Sociology - Socialization and the Life Course

Flashcards on Socialization and the Life Course

Socialization

The lifelong process in which people learn the attitudes, values, and behaviors appropriate for members of a particular culture.

Personality

A person’s typical patterns of attitudes, needs, characteristics, and behavior.

Nature versus Nurture

Debate over the relative importance of biological inheritance and environmental factors in human development.

Self

A distinct identity that sets us apart from others.

Looking-glass self

Concept that emphasizes the self as the product of our social interactions.

Double consciousness

The division of an individual’s identity into two or more social realities.

Role taking

The process of mentally assuming the perspective of another and responding from that imagined viewpoint.

Generalized other

The attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole that a child takes into account in their behavior.

Significant other

An individual who is most important in the development of the self.

Impression management

The altering of the presentation of the self in order to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences.

Dramaturgical approach

A view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers.

Face-work

The efforts people make to maintain the proper image and avoid public embarrassment.

Rite of passage

A ritual marking the symbolic transition from one social position to another.

Life course approach

A research orientation in which sociologists and other social scientists look closely at the social factors that influence people throughout their lives, from birth to death.

Anticipatory socialization

Processes of socialization in which a person rehearses for future positions, occupations, and social relationships.

Resocialization

The process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one’s life.

Total institution

An institution that regulates all aspects of a person’s life under a single authority.

Degradation ceremony

An aspect of the socialization process within some total institutions, within which people are subjected to humiliating rituals.

Gender role

Expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females.