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SOCIALIZATION
Chapter 3 – Mrs. Madison
What Is Human Nature?


How much of a person’s characteristics come from
nature (heredity) and how much from nurture (the
social environment)?
Social Environment: The entire human environment,
including direct contact with others.
What Is Human Nature?

Socialization: The process by which people learn
the characteristics of their group- the knowledge,
skills, attitudes, values, and actions thought
appropriate for them.
What Is Human Nature?
Heredity or Environment?
The Case of Oskar and Jack, Identical Twins
What Is Human Nature?

It seems fair to conclude that the limits of certain
physical and mental abilities are established by
heredity (such as sports and mathematical ability),
while attitudes are the result of environment.
What Is Human Nature?

Feral Children
 Children
assumed to have been raised by animals, in
the wilderness, isolated from other humans.
 Ex:
The Wild Boy of Aveyron
 Unable
to study feral children, sociologists study
children raised in isolation.
What Is Human Nature?

Isolated Children
 Because
isolated children are unable to speak,
sociologists have concluded that humans have no natural
language.
 Without language…
 People
have no way to develop and communicate thought
 People live in isolation, without shared ideas or connection to
others
 There can be no culture
What Is Human Nature?

Institutionalized Children
 Skeels
Study: Children Raised in Orphanages (1930s)
 Conclusion:
High-intelligence depends on early close
relations with other humans.
 A recent similar experience in India confirmed Skeels study.
What Is Human Nature?

Secrets of a Wild Child:
Genie (1970)
 California
authorities
found a 13 year old girl
who had been locked in
a small room and tied to
a chair since she had
been 20 months old.
What Is Human Nature?

Deprived Animals- The Harlow Study
What Is Human Nature?

Harlow Study Conclusions
 Conclusion: Infant-mother bonding is not the result
of feeding, but is the result of intimate physical
contact (cuddling).
 The monkeys raised in isolation were never able to
adapt to the monkey world.
What Is Human Nature?

Summary:
 Babies
do not develop naturally into human adults.
 If children are reared in isolation, they become little
more than large animals.
 Without language, these children can’t experience or
understand relationships between people
 Without warm and friendly interaction, they don’t
become friendly or cooperate with others.