Socialization (Ch.4)

Socialization

Socialization

= learning process where individual becomes capable member of society (lifelong process)

• through interactions

• teach society's language, skills, likes/dislikes, norms, values, beliefs

Biological Determinism

= behaviour determined solely by genetic makeup/other biological attributes (nature)

• behaviour evolves overtime to secure survival of species

Nurture

all behaviours influenced socially except simple reflexes

Forbidden Experiment

• scientists wouldnt purposely deprive child of human contact

• cases of child neglect provide some evidence (ex. Genie)

• if brain connections dont develop, abilities cant be acquired later

→ development of empathy/lang(esp grammar)

Socialization Types: Primary Socialization

=basic socialization during childhood, mainly in family setting

• acquires: language, individual identity, understanding of societal roles, values/beliefs/norms of society 

Socialization Types: Secondary Socialization

=continues throughout life (children socialized outside home)

• often begins in school

• includes accumulated learning in adolescence/adulthood

• less effect on self-image

• learn specific roles/norms for adult behaviour (ex. work/parent role)

Socialization Types: Anticipatory Socialization

=start learning new norms/values in anticipation of future role

• practice/rehearse roles

• adopt values/standards of groups we want to join

Socialization Types: Resocialization

learning process reshapes personality by teaching dif values, norms, roles expectations

• replaces own patterns w new ones (harder than og socialization)

• must discard former behaviour & accept new

• often w total institutions

Total Institutions

• people monitored/controlled

• goal is resocialization: structured to fundamentally change people who enter

• strict behavioural rules

Cultural Capital

• suggested by Pierre Bordieu

• non financial assets that help people succeed in social world

Functionalism

• establish/reinforce societal rules

• social integration: internalize norms/values allowing us to function well as a group (society preserves/continues)

Karl Mannheim

=func

• theory of generations: historical/social context people live influence entire generations relationship to society

• share similarities= birth cohorts

Conflict Theory

=power & control

• reinforces power system & learn to accept place in society

• helps dom group maintain power over sub group

Feminist

• reinforce societal ideas about gender/gender roles

• gender socialization: process of learning appropriate sex-specific behaviour

Interactionism

• helps create our sense of self

• learn meanings of roles

Mead: I vs. Me

• I: subjective self (what do i want?)

• Me: objective self

→ internalized attitudes/demands of others, understand how others interpret our actions

Mead: Development of Self

1. play: child takes roles of significant other, relationship b/w roles not clearly understood

2. game: involves generalized other

• take attitudes of others towards self, understand social expectations, understand roles/how they fit together

Charles Cooley

=looking glass self: self formed through interactions by assessing how others view us

elements:

• interpret/internalize others perceptions of us

• develop self feeling from imagining others judgement

• how we see ourselves comes from how we believe others see us (may be incorrect) 

Freuds Structural Model

psychoanalysis, personality has 3 elements

1. id: biological drives, immediate gratification, UCS

2. ego: prevents superego/id from dominating (reason, common sense, CS)

3. superego: conscience, guilt, learned through experience/interaction, SCS

Agents of Socialization

institutions/structured relationships within which socialization occurs

• 4 principle agents: family, schools, peer groups, mass media

Agency: Family

most important→ socialized into social position within society

• learning occurs rapidly during childhood

• close em ties

• foundation for later socialization

Agency: Schools

• complex skills needed in industrialized societies

• hidden curriculum: informal rules dictating social interactions, learn societal expectations & reinforces social relations

• compare abilities/self→ impacts self-esteem

Agency: Peer Groups

= group you interact/relate to, important in adolescence

• develop independent identity, learn intimacy

• helps children separate from families

• 4 categories: nerds, jocks, burnouts, leading crowd (social prescriptions: expected behaviours in groups)

Agency: Mass Media

• reflects society, not always accurate

• provides common experiences

• self socialization: choose socialization influences in media

Degradation Ceremony

process of being stripped of former self (depersonalized)

Kohlberg Moral Development

• preconventional: pleasure/pain

• conventional: follow rules because theyre rules, determine right/wrong (said boys more moral here)

1. nice (trying to be nice)

2. fair (fairest rule)

• postconventional: follow political/spiritual/philosophical beliefs, question rules because they violate principles 

Gilligan

critiqued Kholberg (mainly studied boys)

• G suggests gender differences in moral reasoning

1. girls: morality of care (consider relationships, help everyone)

2. boys: morality of justice (weigh problem logically based on fairness)