Socialization

Socialization lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a self- identity and the physical, mental and social skills needed for survival in society (p. 104) or more simply put… the interactive process of developing an identity and the skills required for surviving in society

Importance of Socialization Humans are not born with instincts for survival which makes socialization necessary for all aspects of growth and development Walk Talk Eat Make friends Find & keep a job These are all skills that are acquired through socialization.

Nature vs. Nurture Nature, or heredity, dictates biological needs and provides the basic material (height, eye colour, etc.) which is shaped by human interaction Nurture, or social influence, impacts the way in which humans develop and how they behave Twins separated at birth

Isolation or Lack of Socialization Socialization provides the necessary training and experiences for humans to develop Failing to provide an adequate social environment results in stunted development and poor social skills Genie and her story illustrate the importance of socialization for what we consider natural development “Secret of the Wild Child”

Agents of Socialization Persons, groups, or institutions that teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society (p. 108) Family School Peer Groups Mass Media Religion Work

Agents of Socialization Family School Develops cognitive (thinking), emotional, and physical skill sets Teach values (cultural & social) Main source of emotional support Language acquisition, understanding of rules, how to interact with others, acceptable behaviour, and relationship skills developed Increasingly more and more important Rise in single parent/working families Fills void left at home Provides learning experiences Specific knowledge and skills are taught Introduces social control Extended teaching of culture

Agents of Socialization Peer Groups Media People linked by interest, social status, age Contribute to each others sense of belonging Teach and reinforce cultural norms and behaviours Create and distribute culture Large organizations Means of communication to interact with large groups of people Provide information & different perspectives Promote products and services which influence society Entertain us through the experience of others

Sociological Theories on Human Development Sociologists suggest that we cannot form a sense of self without social interaction with others Self-concept is the totality of our beliefs and feelings about ourselves and is made up of 4 parts: Physical self (tall, short) Active self (athletic, musical) Social self (kind, honest, selfish) Psychological self (beliefs) (p. 115)

Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives Charles Cooley and the “looking glass self” (p. 116) Cooley asserted that self-concept is determined by how we feel others perceive us and is developed in three stages Imagine how we look to others Imagine how others perceive us Develop self-concept Wikipedia

Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives George Herbert Mead and Role Taking Three Stages of Development Preparatory Stage (0-3 years) Children imitate the people around them, interaction lacks meaning Play Stage (3-5 years) Language and symbol use, children can pretend to be other people, children can see themselves in relation to others Game Stage (5 years and up) Children become aware of social position and social expectations Mead extended Cooley’s theories by linking self- concept with role taking Role taking is mentally assuming the role of another person to understand their perspective

Social Psychological Theories on Human Development Freud and Psychoanalysis Freud proposed that there are 3 stages of human development: Id Basic biological drives Ego Rational, reality-oriented, self-control Superego Conscience, moral and ethical (p. 120) In Freud’s model, the id and superego are opposites the ego must manage the opposing forces

Erikson and Psychosocial Development Each stage presents conflict that must be resolved to maintain positive development. For example, children that are well cared for during the first stage will be trusting, whereas children that are neglected are often anxious and mistrustful of their environments (p. 121) zanl13.wordpress.com

Piaget and Cognitive Development Jean Piaget focused on cognitive theory which is concerned with how people obtain, use and process information Stage of Development Age Range Description Sensorimotor 0-2 Require sensory contact & immediate action Object permanence No symbolic thought Preoperational 2-7 Can understand words as mental images Language and imagination are developed Limited use of logic, little abstract thought Concrete operational 7-11 Think in terms of tangible objects & actual events Can understand actions & consequences Can empathize with perspective of others Formal operational 12+ Begin to understand abstract thought Can understand people, things, places they have not seen Can plan and evaluate for the future

Kohlberg and Moral Development Heinz Dilemma Levels of Moral Reasoning Description Preconventional Ages 7-10 Punishment & obedience Bad behaviour will be punished Good behaviour is based on obedience and aversion to punishment Conventional Ages 10 + Concerned with how they are seen by others Avoid blame & seek approval Postconventional Rare, even in adults Morality is based on individual rights Abstract idea of justice and human rights/dignity

Gilligan: Gender & Moral Development Psychologist Carol Gilligan found fault with Kohlberg’s research because he only studied male respondents She suggested that women and men have different views on morality Men are concerned with law & order, justice, right & wrong Women are concerned with social consequences of behaviour Female Moral Development Stage 1: be selfish Stage 2: choose most responsible action Stage 3: determine the greatest good for self & others She suggests that the reason for the difference is that men and women are socialized differently and therefore have different approaches to morality