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Introduction to Sociology SOC-101 Unit 4 - Socialization Socialization Socialization Personality The lifelong social experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn culture A person’s fairly consistent patterns of caring, thinking, and feeling Social Environment The entire human environment, including direct contact with others Nature v. Nurture How much of a person’s characteristics come from biology (nature) or from the environment (nurture)? Darwinism Many people believed that human behavior was instinctive, part of our nature Some people are “born” criminals Women tend to be more “emotional” Nature v. Nurture Behaviorism Developed by John B. Watson (1878-1958) Behavior is not instinctive but learned Today, sociologists believe behavior is a combination of biology and the environment Lean more towards the nurture aspect Nurture matters more in shaping human behavior Social Isolation Sociologists cannot study social isolation on humans, but have done many studies involving monkeys in the past Harlow Experiments (1962) Harry and Margaret Harlow experimented with rhesus monkeys and social isolation Complete isolation for six months seriously disturbed the monkey’s mental development When returned to their group, they were passive, anxious, and fearful Social Isolation Harlow Experiments (con’t) When placed with an artificial “mother” made of wire mesh with a nipple of a feeding tube, the monkeys were still unable to interact with others When placed with an artificial “mother” covered with soft terry cloth, the monkeys were better able to interact with others Illustrates that infant-mother bonding is not a matter of feeding but “intimate physical contact” Infant monkeys could recover from isolation up to three months After six months of isolation there would be permanent emotional and behavioral damage Social Isolation Social isolation in children can cause permanent damage Anna Was hidden in a storage room and tied up for five years At the age of 8, she had the mental development of a 2-yearold Genie From the age of 2, she was tied to a potty-chair in a dark garage She was not found until she was 13 years old She weighed 59 pounds and had the mental development of a 1-year-old Her language ability remains that of a young child even though she is now an adult Harlow mother surrogates Socialization and the Self Self The part of an individual’s personality composed of selfawareness and self-image The unique human capacity of being able to see ourselves “from the outside” The views we internalize of how others see us Charles Cooley (1864-1929) Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self Charles Cooley (1864-1929) Developed this concept of “looking-glass self” “Looking-Glass Self” The process by which our self develops through internalizing others’ reactions to us A conception of self based on how we supposed others see us What we think of ourselves depends on what we think others think of us Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self It contains three elements: We imagine how we appear to those around us We interpret others’ reactions We may think others see us as funny, boring, crazy Do they like us for being funny or dislike us for being crazy? We develop a self-concept Favorable reflection leads to positive self-concept Unfavorable reflection leads to negative self-concept Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self The development of self does not depend on an accurate evaluation It is how we interpret how others think about us that shapes the self, even if it is a misjudgment Even though self-concept develops in childhood, it is an ongoing, lifelong process George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) Mead and Role-Taking George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) Developed the theory of social behaviorism It explains how social experience develops an individual’s personality “Self” only develops with social experience There is no biological force behind it Does not exist at birth Without social experience, the body matures but no self emerges Mead and Role-Taking Social experience is the exchange of symbols Humans use words and gestures to create meaning We find meaning in action by imagining people’s underlying intentions Taking the role of the other We need to imagine ourselves in “another person’s shoes” By doing this, we can anticipate how others will respond to us even before we act Mead and Role-Taking Stages of the Development of the “Self” Imitation Play Children under the age of 3 mimic behavior without understanding the underlying intention, thus they have no self Between the ages of 3 and 6, children pretend to take on the roles of specific people Helps them imagine the world and themselves from another person’s point of view Games Children learn to take the roles of several others at once and allows them to play complex games involving more than one person Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Piaget and the Development of Reason Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Development of Reason He studied human cognition, how people think and understand Studied why young children consistently gave the wrong answer on intelligence tests Concluded that children go through four stages of cognitive development Stages: Sensorimotor Stage (birth to age 2) During this stage, an individual experiences the world only through sensory contact “Knowing” means direct sensory contact Piaget and the Development of Reason Stages (con’t): Preoperational Stage (age 2 to 7) Concrete Operational Stage (age 7 to 12) Individuals first use language and other symbols Lack the ability to grasp abstract concepts Individuals first perceive causal relationships, how and why things happen Formal Operational Stage (after age 12) Individuals can think critically and abstractly They can comprehend metaphors Erik Erikson (1902-1994) Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Erik Erikson (1902-1994) He believed that socialization occurs over the course of a lifetime Contains eight stages of development Stage 1 – Trust v. Mistrust – (birth to 18 mo.) Challenge is that an infant must learn to gain trust in the environment Is society trustworthy enough? Main significant relation is the parent Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 2 – Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt – (ages 18 months to age 3) Do I need help from others? A child is learning to be autonomous Specifically in regards to bowel movements Main significant relation is the parent Stage 3 – Initiative v. Guilt – (ages 3 to 6) How moral am I? A child is learning initiative to make plans and engage their surroundings Moral conflict as well tied into the Oedipus Complex Main significant relation is the family Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 4 – Industry v. Inferiority – (ages 6 to 10) Stage 5 – Identity v. Role Confusion – (ages 11 