Chapter 4 – Socialization, Self, and Social Structure - SOC 1000

Question-and-answer flashcards covering definitions, theories, agents of socialization, elements of social structure, and related concepts from Chapter 4 of SOC1000.

What is meant by “self-concept” in sociology?

It is a person’s sense of who they are, based on perceived similarities to and differences from others.

According to the Personal–Social Identity Continuum, where are strictly individual traits located?

At the personal end of the continuum, emphasizing uniqueness rather than group membership.

Which two broad forces combine to shape the self, according to most sociologists?

Nature (biology) and nurture (socialization).

What does biological determinism (e.g., sociobiology) argue about behaviour?

That human behaviour is largely the product of innate, biological factors.

How does behaviourism explain human behaviour?

Through reinforcement and learned responses to environmental stimuli.

Whose model portrays development as reciprocal interaction between the individual and multiple environmental systems?

Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological Theory of Human Development.

Name the four main ecological systems that surround the individual in Bronfenbrenner’s diagram.

Microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem.

List the three stages in Mead’s theory of the development of the self.

Preparatory stage, play stage, game stage.

In Mead’s framework, what is the spontaneous, creative part of the self called?

The “I.”

What part of the self represents internalized social norms and values in Mead’s model?

The “Me,” or objective self.

State the three components of Cooley’s looking-glass self.

We imagine how we appear to others, imagine their judgments, and incorporate those perceived judgments into our self-concept.

Name the four primary agents of socialization discussed in Chapter 4.

Family, school, peers, and media.

Which agent of socialization is typically the first and influences self-esteem and interpersonal trust?

Family.

From a feminist perspective, what key function does the family perform?

It reproduces gender roles and expectations.

What does the conflict view emphasize about the family?

That it is a site of power struggles and disagreements.

Give two examples of knowledge or skills transmitted through the official school curriculum.

Mathematics and social studies.

What is the hidden curriculum transmitted by schools?

Cultural values and norms such as cooperation and punctuality.

Why are peer groups important during adolescence?

They provide social comparison and exert pressure to conform.

Roughly what proportion of youth have been involved in bullying (as victim or perpetrator)?

About 40 percent.

List two functions of mass media in socialization.

Connecting people with others and providing information (also entertainment, reality construction).

Define “status” in sociological terms.

Any recognized social position that an individual occupies.

Differentiate between ascribed and achieved statuses.

Ascribed statuses are assigned at birth or involuntarily (e.g., son), whereas achieved statuses are earned through actions (e.g., doctor).

What is a master status?

The most important status within one’s status set, dominating other statuses in social interactions.

Define “role” as used by sociologists.

The behavioural expectations attached to a particular status.

What is role conflict?

Incompatible role demands arising from two or more different statuses held by the same person.

What is role strain?

Competing demands within a single status.

Provide the basic definition of a social group.

Two or more people who share relevant cultural elements and interact regularly.

Give one positive and one negative group phenomenon.

Positive: social facilitation. Negative: social loafing (or conformity or groupthink).

How did Max Weber describe an ideal-type bureaucracy?

By division of labour, hierarchy of authority, written rules, impersonality, and employment based on qualifications.

What four principles underlie Ritzer’s ‘McDonaldization of Society’?

Efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control (often via technology).

What is resocialization, and where can it occur?

The process of abandoning an existing status or identity for a new one; it may occur in total institutions such as prisons or in voluntary settings like divorce recovery.

Summarize the chapter’s main point about social structure and socialization.

Socialization is embedded within the social structure, which consists of statuses, roles, groups, and institutions that shape and are shaped by the developing self.