Socialization

Aim: Students will be able to: define socialization and personality and understand and explain the significance of social experience to the development of personality. define nature theory and nurture theory (inclusive f behaviorism) and explain what these theories convey about a human’s biological evolution. explain the impact of isolation on socialization. explain Freud’s theory of human development, including: Elements of Personality (basic needs – Eros & Thanatos) Model of Personality (Id, Ego, and Superego) Personality Development and Sublimation Aim:

define cognition, and describe and apply Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive development define moral reasoning and describe and apply Kohlberg’s 3 levels of moral development explain Gilligan’s understanding of how males and females make moral decisions explain how society impacts the development of the female personality define social behaviorism define the Self, and explain Mead’s theory of how the Self develops, inclusive of social experience and the capacity to recognize the generalized other explain looking-glass self, I, and Me, and their relevance to the development of the Self understand the challenges inherent in Erikson’s 8 Stages of Development Aim, Continued:

Socialization and Personality Socialization = The lifelong social experience through which human beings develop their human potential and learn culture; the process by which people are taught to be proficient members of a society Human beings need to socialize (social experiences) to learn their culture and to survive Social experiences are the foundation of personality Helps people understand: Non-material Culture - a society’s values, beliefs, expectations, and norms Material Culture – the tangible objects a culture uses Personality = a person’s pattern of acting, thinking, and feeling Our internalization of external experiences helps personality to develop Socialization and Personality

Darwin’s study of evolution led to the belief that human behavior was a result of instinct (nature): Genetic; determined by one’s biology Nature Theory: Argues that people’s temperament, interests, and aptitudes are ingrained prior to birth Ignored the impact of culture on a person’s development Led to the belief that simple societies are less biologically evolved Became a justification of colonialism Nature

Watson’s theory of behaviorism held that behavior is learned, not instinctive Humans differ not in how biologically evolved they are, but in their cultural patterns and in how they were nurtured Nurture Theory: How a person is cared for The environment a person exists in The experiences a person has Nurture

Certain biological traits are inherited from parents Our personalities are mostly created by learned behaviors How a person is raised determines whether or not inherited potential is achieved People can recover from short-term isolation but there is a point at which isolation causes permanent and irreversible damage Nature and Nurture

Understanding Socialization Important Contributions

1856-1939 Vienna Social belief = human behavior was biologically fixed Neurologist Studied personalities and personality disorders Founder of psychoanalysis Psychology Conscious vs unconscious Repressed fears Free association/dream interpretation Freud

Elements of Personality Biology is important to human development in terms of basic needs (not instinct) Humans have 2 basic needs: Eros (life instinct) – sexual bonding and emotional bonding Thanatos (death instinct) – aggressive drive These needs demand immediate satisfaction These needs exist on an unconscious level These needs are in competition with one another; there is tension between the two Elements of Personality

Id: Humans’ basic drive for pleasure/positive physical sensations Manifests in self-centeredness Biological need Present at birth Inconsistent with the demands of society In direct conflict with the superego Ego: Humans’ conscious effort to balance innate, pleasure-seeking drives with the demands of society Attempts to avoid frustration Comes with self-awareness and understanding that we can’t always have what we want Model of Personality

Model of Personality, continued … Superego: The cultural values and norms internalized by individuals Acts as a “conscience;” reminds us why we cannot have it all Learns morality (right vs. wrong) In conflict with the Id The journey from Id to Superego takes a person from feeling good/bad physically to feeling good/bad morally Feeling good morally requires judging one’s behavior against social norms Model of Personality, continued …

Personality Development Unresolved childhood conflicts result in personality disorders Sublimation – redirects selfish drives into socially acceptable behavior Personality Development

Piaget 1896-1980 Switzerland Psychologist – child development Role of social interactions Studied cognition = how people think and understand what people know and how they make sense of the world Theory of Cognitive Development 1st theory to establish separate stages of development Theories linked to age and experience Piaget

Stages of Cognitive Development (1) Sensorimotor Stage – (0-2 yrs) Experience of the world is garnered only through the 5 senses Knowing occurs only through the 5 senses Stages of Cognitive Development

Stages of Cognitive Development Preoperational Stage - (2-7 yrs) people begin to use language and symbols thinking occurs mentally the imagination develops meaning is attached to experiences and things understanding is concrete, not abstract Stages of Cognitive Development

