The Role of Socialization Teacher’s Edition Unit Two

Today’s Main Idea: Socialization is the cultural process of learning to participate in group life. Without this we would not develop many of the characteristics we consider human.

Socialization Nearly all of the behavior we exhibit is learned Socialization is how we learn culture – Socialization is the process of sharing culture Socialization is a life time process Early socialization is the most important

Harry Harlow & Monkeys He wanted to study the role of socialization in development He made two groups of monkeys, both were separated from their mothers at birth They were exposed to two monkeys – one soft monkey and one wire monkey with food The monkey’s would feed on the wire monkey and then lay with the soft warm monkey This shows that monkeys need warmth, comfort and nurturing

Anna: Anna was born to a single mother who came from a unstable home Anna’s mother lived with her parents in a small farm house She put Anna in a small room and only fed her enough to stay alive When Anna was found she did not know how to speak, accept nurturing or communicate

A year after saving her she was in a country home – she learned to walk, feed herself and spoke very little After years of intensive school she had she had the speech and social skills of a two year old By ten she had the skills of a pre-school aged child

Isabelle: Her mother was deaf and did not speak She was kept in a dark room with her mother When she was found she was ill from malnutrition After being found she was put into an intensive language program After two years she was at her proper development level, she was a very intelligent girl

What can we learn from these cases? We learn through extensive contact with others Without contact we are not socialized Things we learn through socialization – Language – Culture – Everything

Gender Socialization Gender socialization is the process by which we learn our gender roles Gender is different then your sex, that is anatomically whether you are male or female Gender is the action of being male or female There has been lots of political debate regarding gender roles in recent news Target recently removed all gender labeling from their products Caitlin Jenner has also brought this issue to the forefront