role in socialization of most Americans even if they are not raised in a religious family. • Influences: morality, ideas about dress, speech, manners, etc.

27. Agents of Socialization Daycare – With more mom’s working, now a significant agent of socialization. • National study’s findings

28. Agents of Socialization • Peer Groups – individuals roughly the same age with similar interests; not controlled by adults. • Next to the family, most powerful socializing force in society. • Provides young people with experiences they cannot easily obtain elsewhere. • Helps them gain experience in self-direction and establish independence from adults.

29. Agents of Socialization Sports – Also a powerful agent • Kids taught physical skills and values • Boys often learn that masculinity is related to success in sports • Competition, discipline

30. Agents of Socialization Workplace – major agent for adults • We learn not only skills, but also matching attitudes and values • Resocialization • Mild - New Boss • Intense - Alcoholics Anonymous • Total Institutions - Boot Camp

31. Socialization Through Life • Childhood - Birth to ~12 yrs • Adolescence - 13 to 17 yrs • Transitional Adulthood - 18 to 29 yrs • The Middle Years - 30 to 65 yrs • Early Middle Years - 30 to 49 yrs • Later Middle Years - 50 to 65 yrs • Transitional Older Years ~65 yrs on • Later Older Years

32. Sociological Significance of the Life Course • Does Not Merely Represent Biology • Social Factors Influence Life Course • Social Location Very Significant

33. Are We Prisoners of Socialization? • Sociologists Do Not Think So • Individuals Are Actively Involved in the Construction of the Self