chapter 4 - socialization & interaction
4.1 connecting sociology to socialization & interaction
14 year old Michael Carneal killed 3 students & injured 5 more after opening fire on a prayer group at Heath High School
was able to shoot 5 students in the head (accuracy that even low enforcement don’t have)
Grossman argues in his book that the increase in firearm assaults are the result of widespread desensitization of young ppl to violence in the media
in previous wars in the 19th & 20th century, soldiers wouldn’t shoot other ppl, even if their own life was at risk
to overcome this, militaries used resocilization
resocialization - breaking down & rebuilding an individual’s beliefs, values, and norms
in the case of soldiers, there could have been direct leadership to tell soldiers to kill
or group pressures in engaging in violence
could hv encouraged soldiers to view others as the “enemy” - create a moral or psychological difference
modern militaries use technology - real-life simulations with real looking humans
Groffman argues that shooting video games are socializing young ppl to view/associate violence as pleasure or entertainment
4.2 socialization
socialization - the process individuals go through in order to learn the norms & values that’re expected of them within a culture
allows us to be productive members of society & to develop sense of identity
nature vs nurture debate
to what extent is who you are, the product of your genetics or your environment?
one way to answer - twin studies
twin studies - conducted on identical & fraternal twins to determine influence of genetics on behaviour, life outcomes, disorders, and more
studies on identical twins specifically (who share [almost?]100% of genes) allow us to isolate genetics & determine influence of environment on behaviour
while there is strong evidence to support the fact that genes are responsible for most of our behaviour or IQ, there are some methodological considerations with these studies
they may include twins who had similar traits, not twins who had dissimilar traits
if twins were raised apart but in similar environments, they had more similar IQ compared to twins raised apart but in different environments
mental disorders are more strongly linked to environment
children of schziophrenic parents were believed to be at a higher risk of developing the disorder, cuz of genetics
their parents had it, so the gene would be passed onto child
but instead environment can play a role
child lives in same environment as parents - so could develop disorder due to environment
so genes may play a role in developing who we are, but socialization, our cultural & social environment also play a role
socialization & the self
Danielle Crockett - shows that to reach our full potential, our brain is not enough but we need socialization & interaction
standing, ability to express emotions and thoughts, communication - developed through interaction, they’re not innate abilities
self - a relatively stable sense of who we are, which is based off of our understanding of ourselves, our interaction with others & our place in social systems
sociologists & others aim to uncover what constructs our sense of self
one suggestion by Charles Horton Cooley - looking glass self
suggests that our sense of self is based off of how we believe others percieve us
sense of self isn’t constructed in isolation
George Herbert Mead - sense of self is developed through self-reflection & interaction
begins when children interact with others & conform into roles that’re expected out of them
Mead’s stages of the development of self
imitation
children as young as 3, mimic behaviour of those closest to them (significant others)
role-taking
children between 3-5, play games where they role-play different people one at a time
when playing house, one child is “mommy” and one is “baby”
game
children above 7 play complex games where they take on multiple roles at once
ex: kids playing an organized sport, where they carry out necessary actions appropriate for their role as a participant & act according to the expectations of their coach & team
the generalized other
children understand themselves outside of their family & comprehend societal expectations
ex: children considering opinions of those outside their family (like teachers or friends)
4.3 agents of socialization
agents of socialization - groups that play a role in socializing an individual into society
primary socialization - the first stage where children learn values, norms, beliefs and begin to construct a sense of self
family is agent of primary socialization
secondary socialization - process of learning broader norms & values of wider society, along with subcultures of society
takes place outside the home (through the media, friends, schools)
families
pass on broader values & norms, cultural specific beliefs, values and norms, and pass on ideas
can socialize children into racial identities
are how children are exposed to and adopt macro level forces, such as social class & religion
ex: ways in which Indigenous parents teach their practices, beliefs & norms to their children despite forced assimiliation
emphasize role of extended family
children are born into a network of support
lots of ppl to teach them cultural ceremonies, beliefs, practices, traditions & values
storytelling
