Introduction to Sociology SOC-101

Unit 4 - Socialization

Socialization Socialization

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

Personality A person’s fairly consistent patterns of caring,

thinking, and feeling Social Environment

The entire human environment, including direct contact with others

Nature v. Nurture How much of a person’s characteristics come

from biology (nature) or from the environment (nurture)?

Darwinism Many people believed that human behavior was

instinctive, part of our nature Some people are “born” criminals Women tend to be more “emotional”

Nature v. Nurture Behaviorism

Developed by John B. Watson (1878-1958) Behavior is not instinctive but learned

Today, sociologists believe behavior is a combination of biology and the environment Lean more towards the nurture aspect Nurture matters more in shaping human behavior

Social Isolation Sociologists cannot study social isolation on

humans, but have done many studies involving monkeys in the past

Harlow Experiments (1962) Harry and Margaret Harlow experimented with

rhesus monkeys and social isolation Complete isolation for six months seriously

disturbed the monkey’s mental development When returned to their group, they were passive,

anxious, and fearful

Social Isolation Harlow Experiments (con’t)

When placed with an artificial “mother” made of wire mesh with a nipple of a feeding tube, the monkeys were still unable to interact with others

When placed with an artificial “mother” covered with soft terry cloth, the monkeys were better able to interact with others Illustrates that infant-mother bonding is not a matter of

feeding but “intimate physical contact” Infant monkeys could recover from isolation up to

three months After six months of isolation there would be

permanent emotional and behavioral damage

Social Isolation Social isolation in children can cause permanent

damage Anna

Was hidden in a storage room and tied up for five years At the age of 8, she had the mental development of a

2-year-old Genie

From the age of 2, she was tied to a potty-chair in a dark garage

She was not found until she was 13 years old She weighed 59 pounds and had the mental

development of a 1-year-old Her language ability remains that of a young child even

though she is now an adult

Harlow mother surrogates

Socialization and the Self Self

The part of an individual’s personality composed of self-awareness and self-image

The unique human capacity of being able to see ourselves “from the outside”

The views we internalize of how others see us

Charles Cooley (1864-1929)

Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self Charles Cooley (1864-1929)

Developed this concept of “looking-glass self” “Looking-Glass Self”

The process by which our self develops through internalizing others’ reactions to us

A conception of self based on how we supposed others see us

What we think of ourselves depends on what we think others think of us

Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self It contains three elements:

We imagine how we appear to those around us We may think others see us as funny, boring, crazy

We interpret others’ reactions Do they like us for being funny or dislike us for being

crazy? We develop a self-concept

Favorable reflection leads to positive self-concept Unfavorable reflection leads to negative self-concept

Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self The development of self does not depend on

an accurate evaluation It is how we interpret how others think about us

that shapes the self, even if it is a misjudgment Even though self-concept develops in

childhood, it is an ongoing, lifelong process

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

Mead and Role-Taking George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

Developed the theory of social behaviorism It explains how social experience develops an

individual’s personality “Self” only develops with social experience

There is no biological force behind it Does not exist at birth

Without social experience, the body matures but no self emerges

Mead and Role-Taking Social experience is the exchange of symbols

Humans use words and gestures to create meaning

We find meaning in action by imagining people’s underlying intentions

Taking the role of the other We need to imagine ourselves in “another

person’s shoes” By doing this, we can anticipate how others will

respond to us even before we act

Mead and Role-Taking Stages of the Development of the “Self”

Imitation Children under the age of 3 mimic behavior without

understanding the underlying intention, thus they have no self

Play Between the ages of 3 and 6, children pretend to take

on the roles of specific people Helps them imagine the world and themselves from

another person’s point of view Games

Children learn to take the roles of several others at once and allows them to play complex games involving more than one person

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Piaget and the Development of Reason Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

He studied human cognition, how people think and understand

Development of Reason Studied why young children consistently gave the

wrong answer on intelligence tests Concluded that children go through four stages of

cognitive development Stages:

Sensorimotor Stage (birth to age 2) During this stage, an individual experiences the world

only through sensory contact “Knowing” means direct sensory contact

Piaget and the Development of Reason Stages (con’t):

Preoperational Stage (age 2 to 7) Individuals first use language and other symbols Lack the ability to grasp abstract concepts

Concrete Operational Stage (age 7 to 12) Individuals first perceive causal relationships, how and

why things happen Formal Operational Stage (after age 12)

Individuals can think critically and abstractly They can comprehend metaphors

Erik Erikson (1902-1994)

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Erik Erikson (1902-1994)

He believed that socialization occurs over the course of a lifetime

Contains eight stages of development Stage 1 – Trust v. Mistrust – (birth to 18 mo.)

Challenge is that an infant must learn to gain trust in the environment

Is society trustworthy enough? Main significant relation is the parent

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 2 – Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt –

(ages 18 months to age 3) Do I need help from others? A child is learning to be autonomous

Specifically in regards to bowel movements Main significant relation is the parent

Stage 3 – Initiative v. Guilt – (ages 3 to 6) How moral am I? A child is learning initiative to make plans and

engage their surroundings Moral conflict as well tied into the Oedipus

Complex Main significant relation is the family

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 4 – Industry v. Inferiority – (ages 6 to 10)

Am I good at what I do? Child wants to produce something and gain

recognition and satisfaction Main significant relation is school

Stage 5 – Identity v. Role Confusion – (ages 11 to 18) When the concept of “who am I?” starts to develop Main significant relations are peers

Stage 6 – Intimacy v. Isolation - (ages 18 to 34) This is when young adults form stable relationships

and fall in love Main significant relation is martial partner and friends

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stage 7 – Generativity v. Self-Absorption – (ages

35 to 60) Am I accomplishing anything? This is when we contribute to the lives of others

including the family, workmates, and others There are numerous significant relations during this

period Stage 8 – Integrity v. Despair – (age 60 to death)

Did I live a fulfilled, satisfied life? This is when a person does an introspection The despair is tied into how we perceive death as

well Main significant relations are everybody

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Freud’s Development of Personality Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Developed a Personality Model to describe the origins of personality

Three parts: Id – (“it”)

The person’s basic drives which are unconscious and demand immediate satisfaction

Rooted in biology and is present at birth Society is against the self-centered id

Freud’s Development of Personality Ego – (“I”)

A person’s conscious efforts to balance their id with the demands of society

To avoid frustration and be able to function in society, a child learns to suppress their id

The ego develops when we realize that we cannot have everything we want

Superego - (“above” the ego) The operation of culture within us Contains the norms and values we have internalized

from our social groups Moral component of our personality It develops when a child understands that their

behavior must include cultural norms

Freud’s Development of Personality Conflict Between the Id and the Superego

When the id gets out of hand, we follow our desires and break society’s norms

When the superego gets out of hand, we become overly rigid following the norms

Ego acts as the balancing force between the two If the conflict is not resolved during childhood, a

person may develop personality disorders

Freud’s Development of Personality Sociological Evaluation

Sociologists liked Freud’s idea that we internalize social norms and that childhood experiences have a lasting impact on our personality

His theory does ignore the role of social factors in the development of personality

Presents humans in male terms with men being “normal” and women being “inferior” castrated males

Emotions Emotions are not just based in biology but

require socialization to develop Paul Ekman

An anthropologist who concluded that all humans have six basic emotions: Anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise

These emotions are built into us genetically People from other cultures can recognize the

facial expressions tied to each of these emotions

Emotions How we express emotions can be based on

socialization Gestures and other ways we express emotions are

dependent on culture and upbringing People tend to act more reserved around those of

higher status We tend to express our emotions more openly

around people who are closer to us

Emotions Socialization is intended to mold us into

conforming members of society This includes how we express our emotions All facets of society tell us what is “acceptable”

and what is “unacceptable” when it comes to emotions

We think about what the social consequences will be before we “act out”

