Sociology_Socialization for all grades.ppt

Sociology_Socialization for all grades.ppt

1. Chapter 4: Socialization:
Becoming Human and Humane

2. Introduction
Socialization-the lifelong process of learning
to become a member of the social world
Interaction-the basic processes of
socialization through which a child is shaped
into a human being, learns its culture, and
becomes a member of a society
Social self-the changing perceptions we
have of who we are as a result of ongoing
socialization, from birth to death.

3. The Nature vs. Nurture Debate
The debate over whether biology(genes,
evolution) or socializationexplains the self
and all human behaviors
Sociobiology(evolutionary psychology)-is
a bio-determinist theory that claims our
genetic make-up “wires” us for certain social
behaviors
–Not well accepted by most sociologists > 1920s
–Greatly abused in from 1850 (Social Darwinism)
all the way to 1945 (Fascism)

4. The importance of socialization
Children need human contact, affection,
and interaction in order to fully develop
–E.g., Anna, Isabelle, neglected orphan
children, the latter with deaf-mute mother
–Because these children were not socialized at
the proper time, their developmental
disorders persisted after attempts to integrate
them into society, Anna much worse than
Isabelle

5. Socialization and the social world
Most of our experiences are a part of our
socialization experience
–Micro-level-e.g., parents, friends
–Meso-level-e.g., schools and religion
–Macro-level-e.g., national advertisements
Organizations and institutions are
dependent upon socialized people to help
them persist: school, boot camp,
internship, church school, etc.

6. The Structural-functionalist perspective -
different socializing agents support one
another --> social harmony --> social order
The Conflict perspective -different
socializing agents have conflicting goals -->
social conflict --> social change
–Those who have power use socialization to
manipulate others into supporting the power
structure that benefits the elite --> “false
consciousness” among subordinate social strata
–Most individuals have very little power to decide
or control their futures (not so if organized &
mobilized for collective action -“consciousness”)

7. Development of the self
Self-the perceptions we have of who
we are which are developed from our
perceptions of the way othersrespond
to us in our myriad interactions
The development of the self begins at
birthand through infancy
Biology and sociology bothcontribute to
the development of the self

8. The looking glass self (Cooley)
1.We imagine how we appearto others
2.We interpret how othersjudgethat
appearance and then respondto that
interpretation through behavior
3.We experience feelings of prideor
shamebased on this imagined
appearance and judgment by others
4.We respond based on our interpretation

10. Role-taking (Mead)
We imagine ourselves from the point of view of
others and assume the role we think we are
When humans can symbolically recognize
objects, they can then view the self as an object
This process begins with having a name, which
differentiates the self from other objects
Only humans use symbols
We imagine ourselves being others: role-playing

11. Symbolic interaction theory
We take the actions of ourselves and
others into account and take mental
notes accordingly
The self can be passive (developed by
the way that others see us) and active
(an initiator of action -an agent)

12. Parts of the self (Mead)
The “I”-spontaneous, unpredictable,
impulsive; acts without considering
social consequences
The “me”-knows the rules of society
and attempts to channel the impulses of
the “I” into socially acceptable behavior
that still meets the “I’s” needs
The “me” requires the ability to take the
role of the other

13. Stages in the development
of the self (Mead)
Play-children actually take on the role of
particular others, but do not understand
complex relationships
Game-children can take the role of multiple
others at once and understand the generalized
other
–Generalized other-a composite of societal
expectations
–Can now play complex games (e.g., baseball)

14. The connections of the self
to the meso-level
Solon Schools
–Our sense of self is defined by our social
positions within organizations and
institutions in society
–The self is relatively stable because a core
self develops
–Because those organizations are so
important to our core self, we have a vested
interest in their preservation

15. Socialization throughout
the life cycle
Rites of passageoccur at most stages
–Important because they impact how others
perceive the individual, how the individual
perceives herself, and what is expected of
the individual
–Infant -Childhood-Adolescence
–Adulthood -Middle Adulthood
–Retired and the Elderly -Death and Dying

16. The process of resocialization
Resocialization-the process of
abandoning one or more social positions in
favor of others that are more suitable for a
newly acquired status
Can be voluntary or non-voluntary

17. Agents of socialization
Agents are the mechanism through
which the self learns the beliefs, values,
and behaviors of the culture
The importance of various agents
change over the life course
Agents can be formal or informal
Socialization differs by parenting style,
social class, race, sex, etc.

18. Families as agents of socialization
Families use positive and negative
sanctions to help teach right from wrong
The amount and type of sanctions differ
by family
Family socialization differs by culture
The number of children in a household
and birth order can influence individual
socializations

19. Social class and socialization
Social class-the wealth, power, and
prestige rankings individuals hold in
society
Parents socialize their children to enter
into adult roles common to other
members of their social class
The unequal distribution of resources in
society have an impact on who we
become

20. Electronic media: Meso-level agents
within the home
Children in the U.S. spend more time
watching television than any other waking
activity
What messages do these agents of
socialization send to children?