operates as oral history but also as socialization & transmission of culture
emphasizes autonomy & independence
encouraged to make own decisions
children given room to take risks
some Indigenous cultures have different approach to language
believe that a child’s ability to listen & follow instructions is more valuable than when they acc speak
children who speak their native language also possess a wider, value-based worldview
schools
one of the main agents of secondary socialization
reinforce norms & values
further teach or enforce societal expectations
can socialize student behaviour & social expectations (is one of the places where students are exposed to diverse cultures and opinions)
peers
peer groups - groups that ppl interact with, who have shared interests, same age, same background, etc
young ppl want to belong
conform to peers to achieve sense of belonging
important for development
builds self-esteem
create positive relationships based on altruism & empathy
promote positive community behaviours
ex: if influential peers promote volunteering, those within their group & outside the group may engage in volunteerin
ex: if peer group is composed of students who aim to do well in school, chances are others within that group will be motivated to study hard
but can also promote negative behaviours
due to peer pressure (wanting to be part of a group & feel a sense of belonging or assert identity)
peer influence - the most consistent predictor of adolescent drinking
media
young ppl use media to socialize themselves & to construct identity, to communicate important aspects of themselves, and more
as an agent of socialization, media can go beyond culture, can encourage individuals to socialize themselves, and communicates social norms
one media concern is body image (portrayal of only one ideal body shape)
another is effect of media on violence
exposure to aggressive media can lead to antisocial behaviour
also leads to desensitization of violence
exposure to violence can also lead to adopting scripts (ie expected ways of acting in a specific situation) for aggression
children also seek out children who act similarly
aggressive children may seek out aggressive children
problems with the conclusions
does aggression in media translate into aggression in real-life?
evidence suggests no
social control & individual restraint can help prevent ppl who play video games, from engaging in aggressive behaviour in real world
the studies show mixed results
some studies define aggression as annoying behaviours
inconsistency in description of common term
but violent media can encourage violent behaviour through mimicry
violent ppl may engage in new forms of violent behaviour, which they would not have done previously
referring to Grossman - while shooting games may play a role in violent behaviour, other factors may also be at play, such as bullying, depression, low self-esteem
socialization & genetics
gene-environment interactions - research that involves data collected through social science with data from genetic & biological markers
allows sociologists to directly test genotype data, instead of inferring
PGS (polygenic scores) - a number that is derived from parts of the genome & can be used to predict behaviour
not useful for individuals (cuz individuals are influenced by their own environment)
but can be useful for analyzing groups
social genetic effects - the indirect effect/influence of genes in a social environment
genes of others in social environment, may influence our behaviour
4.4 socialization throughout life
socialization is often viewed as a top-down process
in a way, socialization is imposed (we didnt get to choose our families and therefore the way we were brought up)
self-socialization - process we take to shape our social development
form of self-reflection where ppl develops ideas about their identity, set goals, follow interests & take actions to construct or change their identity
begins in adolescence
internet provides teens with more independence, agency & control over socialization
identities are changing faster now than ever before, due to increasing access to info, new ways of communication, global influences
anticipatory socialization - process of adopting norms & behaviours to prepare for future roles
ex: parents can transition into parenthood by reading parenting books or attending classes. potential lawyer may adopt traits of the job - dressing, speaking, interacting, attitude
resocialization typically takes place in total institutions - settings that isolate individuals from wider society, and regulate all parts of their lives
includes prisons, militaries, boarding schools, religious communities
hv 4 features
all parts of life are carried out in same setting & under same authority
daily activities occur in company of large group of others
ppl who are treated equally/alike, hv to do the same thing
daily routines are scheduled & heavily regulated
all activities are designed to accomplish official aims of institutions
control in these institutions result in quick resocialization of ppl
usually begins with a form of symbolic or actual degradation, which removes any identity & connection of the outside world, from the individual
4.5 interaction & the self
social interaction is seen as presenting ourselves in the way we want the audience & context to understand
