intro to sociology ch 4

Explain the socialization process and discuss what studies on feral/isolated children teach us about the importance of socialization.

socialization is the process by which people learn their culture. These cases of feral and institutionalized children show that extreme isolation—or, to put it another way, lack of socialization—deprives children of the obvious and not-so-obvious qualities that make them human and in other respects retards their social, cognitive and emotional development.

Outline the key ideas presented in Charles Horton Cooley’s looking-glass self theory, Mead’s theory on taking on the role of the other and Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory.

Looking-glass self- Children gain an impression of how people perceive them as they interact with others. In effect, children “see” themselves when they interact with other people, as if they are looking at their reflection in a mirror. Individuals use the perceptions that they believe others have of them to develop judgments and feelings about themselves. When they play, Mead said, children take the role of the other. Goffman built on Mead’s concepts of the I and the me, and the tension we experience when we want to act spontaneously versus knowing what people want us to do. The dramaturgical perspective views social interaction at the microstructure level and is a useful way to understand how the context of social interactions affects behavior.

Identify the major agents of socialization and discuss their role in socialization through the life course.

Major agents of socialization are family, peers, school, media, and religion.

• Family shapes early values, norms, and identity.

• School teaches discipline, teamwork, and societal rules.

• Peers influence social skills and identity during adolescence.

• Media spreads cultural norms and expectations.

• Religion can guide morals and community values.
  These agents impact individuals differently across the life course, shaping beliefs, behaviors, and roles at each stage of life.

Explain resocialization and outline the contexts in which it occurs.

Resocialization: a process in which people learn new values and norms in conjunction with a change in status. For example, the goal of Alcoholics Anonymous is to try to change the alcoholics’ value system by having them internalize several principles about how to live their life.