Transcript Chapter 5: Socialization

CHAPTER 5:
SOCIALIZATION
The Process of Fitting into Society
SOCIALIZATION & PERSONALITY
Nearly all human social
behavior that we think is
normal or natural is learned.
 This learning takes place as
soon as we’re born and it
continues through our whole
life.
 A baby is NOT born knowing
how to behave or feel…they
must LEARN it.
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SOCIALIZATION & PERSONALITY
Socialization is the cultural
process of learning to participate
in group life.
 By socialization, we are able to
fit into many different social
groups.
 Example: transition from Jr.
High
to
High
School.
Graduating seniors to the real
world.

SOCIALIZATION & PERSONALITY
Many
believe that if an infant is
deprived of prolonged social
contact that the child will not be
able to develop a set of attitudes,
beliefs, values and behaviors that
are associated with being an
individual.
COOLEY’S LOOKING-GLASS SELF
Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert
Mead believe that human nature is a product
of society.
 They use key concepts to explain socialization:
self-concept, looking-glass self, significant
others, role taking and the generalized other.
 Your self concept is your image of yourself as
having an identity separate from other people.
 Once someone understands self concept, they
are able to themselves on how people will react
to them…this is known as the looking-glass
self.
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COOLEY’S LOOKING-GLASS SELF
The looking-glass self is a self concept based on our idea
of others’ judgments of us.
 Cooley believed that we use the analogy of a mirror to
see ourselves and try to imagine how people will see
us.
 This happens in 3 stages and they are not done
consciously.

We imagine how our behaviors will look to others
 We interpret others’ reactions to our behaviors
 We develop a self-concept
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This allows us to figure out if the reaction will be
negative or positive.
MEAD’S THEORY ON SOCIALIZATION
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Mead pointed out that during our
lives we’ll come into contact with
people who mean more to us than
others.
These people affect our self concept
because we hold them so highly.
These people are known as
significant others.
Examples: mom/dad, teacher, coach,
friends, etc.
These individuals teach us what is
“right” and we mold our self concept
based on them!
MEAD’S 3 STAGES OF THE “I-ME” SELF
Role taking is when we imagine ourselves through the
eyes of another person.
 We use it in many instances: asking for a raise, asking
someone to go on a date, trying to get out of
trouble…etc.
 You try to imagine the conversation and the results
that will happen.
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Examples: job interviews, visit to principal’s
office, asking potential bf/gf on a date.
MEAD’S 3 STAGES OF THE “I-ME” SELF
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Mead believed that role taking
was a product of 3 steps:
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1. Imitation Stage:
This was around 1-2 ½ years
old. We act and behave like a
significant other.
Example: if mom or dad says a
bad word, than the kid repeats
it
MEAD’S 3 STAGES OF THE “I-ME” SELF
2. Play Stage
 Around the ages of
3-4 years old. The
child uses
imagination for just
about everything.
 Example: child is an
astronaut, a nurse or
a firefighter…they
take on one role at a
time while playing.
MEAD’S 3 STAGES OF THE “I-ME” SELF
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3. Game Stage
 This is around 6+ years old. This is when the child
learns how to follow rules in order to do
something…like play a card game.
 This is the stage when they learn about how their
behavior will affect their interactions in a group.
In the game stage, a person’s self concept begins to
form.
It is a result of their attitudes, beliefs and values.
It mostly comes from the individual itself and not
much on pleasing the significant other.
They understand what is wrong because it is…not
because mom or dad told them it is wrong.
When this takes place, the generalized other emerges.
MEAD’S 3 STAGES OF THE “I-ME” SELF
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Mead believed that the self contained two parts:
 1. the “me”: This is created through the socialization
process. It relies on conformity and predictability.
 2. the “I”: This works with the “me” in social
situations. When we first react, we think in terms of
“I”, but we channel into what the “me” wants because
it is more socially acceptable.
 Example: the “I” wants to “borrow” a friend’s CD,
but the “me” thinks about how the friend will react
when they found out who “borrowed” it.
ERIK ERIKSON’S 8 STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
 Humans
develop a personality in 8
different stages. In order to move on to
the next stage, one must POSITIVELY
master one stage.
 His theory is based on the assumption
that a person develops until the day
he/she dies.
 8 Stages of Development=pg. 89
JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
 Focuses
on a person’s ability to
think and to reason.
 Thinking shapes our self concept
so it plays a huge role in the
socialization process.
 Theory is based on 4-stages of
development. Studied heavily by
individuals wanting to be early
education teachers.
JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 1: sensorimotor
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Stage 2: preoperational
From birth to 2 years
Learn world based on
senses and motor skills
 Walking, touching,
crawling, putting things
into mouth
 Closer to 2 yrs old…they
learn about “object
permanence”
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From 2 yrs-7 yrs
Language and vocabulary
grow rapidly
 Kids start to link written
words to objects
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JEAN PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 3: concrete
operational
From 7 yrs-12 yrs
 Start to understand
feelings and how others
might feel/think
 Makes connections of
objects and things
around them
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Stage 4: formal
operational
From 12 yrs-above
 Test their
thinking/reasoning,
challenging authority
 Thinks become more
abstract…example
algebra class
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KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
Revolves around the idea of what is right and wrong
 Basing his work on Piaget, Kohlberg identifies 3
specific levels:
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Preconventional Level: birth to elementary school
•Moral decisions are based on hedonism
Conventional Level: starts around puberty
•Basically understands what is “right” and “wrong” based on rules.
Postconventional Level: Morality is based on abstract principles that
could be rooted in political beliefs, religious beliefs or a combination of
both.
CAROL GILLIGAN AND
THE “MORALITY OF CARE”
Believed that Kohlberg’s theory was biased
against women. Gilligan than focused on how
gender can influence moral development.
 Based her theory on two different principles:
 1) morality of justice: mostly done by males;
rule of law
 2)morality of care: mostly done by females:
decisions based on how it will effect those in
need
 Research showed that both genders developed
morality of justice AND morality of care. Only
difference is WHEN.
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AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
The Family
• Creates in environments that give unconditional love &
support. Provides social control.
• 3 different Parenting Styles: Permissive, Authoritative,
and Authoritarian
Social Class
• Socialization is based on social class…raise kids based on
expectations assigned to that social class
• Opportunities for extra socialization are limited to those
in middle- and lower-class families due to fixed incomes.
Neighborhoods
• Closely tied to social class…where you live says a lot
about the opportunities that are available.
• Not end all…many from lower-income can rise up and
many upper-income and lose it all.
RESOCIALIZATION & TOTAL INSTITUTIONS
Must learn new
norms, values and
behaviors
Either voluntary
or involuntary
One ruleconform or pay
the price
All activities are
pre-planned
Done in total
institutions
All information
from outside is
monitored
Strict hierarchyyou know your
place
Absolutely NO
CHOICE
SOCIALIZATION & THE 3 PERSPECTIVES
Symbolic
Interactionism
• Garfinkel saw
total institutions
as a way to break
down individuals.
• Have to break
them to build
them back
up…provide new
norms and values
based on goals of
the total
institution.
Functionalism
Conflict Theory
• Utilizes agents of
socialization to
teach the values at
are important to
that agent
• Religion:
Teachings are
based on the
foundation of the
faith.
• Education: hidden
curriculum not
just curriculum
set by the State
• Believe that
society teaches
gender roles that
can lead to gender
bias.
• Uses the media to
show how the
“roles” of certain
genders are
reinforced
through shows
and movies…do
not stray or you
stick out.