sociology chapter 4 - finished version

personality

the sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic of an individual

nature viewpoint

human behavior is instinctual in origin, genetics, (ex: motherhood, warfare)

nurture viewpoint

human behavior and personality are the result of social environment and learning; instinctual behavior could be taught (Pavlov's dogs)

sociobiology

the systematic study of the biological basis of all social behavior

4 factors that influence personality

heredity, birth order, parental characteristics, cultural environment

heredity

the transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children

birth order

first-born- more achievement-oriented, later born tend to be better in social relationships, more affectionate

parental characteristics

age of parents influenced children, parental level of education, religious orientation, economic status, cultural heritage, and occupational background can influence personality

cultural environment

ex: in USA competitiveness, assertiveness, & individualism are common personality traits

socialization

the interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society

self

your conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates you & your environment from other members of society

Tabula Rasa Theory - John Locke

each newborn is a tabula rasa (clean slate), each of us are born without a personality & acquires it from social experiences, human beings can be molded into any character

instinct

unchanging, biologically inherited behavior

Anna's story

recieved minimal care, almost no human contact, at 6 y/o she couldn't walk, talk, or feed herself, died at age 10

Isabella's story

locked away with her deaf/mute mother, communicated through gestures, constant contact with her mother allowed her to overcome early social deprivation

Genie's story

confined to a bedroom from 20 months old, discovered in 1970 at age 13, had the social & psychological skills of a 1 y/o, placed in a facility at age 21, after 8 years, she hadn't progressed past the level of a 3rd grader

The Looking Glass Self - Charles Horton Cooley

we develop an image of ourselves based on how we imagine we appear to others

Role-Taking Theory (Mead's)

role-taking forms the basis of socialization process by allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us, we learn to see ourselves through the eyes of others

Mead's generalized other

internalized attitudes, expectations, & viewpoints of society

Mead's development of self (3 steps)

imitation - children imitate others' gestures & speech (under age 3)

Play - children begin to see themselves in relation to others, roles expressed by dressing up, playing doctor, etc. (age 3-6)

Erving Goffman

Impression management.

DRAMATURGY- social interaction is like a drama being performed on stage

Agents of Socialization

specific groups, individuals, and institutions that enable socialization to take place

Deliberate socialization

Unintentional socialization

deliberate- taught to children on purpose to teach them lessons.

Unintentional- what the child perceives and picks up based off of their surroundings

Resocialization

A break with past experiences and the learning of new values and norms

Voluntary resocialization

Individuals who choose to assume a new status

Involuntary socialization

Occurs against a persons wishes, often in placed total institution.

People are isolated from society for a specific period of time