to 18) Am I good at what I do? Child wants to produce something and gain recognition and satisfaction Main significant relation is school When the concept of “who am I?” starts to develop Main significant relations are peers Stage 6 – Intimacy v. Isolation - (ages 18 to 34) This is when young adults form stable relationships and fall in love Main significant relation is martial partner and friends Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 7 – Generativity v. Self-Absorption – (ages 35 to 60) Am I accomplishing anything? This is when we contribute to the lives of others including the family, workmates, and others There are numerous significant relations during this period Stage 8 – Integrity v. Despair – (age 60 to death) Did I live a fulfilled, satisfied life? This is when a person does an introspection The despair is tied into how we perceive death as well Main significant relations are everybody Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Freud’s Development of Personality Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Developed a Personality Model to describe the origins of personality Three parts: Id – (“it”) The person’s basic drives which are unconscious and demand immediate satisfaction Rooted in biology and is present at birth Society is against the self-centered id Freud’s Development of Personality Ego – (“I”) A person’s conscious efforts to balance their id with the demands of society To avoid frustration and be able to function in society, a child learns to suppress their id The ego develops when we realize that we cannot have everything we want Superego - (“above” the ego) The operation of culture within us Contains the norms and values we have internalized from our social groups Moral component of our personality It develops when a child understands that their behavior must include cultural norms Freud’s Development of Personality Conflict Between the Id and the Superego When the id gets out of hand, we follow our desires and break society’s norms When the superego gets out of hand, we become overly rigid following the norms Ego acts as the balancing force between the two If the conflict is not resolved during childhood, a person may develop personality disorders Freud’s Development of Personality Sociological Evaluation Sociologists liked Freud’s idea that we internalize social norms and that childhood experiences have a lasting impact on our personality His theory does ignore the role of social factors in the development of personality Presents humans in male terms with men being “normal” and women being “inferior” castrated males Emotions Emotions are not just based in biology but require socialization to develop Paul Ekman An anthropologist who concluded that all humans have six basic emotions: Anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise These emotions are built into us genetically People from other cultures can recognize the facial expressions tied to each of these emotions Emotions How we express emotions can be based on socialization Gestures and other ways we express emotions are dependent on culture and upbringing People tend to act more reserved around those of higher status We tend to express our emotions more openly around people who are closer to us Emotions Socialization is intended to mold us into conforming members of society This includes how we express our emotions All facets of society tell us what is “acceptable” and what is “unacceptable” when it comes to emotions We think about what the social consequences will be before we “act out” Agents of Socialization The agents of socialization are the people and groups that influence our orientations to life Our self-concept, emotions, attitudes, and behavior While every social experience we have affects us, there are several settings that have special importance in our socialization The Family The family has the greatest impact on our socialization Not all family learning is intentional The kind of environment the family creates can affect children’s perceptions of themselves Family also gives the child social position in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, and class Infants are totally dependent on their parents and other family members These all become part of a child’s self-concept A family’s economic class can also impact socialization Research has found blue-collar parents found obedience and conformity to be desirable traits While white-collar parents wanted good judgment and creativity The Neighborhood The neighborhood you live in can affect socialization and some neighborhoods are “better” than others Studies have found that children from poor neighborhoods are more likely to get into trouble with the law, become pregnant, and to drop out of school Affluent neighborhoods tend to look after children better since there is less transition and the adults are more likely to know the children Religion Religion influences the values a person develops, especially the concepts of “right” and “wrong” Provide the basic morality Teaches us other values such as how to dress, act, and speak for formal occasions The Peer Group Peer Group A group of individuals roughly the same age who are linked by common interests Allow children to form relationships on their own and to escape direct adult supervision They also have great influence on children and their attitudes The influence of the peer group tends to peak at adolescence The Peer Group The standards of the peer group tends to dominate our lives How we dress, speak, act What type of music we listen to Who we can interact with Anticipatory Socialization This is social learning that helps gain a desired position Children tend to mimic the styles and behaviors of the group they want to join The Mass Media In the U.S. the mass media has an enormous impact on our behaviors and attitudes TV is the most dominant form of mass media 98% of households have at least one TV set Surveys have shown that in the average household at least one TV is on seven hours a day Children are often exposed to TV before reading Children spend as many hours in front of the TV as they do in school The Mass Media There has been heavy criticism on the effects of TV Some argue that TV mirrors our social inequalities and rarely challenge the status quo Others argue that TV is far too liberal than the population as a whole and pushes “liberal” issues like feminism and gay marriage Parents worry about the effects of the media on their children, especially when it comes to violence and sex The Workplace The workplace comes into socialization later in life, usually with most of us starting out with part-time jobs As time goes on, the workplace becomes our most influential agent of socialization We learn not only a set of skills at work but also perspectives on the world around us The jobs can help us view situations differently For example, a librarian would view free speech differently than a minister The Workplace Anticipatory Socialization We