Socialization

Aim: Students will be able to: define socialization and personality and understand and explain the significance of social experience to the development of personality. define nature theory and nurture theory (inclusive f behaviorism) and explain what these theories convey about a human’s biological evolution. explain the impact of isolation on socialization. Explain Freud’s theory of human development, including: Elements of Personality (basic needs – Eros & Thanatos) Model of Personality (Id, Ego, and Superego) Personality Development and Sublimation Aim:

Socialization and Personality Socialization = The lifelong social experience through which human beings develop their human potential and learn culture; the process by which people are taught to be proficient members of a society Human beings need to socialize (social experiences) to learn their culture and to survive Social experiences are the foundation of personality Helps people understand: Non-material Culture - a society’s values, beliefs, expectations, and norms Material Culture – the tangible objects a culture uses Personality = a person’s pattern of acting, thinking, and feeling Our internalization of external experiences helps personality to develop Socialization and Personality

Darwin’s study of evolution led to the belief that human behavior was a result of instinct (nature): Genetic; determined by one’s biology Nature Theory: Argues that people’s temperament, interests, and aptitudes are ingrained prior to birth Ignored the impact of culture on a person’s development Led to the belief that simple societies are less biologically evolved Became a justification of colonialism Nature

Watson’s theory of behaviorism held that behavior is learned, not instinctive Humans differ not in how biologically evolved they are, but in their cultural patterns and in how they were nurtured Nurture Theory: How a person is cared for The environment a person exists in The experiences a person has Nurture

Certain biological traits are inherited from parents Our personalities are mostly created by learned behaviors How a person is raised determines whether or not inherited potential is achieved People can recover from short-term isolation but there is a point at which isolation causes permanent and irreversible damage Nature and Nurture

Understanding Socialization Important Contributions

1856-1939 Vienna Social belief = human behavior was biologically fixed Neurologist Studied personalities and personality disorders Founder of psychoanalysis Psychology Conscious vs unconscious Repressed fears Free association/dream interpretation Freud

Elements of Personality Biology is important to human development in terms of basic needs (not instinct) Humans have 2 basic needs: Eros (life instinct) – sexual bonding and emotional bonding Thanatos (death instinct) – aggressive drive These needs demand immediate satisfaction These needs exist on an unconscious level These needs are in competition with one another; there is tension between the two Elements of Personality

Id: Humans’ basic drive for pleasure/positive physical sensations Manifests in self-centeredness Biological need Present at birth Inconsistent with the demands of society In direct conflict with the superego Ego: Humans’ conscious effort to balance innate, pleasure-seeking drives with the demands of society Attempts to avoid frustration Comes with self-awareness and understanding that we can’t always have what we want Model of Personality

Model of Personality, continued … Superego: The cultural values and norms internalized by individuals Acts as a “conscience;” reminds us why we cannot have it all Learns morality (right vs. wrong) In conflict with the Id The journey from Id to Superego takes a person from feeling good/bad physically to feeling good/bad morally Feeling good morally requires judging one’s behavior against social norms Model of Personality, continued …

Personality Development Unresolved childhood conflicts result in personality disorders Sublimation – redirects selfish drives into socially acceptable behavior Personality Development

Reflection: What social experiences shaped the development of your personality? What biological traits have you inherited from your parents? Describe one instance that occurred today during which your Id was in direct conflict with your Superego. Homework