Agents of Socialization The agents of socialization are the people and

groups that influence our orientations to life Our self-concept, emotions, attitudes, and

behavior While every social experience we have affects

us, there are several settings that have special importance in our socialization

The Family The family has the greatest impact on our

socialization Infants are totally dependent on their parents and

other family members Not all family learning is intentional

The kind of environment the family creates can affect children’s perceptions of themselves

Family also gives the child social position in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, and class These all become part of a child’s self-concept

A family’s economic class can also impact socialization Research has found blue-collar parents found

obedience and conformity to be desirable traits While white-collar parents wanted good judgment and

creativity

The Neighborhood The neighborhood you live in can affect

socialization and some neighborhoods are “better” than others Studies have found that children from poor

neighborhoods are more likely to get into trouble with the law, become pregnant, and to drop out of school

Affluent neighborhoods tend to look after children better since there is less transition and the adults are more likely to know the children

Religion Religion influences the values a person

develops, especially the concepts of “right” and “wrong” Provide the basic morality Teaches us other values such as how to dress, act,

and speak for formal occasions

The Peer Group Peer Group

A group of individuals roughly the same age who are linked by common interests

Allow children to form relationships on their own and to escape direct adult supervision

They also have great influence on children and their attitudes The influence of the peer group tends to peak at

adolescence

The Peer Group The standards of the peer group tends to

dominate our lives How we dress, speak, act What type of music we listen to Who we can interact with

Anticipatory Socialization This is social learning that helps gain a desired

position Children tend to mimic the styles and behaviors of

the group they want to join

The Mass Media In the U.S. the mass media has an enormous

impact on our behaviors and attitudes TV is the most dominant form of mass media

98% of households have at least one TV set Surveys have shown that in the average

household at least one TV is on seven hours a day Children are often exposed to TV before reading Children spend as many hours in front of the TV as

they do in school

The Mass Media There has been heavy criticism on the effects

of TV Some argue that TV mirrors our social inequalities

and rarely challenge the status quo Others argue that TV is far too liberal than the

population as a whole and pushes “liberal” issues like feminism and gay marriage

Parents worry about the effects of the media on their children, especially when it comes to violence and sex

The Workplace The workplace comes into socialization later in

life, usually with most of us starting out with part-time jobs

As time goes on, the workplace becomes our most influential agent of socialization

We learn not only a set of skills at work but also perspectives on the world around us The jobs can help us view situations differently For example, a librarian would view free speech

differently than a minister

The Workplace Anticipatory Socialization

We learn to play a role before entering it In the case of the workplace, we talk to people

involved in the field, read books, and take internships to learn more about the jobs

Over time, the job becomes part of a person’s self-concept When people ask you to describe yourself, you

may include your job in your self-description

Gender and Socialization Gender Socialization

The ways in which society sets children onto different courses in life because they are male or female

Parents are the first significant others who teach us our roles in society according to our sex This can be the type of toys given, games

encouraged to participate in, chores given

Gender and Socialization Another group that reinforces cultural

expectations of gender are peer groups They teach each other to be “male” or “female”

by defining what the norms are for each of the sexes

Teenage boys focus on video games, sports, “coolness, and “toughness”

Teenage girls focus on clothing, physical appearance, and attracting boys

Gender and Socialization Gender messages can be found in the mass

media as well, especially in TV Men tend to be portrayed as powerful, strong, and

rich, while women hold lower positions and tend to focus on clothing and beauty

Some shows are starting to break the stereotype for women, But even they are giving mixed messages since while

the women are strong and powerful, they still must remain skinny and beautiful

Gender and Socialization In the print media, men’s magazines are

geared more towards sports and sex (FHM, Maxim), while women’s are towards beauty and fashion (Vogue, Glamour)

