Transcript Socialization and Social Institutions

Socialization
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Learning to be human
Learning elements of one’s culture
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Socialization and the Self
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Self: Sense of having a distinct identity;
of being apart from other people and
things
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Personality: Characteristic emotional,
thought, and behavior patterns; consistent
over time
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Agents of Socialization
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Individual, group, organization that
influences behavior and sense of self
Reference Group: Group or social category
that people use as a guide to develop
values, attitudes, behavior, self-image
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Normative function
Evaluative function
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Agents of Socialization: Family
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First social world children encounter
Parenting styles:
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Authoritarian
Permissive
Authoritative
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Family as an Institution
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Laws and institutions surrounding family
and kinship systems
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Nuclear family units
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Extended family units
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Mom, Dad, siblings
Includes nuclear family and aunts, uncles,
cousins, grandparents
Authority and inheritance
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Matrilineal
Patrilineal
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Elements of Culture
Institutions Within Culture
Cultural Activities
Inner Core
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Social Institutions
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Social institutions provide basic structure
within which we live our lives
Emerge around a fundamental human
need which must be met for individual
survival and prosperous society
Replace members
Preserve order
Socialize new members
Provide a sense of
purpose
Produce and distribute
goods and services
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Social Institutions
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Informal Institutions
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Authority and status attained through
interpersonal relationships or other nonstructured means
Formal Institutions
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Deliberately brought into existence to enable
people who do not know each other to carry
on relationships for the purpose of attaining
specific goals
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Educational Institutions
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Formal agencies in which students learn
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Important history
Skills
Socialization
Cultural differences in education
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Agents of Socialization: School
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American students spend at least 180
days per year in school
Directly teach culture
Indirectly socialize (through textbooks,
classes); introduce to large organizations
Anticipatory Socialization: Learning
about, practicing new role before one is in
a position to play the role
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Agents of Socialization: Peers
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Children create a private peer culture
Themes:
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Sharing and social participation
Dealing with fears and conflicts
Resisting adult rules and authority
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Economic Institutions
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Some form of compensation for time or
work
Economies differ in amount of
governmental interference
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Communism, Socialism, Capitalism
Function: Allows individuals to specialize
in skills and still meet needs
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Barter system or ‘swap out’ work
Money
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Agents of Socialization: Mass Media
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Forms of communication that reach large
numbers of people
Television
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Virtually all U.S. households have TVs
Media violence
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Political Institutions
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Some form of government
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Provide peace and order within society
Protection from enemies outside society
Use of force concentrated within
government
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Legal system
Military establishment
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Function: Social Control
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Groups must ensure that members obey
at least the rules vital to survival of the
group
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Physical force
Economic pressure
Occupational pressures
Sanctions
Positive
 Negative
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Socialization in Adulthood
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Total Institutions
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Desocialization
Resocialization
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Socialization in Adulthood
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Total Institutions
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Desocialization
Resocialization
Occupational Socialization
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Religious Institutions
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Formal systems involving
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Belief
Rituals
Places of worship
Linguistic concepts
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Health Institutions
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Meaningful health can differ by culture
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Physical and mental health evaluated
differently according to culture
Modern medicine vs. traditional healing
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Theories of Cultural Change
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Cultural borrowing and innovation
acceptance
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Contact with a new culture produces change
in one or both cultures
Diffusion: Cultural traits spread from one
group to another
Innovation: New elements or combinations
of old elements are absorbed
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Theories of Cultural Change
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Cultural Crisis
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Changes are the result of uncontrollable
forces
Ecological Change
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Changes as response to long-term
environmental changes
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Theories of Cultural Change
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Cyclical theories
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Cultures fluctuate; some rise to dominance
over other cultures, some decay and fall to
ruin
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