Chapter 4, Socialization Key Terms

socialization The process through which people learn the expectations of society. roles Expected behavior associated with a given status in society.

identity How one defines oneself. personality The relatively consistent pattern of behavior, feelings, and beliefs in a given person.

self-esteem The value a person places on his or her identity. psychoanalytic theory Freud's theory that the development of social identity (the ego) is an unconscious process, developed from dynamic tensions between strong instinctual impulses (the id) and the social standards of society (the superego).

object relations theory Maintains that the social relationships experienced by children determine the development of the adult personality. social learning theory Identity is formed in a societal context as the result of modeling oneself in response to the expectations of others.

symbolic interaction theory People learn identities and values through the socialization process as they learn the social meanings that different behaviors imply. looking glass self Explains how a person’s conception of self arises through reflection about one’s relationship with others.

socialization agents Those who pass on social expectations. life course perspective Connects people's personal attributes, the roles they occupy and life events to the social and historical context.

rites of passage Define and legitimize role changes that begin or end each stage of life. resocialization The process by which existing social roles are radically altered or replaced.