Socializing the Individual

Personality Development Personality- sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic of an individual Changes over time Slower rate as an adult

Nature v. Nurture What determines your personality & behavior? Environment or biology? Nature- Human behavior based on instinct Nurture Based on environment & learning Pavlov- dogs & bell Sociobiology- study of biological basis of all social behavior Behavior and culture-genetics *most sociologists believe that personality & behavior come from both biology & environment

Development Heredity Birth order Parents Culture Physical features Aptitude (can be learned and inherited) Parents have the potential to encourage/discourage the development of certain skills Birth order Parents Age, education, religion, economics, etc. Culture Certain characteristics that are common in one large society Example- America- competitiveness & individualism

Isolation & childhood Feral children- living in the wild Children who have isolated environments don’t develop fully Language, physical appearance, social norms Anna Confined to attic by grandfather Poor treatment & lack of food Little human contact Found at the age of 6- taught to walk and perform daily tasks Died at the age of 10

Isabelle Genie Lived in a dark room with her deaf mother Comfort of mother, but never learned to speak Behaved like an infant Found at age of 6 and taught to speak and eventually reached the ability to join her age group Why was she more successful? Genie Lived for 13 years in a small room No noise or beaten Social & psychological skills of a 1 year old when found Never reached more than the ability of a 3rd grader

Institutionalization Little interaction with adults Given food and shelter, but little else Seen in orphanages

Socialization Interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society Self- conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates you and your environment from others 3 socialization theories Locke & The Tabula Rasa Cooley & The Looking Glass Self Mead & Role Taking

Agents of Socialization Family Peer group School Mass media

Resocialization Total institution- setting in which people are isolated from the rest of society for a set period of time and are subject to tight control Prisons, boot camp, psych hospitals Resocialization- involves a break with past experiences and the learning of new values and norms Strip away all individualism Uniforms, haircuts, etc.