In video games, most of them are designed for males and have violent content The very few designed for females involve fashion

and beauty

Gender and Socialization Carol Gilligan

The Gender Factor (1982) Found different standards of rightness in the moral

development of boys and girls Males have a “justice perspective” relying on formal

rules of right and wrong Females have a “care and responsibility perspective”

defining right and wrong with an eye towards personal relationships

Believes that cultural conditioning plays a role in social and moral development

Resocialization Resocialization

This is the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes and behaviors

Occurs every time we learn something that contradicts our previous experiences

Can be mild with only a slight modification of what we have already learned, such as going to a new school with different values

Can be intense such as going to prison or boot camp

Resocialization Total Institution

Coined by Erving Goffman In a total institution, people are cut off from the rest

of society and come under almost complete control of those in charge

Examples include boot camp, prison, concentration camps, religious cults

Total institutions are designed to have a two part process: Get Rid of the Old Self

Officials erase the resident’s old self through humiliation, degradation, and banning any type of individuality

Building the New Self Officials try to build up the new self through a series of

rewards and punishments

Resocialization Total institutions have three distinct

characteristics: Residents’ lives are completely supervised

Supervise everything from where the resident eats, sleeps, and works

Environment is highly standardized Includes uniforms, institutionalized food

Strict rules and schedules Dictates how, when, and where a resident performs

their daily routines

Resocialization Do total institutions work?

Yes – Some residents come out of them feeling either “rehabilitated” or “recovered”

No – Others many change only little or come out feeling bitter and act hostile

Either way, the institution does have some sort of effect on a person’s self-concept

The Life Course Socialization occurs throughout our life

course, from birth until our death Our life course is divided up into stages that

each have their own distinct traits As you pass through each stage, your behavior

and orientation changes For example, you perceive life differently at the

age of 18 than you do at age 50 Life course differs depending on your social

location

Childhood – (Birth to age 12) Historically, childhood was not seen as a

carefree time of learning and play Children would often go to work as soon as they

were able or be married off to start families With the advent of industrialization, material

surpluses increased enough so that children did not have to enter the labor force With this extra leisure time, children could go to

school Childhood could now be stretched out and enjoyed

Adolescence (Ages 13-17) Historically, societies did not mark

adolescence as a distinct period in life Children were expected to go straight from

childhood into adulthood With industrialization, this new stage of life

was created The term “adolescence” was not even created

until the 1900s It is a time not only of biological change but

social change in that a person is no longer a child but still not an adult

Transitional Adulthood (Ages 18-29) Period following high school where the person

is freed from the constraints of the parents but not yet self-sufficient Typically, a person is either still in college or has

moved home after college to help transition to independence

This is a relatively new life stage

Adulthood or Middle Years (Ages 30-65) This is the time of life when most of a person’s

accomplishments occur People get married, start careers, and raise

families Personalities are largely formed by this time in

life, although major stresses can alter the self Includes divorce, illness, unemployment

Early Middle Years (Ages 35-49) At this stage, most people are sure of

themselves and what their life goals are Manage day-to-day priorities from family and

work Women are greatly affected in this period

Society expects them to take on the role of mother and homemaker while they are also trying to succeed in a career outside the home

Later Middle Years (Ages 50-65) People feel that their lives are set

Many people feel this is the most comfortable stage in life as they have job security and a higher standard of living

Period when people realize the fragility of life Start thinking not so much about time since birth

but rather what time they have left to live They compare what they actually accomplished

versus what goals they had

Old Age (Age 65 on) In the U.S., “old age” has taken on a new

meaning With improved healthcare and longer life

expectation, old age has become an extension of middle age

Death becomes a large part of life As their friends grow old and die, people start to

realize that death is no longer an abstract concept but a reality

Prisoners of Socialization? It may be thought that we have little control

over the development of our self, that all the factors of society shape us into who we are

We are shaped but society but at the same time remain individuals We make our own decisions and choices in life We are actively involved in the construction of our

self and can change it within the framework of society