Transcript The Social Self

Socialization
Nature vs. Nurture
 “Nature” (heredity) and “nurture” (social environment) influence
human behavior.
 FERAL (wild) children




2 significant cases since 1950
1982 Las Vegas officials found 6 children 8mos to 6 yrs old
Locked in dark room most of lives
Couldn’t talk nor use eating utensils
 1970 California, Genie






13 yrs old
Since 20 mos. old, kept in small room and beaten by father
Found could not talk or walk
Not toilet trained or was able to chew food
Later was taught these things
Only 2 words at a time, due to lack of human contact when a child
 This also affects adults in extreme isolation situations. Nazi
concentration camps, loss of self awareness and mental stability.
 REALITY IS SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED WITH OUT OTHERS WE
RISK “LOSING OR SENSES”
Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929)
“looking-glass self”
 Describes the process of how a person’s sense of self
develops from interactions with others.
Involves 3 steps:
1.we imagine how we appear to those around us
2. we interpret other’s reactions
3. we develop a self concept
 If perceive as favorable = positive self concept
 If perceive as less favorable = develop negative self
concept
 Always in a state of development as that person
modifies their self.
George Herber Mead (1863-1931)
 Argued that learning to “take the role of the other” is also
critical to the development of a self
3 phases for children to “take the role”

1. imitation

2. play

3. games
2 parts of the self “I” and “me”
“I” is the self by subject
“me” is the self as object, which is made up of the
attitudes people internalize from their interactions with
others.
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
Concluded that children develop their
abilities to reason in four stages
1. Sensorimotor stage
2. Preoperational stage
3. Concrete operational stage
4. Formal operational stage
Lawrence Kohlberg
Determined that children develop morality
through a sequence of stages
1. Amoral stage
2. Preconventional stage
3. Conventional stage
4. Postconventional stage
Moral Development

Jean Piaget: two stages of moral understanding
1. Heteronomous morality: in which moral rules are
viewed as fixed dictates of authority figures.
2. Autonomous morality: in which rules are seen as
flexible, socially agreed-on principles.
 Lawrence Kohlberg: three levels of moral reasoning
1. Preconventional level: morality is viewed as
controlled by rewards, punishments, and the power
of authority figures.
2. Conventional level: conformity to laws and rules is
regarded as necessary to preserve positive human
relationships.
3. Postconventional level: individuals develop abstract,
universal principles of justices.