What is it? How do we learn what we learn? Socialization What is it? How do we learn what we learn?

Socialization How we learn to be part of a group or society The lifelong social experience through which individuals develop their personality and learn culture. Socialization

Primary Socialization Primary socialization is the learning we experience from the people who raise us. Physical needs must be met to thrive (food, clothing, and shelter) Caregivers must teach norms, values, and language. Inadequate primary socialization can lead to troubled adulthood Primary Socialization

Socialization

Nature vs Nurture Nature = Heredity/Genetics Nurture = How the child is raised Parents pass down characteristics (Genetics) Birth Order affects perspective and personality (First born vs Middle vs Baby) Parental Characteristics (Old vs Young parents) Cultural Characteristics (Cultures tend to produce unique personalities) Nature vs Nurture

Nature vs Nurture Nature states that Darth Vader was just born evil. Nurture states that Darth Vader learned to be evil.

Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker Loss of mother Loss of home Social Isolation Loss of Wife and kids Disfigurement Good home Jedi Powers Friends Hobbies Family Steady Employment What caused him to turn evil? Was it the terrible things that happened to him or was it in his nature all along?

Researchers have theories about personality development Despite differences and criticisms they shape sociological thought it different ways Developmental Stages

English philosopher and political theorist during the late 1600s Proposed the idea of Tabula Rasa “Blank Slate” We are born without personality Experience creates our personality John Locke

Freud’s theory of Personality Development Sigmund Freud – biological and sociological factors combine to shape personality Id: primitive desires Selfish Superego:  social conformity Conscience Ego: resolves the conflicts Decision maker Freud’s theory of Personality Development

Mead’s Theory of Social Behaviorism George Herbert Mead - people develop self-images through interactions Self is the product of social experience. We see ourselves as others see us We also take on roles of others by imitation, role playing, games, etc Mead - the key to self-development is understanding the role of the other person(s) Mead’s Theory of Social Behaviorism

Cooley’s Theory of the Looking-Glass Self Charles Horton Cooley - personality develops through interactions with others looking-glass self - a self-image that is based on how we imagine others see us Based on “imagination” – can be false or true Cooley’s Theory of the Looking-Glass Self

Significant other - ANYONE whose opinions matter to us and influence our thinking, about ourselves.  Not just romantic

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget – the way children think changes as they mature physically and interact with the world Piaget’s Four Periods of Development: Stage 1: Sensorimotor Period (birth -2 years): children learn by using their senses and moving around. Stage 2: Preoperational Period (2-7 years): children keep getting better at symbolic thought, but can’t yet reason. Stage 3: Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years): children start performing mental operations or working real or tangible problems and ideas through in their minds. Stage 4: Formal Operational Period (11+ years): children apply mental operations to abstract concepts or they start to think in abstract, systematic, and logical ways. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Criticisms of Development Theories Each of the theories of development has flaws. Freud’s theories have always been seen as very male-centered. Piaget’s theory is useful, but not all people reach the formal operational stage. How are personalities formed? How much does nature/nurture affect your personality? Criticisms of Development Theories

Agents of Socialization Agents of socialization - People, groups, and experiences that influence our behavior and self-image Family is the agent of socialization with the most impact Birth-Teenagers – children rely on parents or caregivers for basic necessities, nurturing, and guidance Determines race, language, religion, class, and political affiliation School introduces children to new knowledge, order, bureaucracy, and students from family backgrounds different from their own Agents of Socialization

Agents of Socialization Peer Groups – usually the same age and have interests and social position in common Children break from their parents’ and learn to make friends and decisions on their own Peer pressure can be difficult to resist Mass Media – communication that directs messages and entertainment at a wide audience Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the internet, and movies are all forms of mass media Profoundly influence children Stereotypes, explicit images, and unrealistic or even unhealthy beauty standards shape the way children think about themselves and their world Agents of Socialization

Conflicting Agents of Socialization Agents of socialization can teach conflicting lessons Family teaches children to respect their elders Friends teach that respecting adults is not cool Conflicting Agents of Socialization

Conflicting Agents of Socialization Read the handout about Isolated Children, Isolated Monkeys, and Institutionalized Children and answer the following questions on the back of that paper. How important is primary socialization to an individual? How important is primary socialization to a society? Looking back, what had the most impact on your development as a child? Conflicting Agents of Socialization

Primary socialization is received in childhood Resocialization - learning new norms and values when joining a new group or when life circumstances change Enables people to adapt Newly learned things may contradict what previously learned things Examples? Retirement – What do I do now? College – What do I do now? Divorce – Free and single again!?! Death of a friend or spouse – How do I move on? Resocialization

Anticipatory Socialization The groups we wish to belong to may guide our actions, beliefs and values. By acting like “them” we seek acceptance into their group.

The Social Construction of Life Stages Sociologists generally divide a person’s life into five stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and dying Socially constructed different societies apply different definitions and assumptions to each stage The Social Construction of Life Stages

We are taught to think for ourselves and make decisions A total institution is an organization or setting that has the following characteristics: Residents are not free to leave All actions are determined and monitored by authority figures Individuality is discouraged Examples prisons mental hospitals military In these total institutions, part of the resocialization process includes the loss of some decision-making freedom Total Institutions

Expected attitudes and behaviors for boys and girls are different A gender role is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and personality characteristics expected and encouraged of a person based on his or her sex. Influence of Biology? Experts disagree on Nature v Nurture Boys and girls process language differently. Boys use half, girls use whole brain. Girls tend to learn to speak and read earlier than boys Gender Socialization

Influence of Family? Families will socialize their babies in culturally appropriate ways Boys wear blue, girls wear pink G.I. Joes vs Barbies Influence in Education? Traditional expectations continue in school Boys got more attention in the past, girls dominate now Current methods favor girls’ learning styles now, boys more likely to struggle Young boys are more active than girls – Get in trouble more Gender Socialization

Influence on Career Choices Meet the Parents (2000) – Ben Stiller gets laughs by being a male nurse Why is this funny? We laugh because nurses are a “female” profession Girls will be steered towards “girl” jobs and vice versa What are some “girl” and “boy” jobs? Example:  Women in traditionally male jobs can hit a glass ceiling keeping them from reaching promotions Men in traditionally female jobs are viewed as more qualified than women and benefit from a glass escalator promoting them more quickly than women Influence on Career Choices