dramaturgical analysis (front stage & back stage)
*check here for summary of how theories relate to interaction & the self
social scripts
social scripts - given to us by culture, religion, family, society, education & other institutions
i think these are basically expectations of how we interact
can shape our identity & norms & expectations
while we can interpret these scripts, deviating too far from them may cause us to be labelled as outcasts/deviant
important for ensuring stability & predictability
ex: when going to doctor’s office, you follow a social script (acting respectful, discussing medical concerns, listening to instructions & asking questions)
three principles of social scripts
first - the different roles that we taken on across different institutions, shape our experiences
bring only certain ppl together
act as boundaries - block or encourage interaction
ex: friends you made in grade school, were there on purpose, depending on their socioeconomic status or geographic location
second - social life is characterized by freedom & constraint
have constraints in our interaction & socialization - social scripts & culture
influence who we are & who we can become
but also have freedom
can make choices to change our lives
third - scripts help us comprehend interactions
hv expectations for ppl in certain positions
recreating social & cultural expectations for behaviour in ourselves & with the other person
status & roles - 2 features which help sociologists better understand how social scripts shape interaction
status - the social position you hold in a specific context
can be assigned at birth, you fall into it voluntarily (senior resident), or achieved
status set - all the statuses held by a person
master status - a status that overpowers the status set (all other statuses)
vital for a person’s identity
can be smthg we achieve or smthg imposed on us
can be associated with prestige & stigma
ex: having a disability, being a doctor, committing a horrible crime
roles - behaviours expected of ppl who hold a certain status
sometimes, the statuses we have & their associated roles, can create difficult demands
is called role conflict
occurs across various roles (hv to hv multiple roles)
ex: a parent wants to attend their parent-teacher meeting, but also has an important work meeting at the same time. their status as a parent & an employee is at conflict
role strain - difficulties ppl experience in completing demands of their single role
ex: having to balance assignments, studying, going to class, participating in class as a student.
causes ppl to engage in trade-offs
can distance themselves from a role
role-distancing - intentionally separate onself from a role, or remind that the role is temporary
typically used to separate one’s identity from the role they play
ex: manager who has to fire employee may say “it’s not my decision, im just doing my job”
ex: or maybe when women separate themselves from role of mother or wife - I’m not just John’s wife, I’m also Catherine
social actors
different principles that social action follows:
first - social life is the result of collective activities
one way that society maintains itself is through face-to-face interactions
second - humans are social actors & social life isn’t completely scripted
we react to culture & structure, create plans, choose from different lines of action & alter behaviour
social interaction is a mixture of agency & scripts
third - ppl’s interpretation & definition of social facts are important
Thomas theorem states that if ppl define a situation as real, they’re real in their consequences
we create definitions (such as self-definition), which can be confirmed or changed by other ppl’s definitions
fourth - how we define ourselves, will determine how others respond to us in social relationships & contexts
our self makes sense of social scripts & roles
can also be created & recreated in the moment through interpretation of an interaction
basically - identity can be created by social scripts & through social creation
our sense of self is established through choice
identity is fluid
is a combination of different social interactions & our position/status within institutions
identity and the core self
identity is composed of: personal identity & social identity
personal identity - who you are
emphasizes autonomy as opposed to social structure
constructed over time as we engage in different projects or interests
unique - differentiates ourselves from other ppl
social identity - the groups or structures you belong to
the cultures, roles & institutions we internalize
groups & networks we belong to
some scholars agree we hv a stable identity, while others argue that’s an illusion
idea of core self suggests there are certain traits that, most of the time, will show up when we interact with others
the consistent parts of yourself that are shown in various settings
other scholars argue that the self is simply a series of performances that exist through interaction
we instead hv multiple selves, which will change depending on the goals, audience or context of situation
basically we are constantly constructing & reconstructing ourselves
identities change as we go through life, become a part of certain groups, interact with different ppl
the modern self
