5 Socialization: The Process of Fitting into Society This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program

In Consuming Kids: Protecting our Children from the Onslaught of Marketing & Advertising, Susan Linn looks at the role of media and advertising on the life of a child.

Socialization Socialization is defined as the process that teaches the norms values and other aspects of the culture to new group members

Primary and Secondary Socialization Primary Socialization Socialization that occurs during childhood Secondary Socialization Socialization that continues throughout life

Nature-Nurture Debate the belief that genetic and biological heredity are the primary causes of human behaviors Nurture the belief that the way in which we think, feel and behave are the results of our environment

Nature vs. Nurture Debate Pure nature theorists believe that the genes we get from our parents at conception are the primary causes of human behavior Nurture theorists, on the other hand propose that the environment influences the way we think, feel and behave – socialization molds us

Nature vs. Nurture Debate Blended view – Paul Erhlich (2000), supports a blended point of view. He proposes that human behavior results from the interaction of three factors: our genes, environment, and how these two interact According to Erhlich, we are the blended products of biology, environment, and the effect they have on each other.

Average Vocabularies of Children by Age

Cooley’s Theory Cooley, a symbolic interactionist argued that the self developed in three main stages: We imagine how we appear to others – beginning as small children we acquire our sense of self by seeing ourselves reflected in others attitudes and behavior

Cooley’s Theory We draw general conclusion based on the reactions of others – We start by imagining the way we appear to others, then we identify with how we imagine others judge that appearance

Cooley’s Theory Based on our evaluations of other’s reactions, we develop our sense of personal identity – Finally we interpret those judgments for ourselves in order to develop unique personalities This process is called the looking-glass self

Mead’s Theory Mead was a pioneer symbolic interactionist who wrote Mind, Self and Society The self is the part of personal identity that has self-awareness and self-image For Mead the self consists of two parts: the I and the me

Mead’s Theory Mead was a pioneer symbolic interactionist who wrote Mind, Self and Society I is the active spontaneous part of the self Me is the objective part which questions how others might interpret our actions

Mead’s Theory With the two parts, we are able to reflect on our own behavior and develop a sense of inner continuity or identity The self develops in three stages Imitation stage (birth to about 2) Play stage (pre-school) – begin to play roles of others separate from themselves

Mead’s Theory With the two parts, we are able to reflect on our own behavior and develop a sense of inner continuity or identity The self develops in three stages Game stage (school age and above) – we begin to understand that others have expectations and demands, anticipate the roles of others in games, baseball, basketball, etc.

Mead’s Theory Gradually by role-taking, children develop a generalized impression of what people expect of them Mead called this the generalized other For Mead and Cooley the self is the product of society Both Cooley and Mead emphasize the interpretation of symbols in society for the development of the self and identity

Erickson’s Stages of Development Erik Erikson proposed that humans develop a personality in 8 psychosocial stages During each stage, we experience a particular psychosocial crisis it must be resolved positively or negatively Each outcome will have an effect on our ability to deal with the next crisis

Erickson’s Stages of Development Erik Erikson proposed that humans develop a personality in 8 psychosocial stages According to Erickson the crisis at each stage of development must be resolved positively before one can successfully master subsequent stages

Erickson’s Stages of Development Infancy Toddlerhood Preschooler Elementary School Adolescence Young Adulthood Middle Adulthood Late Adulthood

Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development

Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget’s theory of personality development focused on 4 stages in cognitive development (a person’s ability to think and reason) Sensorimotor stage – the stage at which infants learn to experience and think about the world through their senses and motor skills Preoperational stage – the stage at which the ability to speak grows rapidly

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Stages of development 3 and 4 Concrete Operational Stage – the stage at which children can think about objects in the world in more than one way and start to understand causal connections in their surroundings Formal Operational Stage – the stage at which people become able to comprehend abstract thought

Kohlberg Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral theory Suggested that moral reasoning occurs on three levels The Preconventional level – moral decisions based on seeking pleasure over pain The Conventional level – use of norms and rules to determine what is right and wrong The Postconventional level – morality based on abstract principles

Gilligan Carol Gilligan’s moral theory Suggested that males and females make moral decisions differently Boys use morality of justice – a morally based on the rule of law Girls use morality of care – a morality that enables them to make moral decisions by a standard of how best to care for individuals

Kohlberg and Gilligan’s Theories of Moral Development

Agents of Socialization Agents of Socialization are the people and groups that shape our self-concept, beliefs and behavior Family Social class Neighborhood Religion Education Media

Family Families have different parenting styles Authoritative Style – a parenting style in which parents listen to their children’s input while consistently enforcing the parent’s rules Permissive Style – a parenting style in which parents provide high levels of support but an inconsistent enforcement of rules Authoritarian Style – a parenting style with which children experience high levels of social control but low levels of emotional support

Three Parenting Styles

Resocialization Resocialization is the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors and abandoning old ones Resocialization is used in total institutions

Total Institutions Total Institutions are places in which the most effective forms of resocialization can occur because they isolate people from outside influences so they can be controlled – total institutions have these characteristics:

Total Institutions There is one authority, and activities take place in specific locations. Carefully structured activities control the participants Authorities carefully screen all information from outside the institution Rules and roles are clearly defined A strict hierarchy exists within the institution Total institutions restrict individual choices

Social Class Social class also affects socialization Melvin Kohn’s research found that working class parents focus on obedience to authority when socializing their children. Middle class parents in contrast showed greater concern about the motivations for their children’s behavior Opportunties such at participation in little league sports, music lessons, art lessons, summer camp are affected by social class

Neighborhood The neighborhood you live in also influences socialization Children who grow up in more affluent neighborhoods often do better in school Poorer neighborhoods on average have higher rates of crime, teenage pregnancy, drug use, and high school drop outs William J. Wilson argued that there are fewer role models in poor communities

Religion Religion is also important in socialization Charles Tittle and Michael Welch found that the more religious the juvenile, the less likely he or she is to be a delinquent Religion is important in socializing beliefs, values and behavior

Education Schools teach more than academic skills They socialize students using the hidden curriculum Schools teach values promoting citizenship, by setting regulations, how to deal with peers

The Effect of Income and Education on Children’s Participation in Organized Sports in Canada

Mass Media Mass media including television, radio, movies, music, books, magazines, and the internet influences socialization The media transmits values and attitudes Sex roles are also influenced by the media, sometimes in negatives ways

Functionalism and Socialization According to Functionalist socialization occurs when people internalize society and enact its norms, values and roles To keep the society in equilibrium and running smoothly, we socialize people to adopt the norms and values and expectation of their particular institution

Conflict Theory and Socialization Conflict theorists believe that that the haves or privileged and have nots are socialized differently Different classes do not have the same access to participate in organized sports, take music or art lessons or involvement in other activities Working class and middle class children are socialized to play different roles in society

Symbolic Interactionism and Socialization Symbolic interactionists believe that socialization is the major determinant of human nature. People develop their sense of self by incorporating how others interpret their behavior The symbols we encounter such as other people’s interpretation of our behavior help shape who we are and what we become