Stages of Cognitive Development Concrete Operational Stage – (7-11 yrs) people begin to recognize casual connections that exist in the world around them focus is on how and why things happen people can relate more than 1 symbol to an event or object Stages of Cognitive Development

Stages of Cognitive Development Formal Operational Stage (12 yrs +) people begin to think and reason critically and abstractly people begin to understand metaphors Stages of Cognitive Development

Kohlberg 1927-1987 America Psychologist Theory of Moral Development Focused on Moral Reasoning – how individuals judge situations as right or wrong Subjects were all boys; results were generalized to apply all people Kohlberg

Theory of Moral Development Pre-Conventional Level (corresponds w/ Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage) the world is experienced in terms of pleasure or pain right is what feels good Theory of Moral Development

Theory of Moral Development Conventional Level (Corresponds w/Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage) Teens loss of (some) selfishness right is what pleases parents/authorities right takes cultural norms into account there is an understanding of “intention” when judging moral actions Theory of Moral Development

Theory of Moral Development Post-Conventional Level thinking beyond cultural norms in consideration of the abstract (ideas and principles) many do not reach this level Theory of Moral Development

Gilligan 1936 American Psychologist Theory of gender and moral development How gender guides social behavior Effect of gender on self-esteem Exposed gender bias in Kohlberg’s work Gilligan

Males and females use different standards of rightness to make moral decisions How our society socializes females negatively impacts their self-esteem and self-confidence as they grow into adolescents Findings

Moral Decision-Making Boys: Have an impersonal justice perspective = They rely on rules to determine what is right and what is wrong Girls: Have an personal care and responsibility perspective = They judge situations with respect to personal relationships Ex: Stealing Moral Decision-Making

Mead 1863-1931 American Philosopher; psychologist Theory of the Social Self Mead

Social Behaviorism How social experiences develop personality Actions are not as important as the meaning we attach to them Social Behaviorism

The part of the personality that comprises self- awareness and self-image The self is a product of social experience The self develops only with social experience and human interaction Without these interactions, no self can emerge The self is not part of the body The self does not exist at birth The self is not a product of biological drives and maturation The Self

Social Experience Social experience is the exchange of symbols Words Non-Verbal Communication Humans find meaning in words and actions Words are assigned meaning Meaning is found in actions by evaluating motivations and intentions Understanding intention requires imagining the situation from another’s perspective Taking the role of other – social interaction involves seeing ourselves as others see us Social Experience

Looking Glass Self A self-image based on how we think others see us Others are a mirror in which we see ourselves What we think of ourselves depends on how we think others see us Looking Glass Self

We develop our awareness by putting ourselves in others’ shoes The Self has 2 Parts: I The active and spontaneous self Me How we think others see us All social experiences utilize both parts “I” initiates action; “Me” continues or discontinues action based on how others respond to it I and Me

The Development of the Self The Self develops as we develop the ability to take on the role of the other The Development of the Self

The Development of the Self Manifestation Other Capacity INFANTS (no self) imitation; mimicry None (no understanding of intentions) CHILDREN (self begins to develop) imaginative (role) play; use of language; use of symbols 1 other; 1 situation games Many others; 1 situation recognition of the generalized other Many others; many situations The Development of the Self

The widespread cultural values and norms against which we evaluate ourselves Generalized Other

Erikson 1902-1994 German-born American Psychologist 8 Stages of Development Acknowledged challenges as existing through all stages of life Erikson

8 Stages of Development *flexible order CHALLENGE 1 INFANCY (0-18 mos) Trust vs. safety Reliance on family 2 TODDLERHOOD (18 mos-3 yrs) Autonomy vs. doubt and shame Confidence and self-control 3 PRE-SCHOOL (4-5 yrs) Initiative vs. guilt Engagement of others vs. failure to meet expectations 4 PRE-ADOLESCENCE (6-13 yrs) Industrious vs. inferiority Pride vs. insecurity Accomplishing things; making friends 5 ADOLESCENCE (teens) Developing identity vs. confusion Identifying w/others vs. being unique 6 YOUNG ADULTHOOD Intimacy vs. isolation Need to connect vs. separate identity Close friendships/love 7 MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (middle age) Making a difference vs. self-absorption Others (fam/wrk) or self 8 OLD AGE Integrity vs. despair Accomplishment vs. self-absorption 8 Stages of Development *flexible order