Ch. 4 Socialization

Socialization

• The lifelong learning of norms, values, and ideologies that allows a person to become a member of society and interact with others

Social structure

• Refers to any recurring patterns of social behaviour; to the ordered interrelationships between the different elements of a social system

Sanction

• Refers to a gesture used to reinforce social norms, either by rewarding behaviour that supports a norm (positive sanction) or by punishing norm contravening actions (negative sanction)

Life course appraoch

• A person’s development and life situation relation to their life history to examine how past events and experiences have shaped who they are

• We carry socialization experiences

Two Main stages in the process of life

• Primary socialization

• Secondary socialization

Primary socialization

• Children develop basic values and norms as well as ideas of the self

Secondary socialization

• The learning of the knowledge and skills needed to take part in society beyond the context of the family

Agents of socialization

• A person, group, or institution is responsible for socialization

Reciprocal process

• Occurs when both the parent and the children socialize each other through their intereactions

Reverse socialization

• Is the process by which children influence parents and help them learn or acquire some social skills

Micro socialization

• Small-scale, face-to-face interactions between individuals

Macro socialization

• Large-scale, social structures broad culture norms and major institutions

Home and in the Family

• Most early in life primary agent of socialization

Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary Schools

• Becomes important sites of socialization because children will spend a large proportion of their life time there

• Children are taught to play, interact, and negotiate social relations with their peers and authority figures

• Children are taught to interact with people who have been socialized in different families for the first time

Post-secondary education

• Socialize students so they

  • Become learners and be ready for the workforce

  • Become engaged citizens with civic skills gained through critical thinking encouraged in the classroom and participating in extracurriculars

Social Capital

• Refers to the value of social relationships you have that allows for a wide range of benefits

The hidden injuries of class

• Some students will arrive in university ready while some will have to adjust

• High class individual for professional interview better than low class because they are more comfortable in a high-class setting

Upward social mobility

• Refers to the ability to move from the social class one was raised in to a “higher” or more desirable social class with greater earning potential and opportunities, and fewer barriers

The Workplace

• We spend a large portion of our life __

• In adulthood, are the central cites for socialization

• Professional socialization

Professional socialization

• Learning the dress codes, demonstrating an understanding of critical standards and expected codes of conduct

Mass Media and Social Media

• Plays a key role in socialization sometimes reinforcing societal norms, other times contesting them, and yet other times creating new norms

• Occurs at multiple stages in life

Children and social media

• At early ages, youth are exposed to a global content, far-reaching online communities, and complex peer networks at earlier ages

• Digital media

The self

• Is made up of information such as one’s name, how one sees oneself, one’s likes and dislikes, and one’s personal beliefs and values, among other things

• Always changing as we are ecposed to new experiences

• Society-influenced

Data curation

• The activities by which a person carefully chooses what images and information they present to others online for the purpose of impression management

Identity

• The unique combination of traits, values, and expressions that makes each person who they are

• People cannot choose easily about this

Charles H Cooley

• The looking glass self

• The self develops from interpersonal interactions in society and observations of others

• We can consider how other will see us

• We analyze how others react to our behaviousr

• Based on previous elements we develop a concept of our self based off the judgement of others

Stages over life course

• Child

• Teenager

• Young Adult

• Mature Adult

• Older Adult

Teenager

• Show academic achievement

• Build circle of friends outside the family

• Learn gender roles

Teenager

• Show academic achievement

• Build circle of friends outside the family

• Learn gender roles

Young adult

• Go to college or university

• Start working

• Move out of family house

Mature adult

• Marry

• Have children

• Increase work status

Older adult

• Stay social and active

• Live independently

• Manage health challenges