The Role of Socialization

1. The Role of Socialization Environment and Heredity

2. Socialization • Socialization: continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behaviour, and social skills appropriate to his/her social position.

3. What is the Role of Socialization? • What makes us who we are? • Is it determined by genetics? • Or is it our environment?

4. Divide into groups of 3 or 4 • Create a list of 5 reasons to justify each position NATURE VS NURTURE

5. Nature vs. Nurture Debate • Traditional clash over the relative importance of biological inheritance and environmental factors in human development • Heredity vs. environment • Most social scientists have moved beyond this debate • Acknowledge interaction of these variables in shaping human development

6. Nature: Influence of Heredity Oskar Jack • Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia • maternal grandmother • strict Catholic upbringing • Member of Hitler Youth • Learned to hate Jews • Trinidad • Jewish father • Joined Israeli kibbutz (collective settlement) at 17 • Served in Israeli army

7. Brothers reunited in middle age Similarities Differences • wearing wire-rimmed glasses and moustaches • wore pocket shirts with epaulets • like spicy foods and sweet liqueurs • are absent-minded • have a habit of falling asleep in front of the TV • Think it’s funny to sneeze in a crowd of strangers • Flush the toilet before using it • Store rubber bands on their wrists • Read magazines from back to front • Dip buttered toast in their coffee (Holden 1980) • Jack = workaholic • Oskar = enjoyed leisure time • Jack = traditional liberal who was much more accepting of feminism • Oskar = traditionalist who was domineering toward women • Jack = extremely proud to be Jewish • Oskar = never mentioned his Jewish heritage

8. Heredity and Environment • Separated twins studies • Minnesota Center for Twin and Adoption Research • Similarities • Characteristics (temperament, voice patterns, and nervous habits) = linked to heredity • Tendency toward leadership and dominance • Difference • Attitudes, values and types of mate chosen, drinking habits = linked to environment • Need for intimacy, comfort, and assistance

9. Sociobiology • Systematic study of the biological bases of social behaviour • Apply Charles Darwin’s principles of natural selection to study social behaviour • Assume that particular forms of behaviour become genetically linked to a species if they contribute to its fitness to survive • In its extreme form, sociobiology suggests that all behaviour is the result of genetic or biological factors and that social interactions play no role in shaping people’s conduct.

10. Sociobiology continued… • Focus on how human nature is affected by the genetic composition of a group of people who share certain characteristics • Many sociologists are highly critical of sociobiologists’ tendency to explain, or seemingly justify, human behaviour on the basis of nature and ignore its cultural and social basis.

11. Nurture: Environment and the Impact of Isolation • The Case of Isabelle • Lived in almost total seclusion until age 6 • Darkened room • Only contact with deaf, mute mother, and grandparents who kept her hidden • Discovered by Ohio authorities when her mother escaped the grandparents

12. Isabelle

13. Training Isabelle • At first believed she was deaf, but soon became to react to sounds • Specialists develop a systematic training program to help her adapt to human relationships and socialization • Quickly passed over six years of missed development

14. Isabella’s progress

15. Cases of neglect • Romania (former communist Eastern Europe) • Romanian orphanages • Babies in cribs 18 or 20 hours • Feeding bottles, little adult care for 1st 5 years • Many orphans fearful of human contact • Prone to unpredictable antisocial behaviour • Huge adjustment problems for 20% of orphans adopted to NA families

16. Importance of Early Socialization • Not enough to care for an infant’s physical needs • Parents must also concern themselves with children’s social development

17. Primate Studies • Harlow’s experimentation – rhesus monkeys • Raised away from their mothers and away from contact with other monkeys • Fearful and frightened, did not mate • artificially inseminated female became abusive mother

18. Harlow’s “Artificial Mothers” • Two substitute mothers • Cloth-covered replica • Wire-covered that had the ability to offer milk • Went to wire one for milk but spent more time clinging to cloth “mother” • Monkeys valued the artificial mother that provided a comforting physical sensation more than the one that provided food. • Appears that the infant monkeys developed greater social attachments from their need for warmth, comfort, and intimacy.