Sociology Unit 3

Socialization

The process of learning one’s culture and how to function with it

When is socialization taught?

- Before you remember it

- Subtly throughout your whole life

- Paired with an interest to learn

What are the 3 main goals?

1. To teach impulse control and develop a conscience

2. To teach how to prepare for and perform different social roles

3. To cultivate shared meaning and values - a culture

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate of either innate qualities or personal experiences having more influence over who we are

Ethics of studying socialization

- Often impossible to create studies to explore ethically

- Must examine existing cases that unfortunately occur

Child development

Cognitive stages in understanding the world birth through adulthood

Jean Piaget

Focuses on child development

What are the 4 stages of child development

1. Sensorimotor

2. Preoperational

3. Concrete Operational

4. Formal Operational

Sensorimotor

Object permanence and mental schemas

Preoperational

Symbolism, language, play pretend

Concrete Operational

Other viewpoints, logic

Formal Operational

Abstract, ethics, hypothesis

Agents of socialization

1. Family

2. School

3. Hidden Curriculum

4. Peers

5. Media

Family

- Primary socialization

- Most significant influence

- First “teachers” we have for navigating society

- Diet & nutrition, gender norms, religious beliefs, etc.

School

- Secondary socialization

- First meaningful experience outside the home

- How to function in society

John Dewey

Father of modern education

Hidden Curriculum

- Cultural norms & values

- Interpersonal skills

- Crowd management

Peers

- Same age & interests

- Conflict competition & cooperation

- Most important during adolescence

- Only one not controlled by adults

Media

- Tertiary socialization

- Movies, books, music, sports, social, ads

- Anticipatory gender, racial, class messages

Bechdel Test

Has 2 named female characters who talk to each other about something besides a man

Charles Cooley

Challenged the belief that human nature is biologically determined, one’s identity is socially created, developed symbolic interactionism perspective.

Ideas about socialization

Self concept and looking - glass self

Self Concept

The image you have of yourself based on various assessments you’ve made - 3 aspects: self image, ideal self, and self worth

Looking - glass self

We imagine how we appear to others, we imagine their reactions to us, we evaluate ourselves based on those imagined judgments

George Mead

The people we know personally are our significant others. Over time we develop a sense of generalize others - types of people. Has a 3 stage process.

3 Stage Process

Imitation stage, play stage, game stage

Imitation Stage: 1 - 3

- Recite memorized words in a book

- Repeat words and phrases

- Mimic motions and behavior

Play Stage: 3 - 6

- Playing school, restaurant, going to space, caring for a doll

- Imagining story lines and taking on different roles

Game Stage: 6+

- Organized games - soccer, baseball

- Play one role while interpreting other roles happening simultaneously

- Behavior is shaped towards the group

I & Me Theory: I

Impulsive, raw desires and emotions

I & Me Theory: Me

How we learn to act and think from socialization

Dramaturgical (theatre) Model

- Front stage: performing for society, general others

- Back stage: real self, around significant others

Anticipatory socialization

Preparation and practice to enter a role one expects you to take in the future.

Stages of adult development

1. Adolescence

2. Young adulthood

3. Middle adulthood

4. Maturity

Adolescence

Identity vs. Role confusion

Young adulthood

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Middle adulthood

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Maturity

Ego integrity vs. Despair

Total Institution

- An extreme setting where all aspects of life are controlled

- Resocialization is required

- Prison, military, etc.

2 Step Resocialization

1. Strip self - identity

2. Build new identity

Stripping of identity

- Uniforms, similar look

- New names

- Degradation ceremony

- Strict rules, harsh punishments

Rebuilding

- New (loaded) lingo

- Pushed to brink physically and emotionally

- Reward and punishment