Facts of Socialization What makes us “feel”, “act”, “love” and “hate”?

Socialization……………. lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture. Learn by observation

Personality………………. a person’s fairly consistent patterns of acting, thinking and feeling. Built by taking in your surroundings (internalizing)

Biological (Role of Nature) vs Social (Role of Nuture) Nurture Darwin led people to believe human nature was instinctive “Humans are competitive” “Women are emotional” “Men are rational”   This led to the idea of colonization. More “advanced” people have superior intellect Behaviorism – behavior is learned The ability to realize any inherited potential depends on the opportunity to develop it Nurture is our nature.

Social Isolation: Cutting people off from the world If you do not experience, you do not learn. Studies on isolation show irreversible damage can be done UP to 6 months of isolation. So much is lost in isolation that many cannot “function” in regular society.

What happens when children are raised in “isolation”? Isolation Studies What happens when children are raised in “isolation”?

Anna 5 yrs old Born in 1932 No human contact Had enough milk/food to survive Unresponsive – couldn’t laugh, cry, smile, speak

After medical attention – did show improvement Could play with toys and feed herself. Started to interact with others. Could have been mentally challenged since the mother was Died @ age 10 due to a blood disorder which could have been from the years of neglect

Isabelle Similar circumstances (1930s, 5-6 years old, etc) 6 years of isolation Experienced 6 years of development in a 2 year period Was able to go to school

Genie Became physically healthy Still mentally underdeveloped 13 years old Born in 1957 Found in 1970 Weighed 59 lbs Mental development of a one year old Became physically healthy Still mentally underdeveloped Lives in a home for developmentally disabled adults

Researchers

Sigmund Freud Founded the “Elements of a personality” All personalities are: Shaped by two opposed forces: Eros (The Life Instinct) Thanatos (The Death Instinct)

Freud – con’t The “id” – human being’s basic drives Basic components of a personality The “id” – human being’s basic drives The “ego” – a person’s conscious efforts to balance innate pleasure seeking drives with the demands of society The “superego” – the operation of culture within the individual

Critical evaluation Freud’s notion that we internalize norms and his idea that childhood experiences have lasting importance in the socialization process remain critical Some of his work has been criticized as sexist/bias.

Jean Piaget Founded the idea of Cognitive development Identified four stages of cognitive development: Sensorimotor stage Preoperational stage Concrete operational stage Formal operational stage

Sensorimotor stage Level of human development in which individuals experience the world only through sensory contact

Preoperational stage Level of human development in which individuals first use language and other symbols

Concrete operational stage Level of development at which individuals first perceive casual connections in their surroundings

Formal operational stage Level of human development at which individuals think abstractly and critically

Critical evaluation Piaget showed that human beings’ ability to shape their social world unfolds gradually as the result of both biological maturation and social experience His theory may not apply to people in a society

Lawrence Kohlberg Developed the idea of “Moral development” Suggest that the moral development of children passes through three stages: Preconventional Conventional Postconventional

Preconventional When young children experience the world through pain and pleasure “rightness” amounts to “what feels good to me” Example: Reason to childproof a home is because children at this level will just reach for something because it is shiny and not think of the consequences

Conventional Teen years Young people lose some of their “selfishness” as they learn to define right and wrong “What pleases parents?” “What are certain cultural norms?” Begin to assess intention in reaching moral judgements instead of simply looking at what people do Example: they understand that stealing in order to give food to hungry children is not the same as stealing an iPod to sell for profit.

Postconventional People move beyond their society’s norms Start to consider abstract ethical problems They think about liberty, freedom or justice Example: Rosa Parks may have violated a segregation law but she knew the law was wrong and an injustice

Critical Evaluation Kohlberg’s model presents moral development in distinct stages His theory is based on research using exclusively male subjects

Carol Gilligan Developed the idea of “the gender factor” Found that boys’ moral development reflects a justice model which stresses formal rules Girls’ moral development puts more emphasis on caring and responsibility and less on rules

Critical Evaluation Gilligan’s work enhances our understanding of gender issues She does NOT adequately address the issue of the origin of the gender-based differences identified in her work.

George Herbert Mead Developed the idea of “the social self” The “self” is a dimension of personality composed of an individual’s self-awareness and self-image. It emerges from social experience This social experience is based on the exchange of symbols. Understanding someone’s intentions required imagining the situation from the person’s point of view (a process called taking the role of the other)

Charles Horton Cooley Mead’s research associate Developed the notion of the “looking-glass self” (the idea that self-image is based on how others respond to us) The self has a dual nature: The “I” is the self as subject The “me” is the self as object

The self develops through several stages: Imitation Play (children take the roles of significant others) Games (they take the roles of several other people at the same time) Acquisition of the generalized other (defined as widespread cultural norms and values we use as references in evaluating ourselves)

Critical evaluation Mead showed that symbolic interaction is the foundation of both self and society Could be criticized for ignoring the role of biology in the development of the society

Erik H. Erikson Developed the idea of “Eight Stages of Development” Viewed development as occurring throughout life by facing eight challenges

Eight Stages of Development Erik H. Erikson

the challenge of trust vs mistrust Infancy the challenge of trust vs mistrust

the challenge of autonomy vs doubt/shame Toddlerhood the challenge of autonomy vs doubt/shame

the challenge of initiative vs guilt Preschool the challenge of initiative vs guilt

the challenge of industriousness vs inferiority Preadolescence the challenge of industriousness vs inferiority

the challenge of gaining identity vs confusion Adolescence the challenge of gaining identity vs confusion

the challenge of intimacy vs isolation Young adulthood the challenge of intimacy vs isolation

the challenge of making a difference vs self-absorption Middle adulthood the challenge of making a difference vs self-absorption

the challenge of integrity vs despair Old age the challenge of integrity vs despair

Critical evaluation Erikson’s theory views personality formation as a lifelong process Not everyone confronts these challenges in the exact order Nor is it clear that failure to meet the challenge of one stage mean that a person is doomed to fail later on His theory may not apply to all people at all times.