Download Outsiders and Chapter 5

The Outsiders
Such an assumption seems to me to ignore the central fact
about deviance: it is created by society. I do not mean this
in the way it is ordinarily understood, in which the causes of
deviance are located in the social situation of the deviant
or in “social factors” which prompt his action. I mean,
rather, that social groups create deviance by making rules
whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those
rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders.
From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act
but rather a consequence of the application by others of
rules and sanctions to an “offender.” The deviant is one to
whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant
behavior is behavior that people so label. P. 67-8.
The Outsiders
Rather it is the product of a process which involves
response of other people to the behavior. The
same behavior may be an infraction of the rules at
one time and not at another; may be an infraction
when committed by one person, but not when
committed by another; some rules are broken with
impunity, other are not. In short whether a given
act is deviant or not depends in part on the nature
of the act (that is, whether or not it violates some
rule) and in part on what other people do about it.
P. 70.
The Outsiders
Modern societies are not simple organizations in which
everyone agrees on what the rules are and how they
are to be applied in specific situations. They are,
instead, highly differentiated along social class lines,
ethnic lines, occupational lines and cultural lines. These
groups need not and, in fact, often do not share the
same rules. The problems they face in dealing with
their environment, the history and traditions they carry
with them, all lead to the evolution of different sets of
rules. Insofar as the rules of various groups conflict
and contradict one another, there will be disagreement
about the kind of behavior that is proper in any given
situation. P. 71.
The Outsiders
Differences in the ability to make rules and apply
them to other people are essentially power
differentials (either legal or extralegal). Those
groups whose social position give them weapons
and power are best able to enforce their rules.
Distinctions of age, sex, ethnicity, and class are all
related to differences in power, which accounts for
differences in degree to which groups so
distinguished can make rules for others. P. 73.
CHAPTER 5
Building Identity: Socialization
How do we become who we are?
Nature vs. Nurture (genetic/biological vs.
social/environmental)
 Who we are is dependent upon both our
physical/psychological characteristics and our
environment.
 “Innate differences” that exist don’t matter, unless
culturally defined as important (i.e. eye color vs.
race)

Identity

Multiple forces interact to create our identity –
Essential aspect of who we are, consisting of our
sense of self, gender, race, ethnicity, and religion.
Socialization


Socialization: Process through which one learns how to act according
to the rules and expectations of a particular culture.
Anticipatory socialization: Process through which people acquire the
values and orientations found in statuses they will likely enter in the
future.
 Examples?

Resocialization: Process of learning new values, norms and
expectations when an adult leaves an old role and enters a new one
 Examples?
Socialization of Self
Self refers to the unique set of traits, behaviors
and attitudes that distinguishes one person from
the next.
 Reflexive behavior - To have a self is to have
the ability to plan, observe, guide, and respond
to one’s own behavior

Stages of Acquisition of Self
C. H. Cooley:
1. recognition of oneself as distinct from others
2. language acquisition
3. development of looking-glass self -interpret
actions of others toward us as mirrors in which we
see ourselves
Looking-glass self: (3 parts)
our perception of how we appear to another
person
 our estimate of the judgment the other person
makes about us
 some emotional feeling about this judgment, such as
pride or shame

Mead’s view of Self

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)
Self
is divided into 2 parts:
“I” = the part that reacts spontaneously without
assessing possible consequences (the devil on your
shoulder)
“Me” = the socialized, self-reflective aspect of the
self that incorporates society’s values and norms into
actions (the angel on your other shoulder)

Constant dialogue between “I” and “Me”
The Generalized Other
The ability to see oneself from the perspective of
others and to use that perspective in formulating
one’s own behavior is called role-taking (becoming
aware of the generalized other).
 “Generalized other” Perspective of the larger
society and its constituent values and attitudes.

Stages of Role-Taking
The play stage occurs when children are able to
take a role, but only from the perspective of one
person at a time.
 The game stage is the stage in development of self
when the child can take the role of the “generalized
other.”

Can
conform her or his behavior to broad societal
expectations.
Special case:

Total institutions: Place where individuals are
cut off from the wider society and where
together they lead an enclosed, formally
administered life
destroy
old identity, cut-off individual from society to
meet organizational needs/expectations

Examples?
Agents of socialization
family - primary source of personal socialization
 education - impersonal socialization,
transmission of knowledge, also teaches students
to be “passive, non-problematic conformists”
(Gracey, 1991)
 media - transmits messages about the type of
people we “should” be; subtle and not so subtle
messages

social class - similar experiences of power,
privilege, prestige, wealth etc. lead to similar ways
of perceiving life and social structure
 peers – peers can strongly influence beliefs and
behaviors
 race and ethnicity - important component of
identity for most people

Socialization of Gender:
Sex = biological maleness or femaleness
 Gender = psychological, social, cultural aspects
of maleness and femaleness (masculinity and
femininity)
 Children begin to use gender as organizing
principle at young age.
 By age of 5, typically see gender as invariant
characteristic of social world

Environmental factors

Adult behavior often differs with children labeled
as boys or girls
greater
encouragement of motor activity with boys
more interpersonal stimulation, vocalization and
nurturing with girls

Gender-specific terms of endearment and toys
Gender-specific toys

domestic toys for girls
encourage
creativity, nurturance and physical
attractiveness

sports-related, science-related, mechanical and
educational for boys
encourage invention, exploration, competition and
aggression

Review
What is the difference between the concept of
anticipatory socialization and resocialization?
 What are some of the key agents of socialization?
 What does the term “generalized other” mean?
 What is the difference between the terms “sex” and
“gender?”
