Socialization and Social Interaction Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key sociological concepts of socialization, interaction, theoretical perspectives, stages of development, and agents of socialization.

Socialization

The lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture.

Personality

A person's consistent patterns of acting, thinking, and feeling set in place based on the foundation set by social experiences.

Social interaction

Rules that enable people to live, work, and socialize together.

Dramaturgical approach

The study of social interaction as a theatrical performance.

Presentation of self

Creation of impressions in the minds of others to define and control a social situation.

Front stage

The performance setting where individuals use props, costumes, gestures, and language to manage impressions.

Dramatic realization

A performance technique in impression management used to emphasize specific roles or tasks, such as by referees or police officers.

Idealization

Performance behavior designed to align with cultural standards or societal expectations, such as using fake bags or accents.

Misrepresentation

Giving false impressions or information in a social setting, such as telling white lies or engaging in adultery.

Mystification

Maintaining distance and secrecy to create distance or awe, commonly practiced by CEOs and celebrities.

Back stage

The setting where individuals drop the social mask and practice their performances.

Looking-glass self

Cooley's term for the self-image that results from our interpretation of other people's views of us.

Primary groups

Social groups consisting of family and friends that shape early self-identity.

Secondary groups

Social groups such as school and workplace environments.

Reference groups

Groups that provide standards for an individual's behavior.

The Self (Mead)

Part of an individual's personality composed of self-awareness and self-image, developing through social experience.

The "I" (Mead)

The impulsive, creative, innovative, unthinking, and unpredictable aspect of the self.

The "Me" (Mead)

The socialized aspect of the self where we see ourselves as others see us, grounded in social convention and conformity.

Preparatory stage

Mead's first stage of socialization where children are self-centered with limited response capabilities.

Play stage

Mead's second stage of socialization where children take on attitudes and roles of significant others like parents and siblings.

Game stage

Mead's third stage of socialization where children take on roles of multiple others and understand societal positions.

Adult stage

Mead's final stage where individuals take on the generalized other and understand complex, abstract concepts like morality and friendship.

Cognitive development

Jean Piaget's concept of the ability to make logical decisions, which increases as a person grows older.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's level of human development at which individuals experience the world only through their senses.

Preoperational stage

Piaget's level of human development at which individuals first use language and other symbols.

Concrete Operational stage

Piaget's level of human development at which individuals first see causal connections in their surroundings.

Formal Operational stage

Piaget's level of human development at which individuals think abstractly and critically.

Moral development

Lawrence Kohlberg's model describing how people learn to act according to abstract ideas about justice or fairness as they grow.

Preconventional stage

Kohlberg's stage of moral development where choices are guided by seeking personal gain or avoiding punishment.

Conventional stage

Kohlberg's stage where moral choices are driven by fear of shame or guilt from violating societal norms.

Post conventional stage

Kohlberg's highest moral stage guided by abstract ideas of justice, where laws are seen as existing for the greater good.

Psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud's psychological perspective focusing on complex reasoning processes of the conscious and unconscious mind.

Id

Freud's component of personality consisting of basic biological drives, needs, and sexual energy.

Ego

Freud's concept of the "self," representing the core of personality that mediates between biological drives and societal norms.

Superego

Freud's structure of personality representing internalized cultural values and norms that form the conscience.

Resocialization

The process of altering an individual's behavior through total control of their environment.

Total Institutions

Institutions that isolate people from the rest of society to achieve administrative control over most aspects of their lives.

Ethnomethodology

The study of commonsense knowledge and procedures by which ordinary people make sense of social circumstances and interactions.

Conversation analysis

The study of how people organize coherent conversation through mechanisms like turn-taking and repairing breakdowns.

Authoritarian parents

Parents who use their power to control a child's behavior.

Authoritative parents

Parents who set reasonable limits while remaining warm and responsive.

Permissive parents

Parents who set few rules but remain warm and responsive.

Uninvolved parents

Parents who are indifferent and primarily focus on their own needs.

Hidden curriculum

Unwritten lessons students learn through everyday school experiences rather than formal instruction.

Anticipatory socialization

The process of adopting the behavior or standards of a group an individual emulates or hopes to join.