Sociology: Socialization and Identity
Understanding Socialization
Definition: Socialization is the process through which society and culture indoctrinate individuals to adapt their norms, values, and beliefs, ultimately shaping their identity.
Nature vs. Nurture: This debate questions how much of an individual's personality and identity is molded by culture (nurture) versus inherent biological factors (nature).
Sociology's Focus: While acknowledging both, the field of sociology primarily focuses on the nurture aspect and how it shapes individuals.
Agents of Socialization
Multiple agents contribute to socialization, including family, schools, media, religion, and community.
These agents deliver messages that teach individuals societal expectations and appropriate behavior.
The Lifetime Process of Socialization
Primary Socialization: The vast majority of our fundamental socialization occurs during childhood, leading to the internalization of cultural values.
Culture Shock: When an adult enters a completely different culture, they may experience culture shock due to the clash of internalized norms with new societal expectations.
Ongoing Socialization: Individuals continuously come into new positions and experiences throughout their lives, requiring ongoing socialization.
Example: College Student: Transitioning to a college student position involves new norms and expectations, different from a high school student.
Resocialization
This occurs when an individual moves from one social context to another, where norms and expectations differ, requiring adaptation to new behaviors and beliefs.
Example: Moving from a private school with a highly mannered culture to a public school where manners might be less emphasized, leading to a "culture shock" experience and a need to adjust to new social norms.
Other Scenarios: Resocialization also happens with new jobs, different social groups, or changes in life stages, where new informal and formal norms must be learned.
Learning Politeness: An Example
Defining Politeness: Examples include saying thank you, please, being respectful, and holding doors open.
How Politeness is Learned:
Parents: Direct instruction and reinforcement (e.g., "Say thank you!").
Observation: Children observe others demonstrating polite behavior.
Schools: Teachers and the school environment reinforce manners.
Media: TV shows, commercials, and other media depict polite interactions.
Individual Variation: Despite common agents, individuals may internalize or apply these norms differently (e.g., children who never say thank you, despite exposure).
Statuses: Our Social Positions
Definition (Sociological): A status is any named position an individual occupies within society. It is not about social prestige but simply a recognized position.
Contrast with Everyday Language: In everyday language, 'status' often implies hierarchical position (e.g., a president having higher status than a clerk). In sociology, both 'president' and 'clerk' are simply different statuses.
Examples: College professor, mother, wife, sister, aunt, niece, club member, customer, tenant, friend, colleague, student.
Status Set: Each person has a unique collection of statuses.
Relational Quality: A status always requires the existence of another person or group (e.g., 'friend' requires a friend, 'student' requires a teacher).
Types of Statuses:
Ascribed Status: Positions largely beyond an individual's control, often assigned at birth (e.g., daughter, son, child, race).
Achieved Status: Positions an individual earns or chooses (e.g., college student, employee, club member).
Roles: The Expectations of Status
Definition: A role is the set of expectations, behaviors, and duties prescribed by culture for a particular status.
Function: Roles act as a guide for how individuals should interact when occupying a specific status (e.g., expectations of a friend, teacher, or plumber).
Individual Variation within Roles: While roles provide a general guide, there is individual variation in how people enactment (e.g., different teaching styles among professors).
Boundaries and Consequences: Despite variation, there are boundaries to acceptable role performance. Exceeding these boundaries typically incurs social consequences.
Impact: Roles are meaningful; they get "in our heads," shaping our identity, how we think and feel, and how we interact with others. They provide structure to our lives.
Example: The greeting we give to a friend versus a professor varies because we make snap judgments about their respective statuses and adjust our role performance accordingly.
Role Conflict and Role Strain
Statuses and their associated roles are not always simple; clashes often occur, leading to stress and strain.
Role Conflict: Occurs when the roles associated with two or more distinct statuses clash.
Mnemonic: Role Conflict (two syllables) $\rightarrow$ two statuses conflicting.
Example Scenarios:
Parent vs. Employee/Student: A parent whose child is sick, creating a conflict between the role of a devoted parent and the role of an employee or student needing to be at work/school.
Test vs. Birthday Party vs. Job: A student facing a big test (student role), a close relative's birthday party (daughter/son role), and an urgent call from their boss (employee role).
Role Strain: Occurs when conflicting demands or expectations arise within a single status.
Mnemonic: Role Strain (one syllable) $\rightarrow$ within one status.
Example Scenarios:
Student: Juggling multiple academic responsibilities within the student role (class, exams, registrar paperwork, group projects).
Mother/Parent: The expectation to be both warm/nurturing and a disciplinarian.
Friend: The tension between being supportive and being honest with a friend.
Socialization into New Adult Roles (Post-Graduation Example)
College Student Socialization: This involves formal (orientation, guidebooks) and informal processes (media depictions, sibling advice, trial and error).
First Professional Job Socialization: This example illustrates continued socialization into a new status.
Formal Training: HR departments, specific instructions from bosses, training videos, and manuals.
Unwritten Rules: Learning informal norms regarding dress code, time on task, appropriate socialization, and phone use in meetings.
Agents of Learning Workplace Norms: Peers, role modeling, sanctions (looks, reactions to mistakes), direct instructions, and specific jargon.
External Influences: Media depictions (news, TV shows), educational preparation (professors, internships), and family dynamics (new advice, expectations of independence).
Conclusion: Throughout life, individuals continuously encounter new positions and statuses, prompting ongoing socialization processes that shape their behavior and identity.