in modern society, self & identity are becoming more influenced my media & technology
Goffman argues that media scripts & images provide a preexisting script/performance, which ppl integrate into their daily lives
called hyper-ritualization
media exaggerates everyday habits or rituals
causes us to internalize these beliefs, shifting our expectations & norms
ex: ads often depict flawless skin or certain body shapes, causing us to internalize beliefs of what is beautiful and socially acceptable
in the past, identity was typically class-based, tied to your community or job
but now, identity is highly individualized & is a matter of personal choice
this can be accomplished through consumption
now we have access to wide wide variety of goods & services, which reinforce self-expression & individualization
allows us to change or maintain our self-identity
the things we buy tell ppl about our identity (do we spend on important things or like to flaunt wealth)
another element of society is how ppl maintain self-identity by constantly constructing a narrative of self
processing of establishing & maintaining identity is tied to hving goods, & to media-framed lifestyles which’re created for mass consumption
in modern society, identity is being presented as a product & not a complex social process
this can replace actual self-development
can create expectations for our lifestyle (everyone has to live a certain way)
in online environments, we can construct & project an identity that almost entirely within our conrol
carefully curated presentation of self
allows for exploration of other personality traits
but behaviour can still conform to expectations/conventions of online community
online activity is also interactive (communicate in blogs, comment on videos, post videos)
typically a generalized other, with whom we interact & create online identity
these interactions can confirm or deny our online identity
for some ppl, online persona can be more important than their offline persona
some sociologists believe that online identities represent other aspects of our physical/offline identity
can control what parts of our front -stage & backstage are shown
others argue that online identity isn’t connected to offline identity
we can create different identities on different platforms
can project & hide parts of ourselves or can adopt multiple identities with different statuses
our online identity is free from any core self
4.6 interaction & social order
social order is enforced each time ppl interact with each other
each person works to ensure the social “rules” for conversation are followed
when we interact we maintain a “surface agreement”
constrains how we act and what we say?
social interactions are also places where ppl compete for status
social status is reinforced through day-to-day interactions & the differences between statuses are also reinforced through these interactions
studying social order
certain interactions hv a series of rules that’re brought into the interaction, and that we recreate through process of interaction
the interactions typically hv norms, & follow certain order
ethnomethodology - study of how ppl produce social order through interaction
aim to understand the meaning that ppl give to everyday interactions
also how ppl align their actions with others, to ensure order
ex: when shopping for clothes, there’s an order (looking around, trying on clothes, getting in line to pay for clothes)
everyone’s actions match
helps ensure social order
when we encounter others, we assume they follow the same rules & background expectations
when these aren’t followed, it leads to frustration
social order is disrupted
actively create the social order by giving meaning to our actions & actions of other ppl
breaching experiments & conversation analysis - 2 ways to study the background knowledge on which social order relies upon
breaching experiments - intentionally violate certain norms, background expectations or rules
observe the social reactions
analyze the social structure that makes the reaction possible
conversation analysis - examines talk & forms of nonverbal communication to comprehend rules, meanings & norms that underlie talk
ex: doctor asking “is there something else you want to talk about” vs “is there anything else you want to talk about” makes a difference. first option - allows patients to be more open & actually talk about other health concerns. second option - more likely to “shut” up patient - they’ll say no & leave
2 things sociologists know about convos
first - they’re governed by rules
whenever we converse, we do so in a specific context that has certain conventions
contexts can shape the expectations or rules of the convo
ex: job interviews require professional language, while chatting with friends is informal
second - culture, status & role determine who is more entitled to speak
ex: in workplace, seniors can cut in when new employees are speaking, and can continue the convo. might not be the case in egaliatarian settings
culture can influence the norms of proper conversation
ex: one culture may believe getting to the point is acceptable, while another culture emphasizes friendliness & chatting
so, there is a social order underlying everyday interactions, like conversation
can be created through our expectations of the situation