Transcript Socialization and the Self

Socialization: Part II
SOCIALIZATION AND THE SELF
OPENING THOUGHT
How have we been socialized?
I.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES AND
SOCIALIZATION
A. Functionalist Perspective
1. Stresses the way groups work
together to create a stable society
2. EX: Children Learn the same
basic norms, beliefs and values
3. Media brings us TV shows
FUNCTIONALISM: AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION










Family
School
Peer Groups
Sports
Workplace
Neighborhood
Religion
Day Care
Government
Health Care
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
A. Family teaches a child how to:
1. Think and speak
2. Internalize norms, beliefs and
values
3. Form Basic attitudes
4. Develop a capacity for intimate
and personal relationships
5. Acquire a self-image
School teaches 2 curriculums:
1. Educational--math, writing, reading
2. Hidden Curriculum - The informal and
unofficial aspects of culture that children are
taught in school
i. Time/Bell
ii. Opportunity for
“Peer groups”....
Conflict Perspective on Socialization
1. Views socialization as a way of
perpetuating status quo
2. EX: Accept family’s social class
preserve the current class system
3. Media publishes news editorials
Symbolic Interactionism on Socialization
1.
2.
3.
Human nature is a product of
society and not biological
Uses key concepts to understand:
a. The self-concept
b. The Looking glass self
c. Significant others
d. Role taking
e. Generalized other
Symbols socialize (EX: storybooks,
manners)
Self-Concept
a. Image of yourself having an
identity separate from other
people
b. Ex: Children interpret how
others react to them in many
ways
i.
Negative behavior
from children when
there is company
ii.
Takes the attention
off of adults and onto
children
Looking Glass Self
An Image of yourself based on what you believe others
think of you (imagination)
Sort of like a mirror:
I. We imagine how we appear to
others
II. Imagine the reaction of
others to our appearance
III. We evaluate ourselves
according to how we imagined others
have judged us
The Looking Glass Self is…
A rapid process
Not a conscious process
Results in a positive/negative evaluation
Examples:
1. Cheating
2. Body Image
3. Intelligence and “being wrong”
Significant Others:
Those people whose reactions are most important
to your self concept
Ex: For Children - parents
For Teenagers - peers
For Adults - spouse
Role-Taking: Assuming the viewpoint of another
person and respond to ourselves from that
imagined viewpoint
Herbert Mead’s stages of Socialization:
1. Imitation stage (birth-2 yrs old) – Infants absorb
social information rapidly
2. Play Stage (3-4 yrs old) – Children can imagine
how others want them to behave
3. Game Stage (6 yrs and older) – Children anticipate
the actions of others and can gear their behavior
towards the norm)
In high school your two most powerful agents
of socialization are:
1.
2.
Peer Groups – group of individuals of
roughly the same age and interests
The Media / Popular Culture – Television,
Radio, Internet, Movies, etc.
And those of you who think you are “different”
or “social rebels”: You are adhering to the
same behavior just with different peer groups!