learn to play a role before entering it In the case of the workplace, we talk to people involved in the field, read books, and take internships to learn more about the jobs Over time, the job becomes part of a person’s selfconcept When people ask you to describe yourself, you may include your job in your self-description Gender and Socialization Gender Socialization The ways in which society sets children onto different courses in life because they are male or female Parents are the first significant others who teach us our roles in society according to our sex This can be the type of toys given, games encouraged to participate in, chores given Gender and Socialization Another group that reinforces cultural expectations of gender are peer groups They teach each other to be “male” or “female” by defining what the norms are for each of the sexes Teenage boys focus on video games, sports, “coolness, and “toughness” Teenage girls focus on clothing, physical appearance, and attracting boys Gender and Socialization Gender messages can be found in the mass media as well, especially in TV Men tend to be portrayed as powerful, strong, and rich, while women hold lower positions and tend to focus on clothing and beauty Some shows are starting to break the stereotype for women, But even they are giving mixed messages since while the women are strong and powerful, they still must remain skinny and beautiful Gender and Socialization In the print media, men’s magazines are geared more towards sports and sex (FHM, Maxim), while women’s are towards beauty and fashion (Vogue, Glamour) In video games, most of them are designed for males and have violent content The very few designed for females involve fashion and beauty Gender and Socialization Carol Gilligan The Gender Factor (1982) Found different standards of rightness in the moral development of boys and girls Males have a “justice perspective” relying on formal rules of right and wrong Females have a “care and responsibility perspective” defining right and wrong with an eye towards personal relationships Believes that cultural conditioning plays a role in social and moral development Resocialization Resocialization This is the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes and behaviors Occurs every time we learn something that contradicts our previous experiences Can be mild with only a slight modification of what we have already learned, such as going to a new school with different values Can be intense such as going to prison or boot camp Resocialization Total Institution Coined by Erving Goffman In a total institution, people are cut off from the rest of society and come under almost complete control of those in charge Examples include boot camp, prison, concentration camps, religious cults Total institutions are designed to have a two part process: Get Rid of the Old Self Officials erase the resident’s old self through humiliation, degradation, and banning any type of individuality Building the New Self Officials try to build up the new self through a series of rewards and punishments Resocialization Total institutions have three distinct characteristics: Residents’ lives are completely supervised Environment is highly standardized Supervise everything from where the resident eats, sleeps, and works Includes uniforms, institutionalized food Strict rules and schedules Dictates how, when, and where a resident performs their daily routines Resocialization Do total institutions work? Yes – Some residents come out of them feeling either “rehabilitated” or “recovered” No – Others many change only little or come out feeling bitter and act hostile Either way, the institution does have some sort of effect on a person’s self-concept The Life Course Socialization occurs throughout our life course, from birth until our death Our life course is divided up into stages that each have their own distinct traits As you pass through each stage, your behavior and orientation changes For example, you perceive life differently at the age of 18 than you do at age 50 Life course differs depending on your social location Childhood – (Birth to age 12) Historically, childhood was not seen as a carefree time of learning and play Children would often go to work as soon as they were able or be married off to start families With the advent of industrialization, material surpluses increased enough so that children did not have to enter the labor force With this extra leisure time, children could go to school Childhood could now be stretched out and enjoyed Adolescence (Ages 13-17) Historically, societies did not mark adolescence as a distinct period in life With industrialization, this new stage of life was created Children were expected to go straight from childhood into adulthood The term “adolescence” was not even created until the 1900s It is a time not only of biological change but social change in that a person is no longer a child but still not an adult Transitional Adulthood (Ages 18-29) Period following high school where the person is freed from the constraints of the parents but not yet selfsufficient Typically, a person is either still in college or has moved home after college to help transition to independence This is a relatively new life stage Adulthood or Middle Years (Ages 30-65) This is the time of life when most of a person’s accomplishments occur People get married, start careers, and raise families Personalities are largely formed by this time in life, although major stresses can alter the self Includes divorce, illness, unemployment Early Middle Years (Ages 35-49) At this stage, most people are sure of themselves and what their life goals are Manage day-to-day priorities from family and work Women are greatly affected in this period Society expects them to take on the role of mother and homemaker while they are also trying to succeed in a career outside the home Later Middle Years (Ages 50-65) People feel that their lives are set Many people feel this is the most comfortable stage in life as they have job security and a higher standard of living Period when people realize the fragility of life Start thinking not so much about time since birth but rather what time they have left to live They compare what they actually accomplished versus what goals they had Old Age (Age 65 on) In the U.S., “old age” has taken on a new meaning With improved healthcare and longer life expectation, old age has become an extension of middle age Death becomes a large part of life As their friends grow old and die, people start to realize that death is no longer an abstract concept but a reality Prisoners of Socialization? It may be thought that we have little control over the development of our self, that all the factors of society shape us into who we are We are shaped but society but at the same time remain individuals We make our own decisions and choices in life We are actively involved in the construction of our self and can change it within the framework of society