Chapter 3 Socialization

Chapter Outline Social Isolation and Socialization Theories of Childhood Socialization Agents of Socialization Socialization Across the Life Course

Socialization The process by which people learn their culture: Entering and disengaging from a succession of roles. Becoming aware of themselves as they interact with others.

Social Isolation and Socialization Studies show that children raised in isolation do not develop normally. This corroborates the view that social interaction unleashes human potential.

Theories of Childhood Socialization: Freud Proposed the first social-scientific interpretation of emergence of the self: Id - the part of the self that demands immediate gratification. Superego - personal conscience Ego - balances the conflicting needs of the pleasure-seeking id and the restraining superego.

Criticisms of Freud’s Analysis Connections between early childhood development and adult personality are more complex than Freud assumed. Many sociologists criticize Freud for gender bias in his analysis of male and female sexuality. Sociologists often criticize Freud for neglecting socialization after childhood.

Cooley- “looking-glass self” When we interact with others, they gesture and react to us. We can imagine how we appear to them. We judge how others evaluate us. From these judgments we develop a self-concept.

Mead’s Four Stages of Development: Role Taking Children learn to use language and other symbols by imitating important people in their lives. Children pretend to be other people.

Mead’s Four Stages of Development: Role Taking About the age of 7, children play games that require them to take the role of several other people. Once a child can think in this way, she can begin the fourth stage, which involves taking the role of the generalized other.

Gilligan and Gender Differences Sociological factors help explain differences in the sense of self that boys and girls develop. Parents and teachers pass on different cultural standards to boys and girls.

Polling Question Of the socialization theories, which one do you think offers the best explanation for why people develop as they do? Mead Goffman Cooley Freud Piaget

Agents of Socialization Families Schools Peer Groups Mass Media

Hidden Curriculum Teaches students what will be expected of them in society after they graduate. Teaches them how to be conventionally “good citizens.”

Hidden Curriculum A successful hidden curriculum teaches: punctuality respect for authority importance of competition in leading to excellent performance and other conformist behaviors and beliefs that are expected of good citizens, conventionally defined.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy An expectation that helps bring about the result it predicts. Example: Believing school won’t help you get ahead may cause you to perform poorly in school and you are more likely to end up near the bottom of the class structure if you perform poorly in school.

Peer Group Individuals who are not necessarily friends but are about the same age and of similar status. Help children and adolescents separate themselves from their families and develop independent sources of identity.

% of Americans Age 12–17 Who Used Substances in Month Prior to Survey, 1990–97

The Mass Media Includes TV, radio, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and books. Worldwide, the number of Internet users jumped to 1 billion in 2005 from 40 million in 1995. Over 98% of American households own a TV. Each TV is turned on for 7 hours/day.

Number of Internet Users, 1996–2005 (projected)

Top 4 Activities of American Women and Men, 18–24, 1993–95

Hours of TV Viewing /Week by Year of School Completed Hours/day 0–11 12 13-14 15-16 17-20 0–1 16.8 18.1 27.5 31.0 48.7 2–3 38.7 42.8 46.8 50.0 41.7 4–5 24.1 19.2 18.8 12.0 8.0 6+ 20.4 19.9 6.9 7.0 1.6

Polling Question Which media source do you think has the strongest impact on attitudes and behaviors of your generation? Advertising Television Music and music videos The Internet Magazines

Initiation Rites and Resocialization Three stages signify the transition from one group to another: Separation from one’s old status and identity (ritual rejection). Degradation, disorientation, and stress (ritual death). Acceptance of the new group culture and status (ritual rebirth).

The Flexible Self People are free to combine elements of culture from a variety of historical periods and geographical settings. You can change your body: Body building, sex-change, plastic surgery, organ transplants, etc. The internet allows people to create virtual communities and use concealed identities.

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgeries,

Emergence of Childhood and Adolescence In preindustrial societies, children were thought of as small adults. They went to work when they could contribute to the welfare of their families. Marriage was common by the age of 15 or 16.

Problems of Childhood and Adolescent Socialization Today Declining adult supervision and guidance. Increasing media influence. Declining extracurricular activities and increasing adult responsibilities.

Effect of Employment on Grades Among Full-Time College Students Who Work, United States, 1999–2000

Quick Quiz

_________________ is the process by which people learn their culture.

Answer: socialization Socialization is the process by which people learn their culture.

2. Freud wrote about three parts of the self, one which demands immediate gratification, the second which is a repository of cultural standards, and the third which keeps the first two parts in balance. These three parts of the self are known, respectively, as: the ego, the superego, and the id the me, the I, and the id the id, the superego, and the ego the superego, the ego, and the id

Answer: c Freud wrote about three parts of the self, one which demands immediate gratification, the second which is a repository of cultural standards, and the third which keeps the first two parts in balance. These three parts of the self are known, respectively, as: the id, the superego, and the ego.

3. Which of the following do sociologists not regard as agents of socialization? the family schools peer groups the generalized other total institutions

Answer: d Sociologists do not regard the generalized other as an agent of socialization.

4. A(n) _________________ is an expectation that helps bring about what it predicts.

Answer: self-fulfilling prophecy A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation that helps bring about what it predicts.

5. Which of the following has done much to change the socialization patterns of American youth over the past 40 years or so? declining adult supervision and guidance increasing media influence declining extracurricular activities increasing adult responsibilities all of these choices

Answer: e Declining adult supervision and guidance, increasing media influence, declining extracurricular activities and increasing adult responsibilities have done much to change the socialization patterns of American youth over the past 40 years or so.