Ch. 4: Socialization & The Life Course

The Role of Socialization Socialization: lifelong process in which people learn appropriate attitudes, values, and behaviors Personality: person’s typical patterns of attitudes, needs, characteristics, and behavior

Social Environment: The Impact of Isolation Interaction of heredity and environment shape human development Extreme Isolation: Isabelle Extreme Neglect: Romanian Orphans Primate Studies Social attachments develop from need for warmth, comfort, intimacy

The Influence of Heredity Minnesota twin family study Twins have similar intelligence test scores when reared apart in roughly similar social settings Different scores when reared in different social settings

The Self and Socialization View of ourselves comes from contemplation of personal qualities and impressions of how others perceive us Self: distinct identity that sets us apart from others Not a static phenomenon Interest in how individual develops and modifies sense of self as a result of social interaction

Sociological Approaches to the Self Cooley: Looking-Glass Self View of ourselves comes from contemplation of personal qualities and impressions of how others perceive us Looking-glass self: the self is product of social interactions with other people

Sociological Approaches to the Self Mead: Stages of the Self Preparatory stage: children imitate people around them As they grow older, become more adept at using symbols Play stage: children develop skill in communicating through symbols, and role taking occurs

Sociological Approaches to the Self Mead: Stages of the Self (continued) Game stage: children of about 8 or 9 consider several actual tasks and relationships simultaneously Generalized other: attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole that a child takes into account in his or her behavior

Table 4-1: Mead’s Stages of the Self 9

Sociological Approaches to the Self Mead: Theory of the Self Self begins as privileged, central position in a person’s world As the person matures, the self changes and begins to reflect greater concern about reactions of others Significant others: individuals most important in the development of the self

Sociological Approaches to the Self Goffman: Presentation of the Self Impression management: individual learns to slant presentation of self to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences Also known as dramaturgical approach Face-work: need to maintain proper image of self to continue social interaction

Psychological Approaches to the Self Freud Self is a social product Natural impulsive instincts in constant conflict with societal constraints Personality influenced by others (especially one’s parents) Self has components that work in opposition to each other

Psychological Approaches to the Self Piaget Emphasized stages through which human beings progress as the self develops Cognitive theory of development: four stages in development of children’s thought processes Sensorimotor Preoperational Concrete operational Formal operational

Table 4-2: Theoretical Approaches to Development of the Self 14

Agents of Socialization Continuing and lifelong socialization process involves many different social forces Family Gender roles: expectations regarding proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females

Agents of Socialization School Teaches values and customs of larger society Can also reinforce divisive aspects of society

Agents of Socialization Peer Group As children grow older, peer groups increasingly assume role of Mead’s significant others Gender differences are noteworthy among adolescents

Table 4-3: High School Popularity Source: Suitor et al. 2001:445. 18

Agents of Socialization Mass Media Technology Media innovations are important agents of socialization Concerns about teen use of Internet; however, use of technology not always negative New communication technologies in developing countries

Agents of Socialization Workplace Learning to behave appropriately within occupational setting is a fundamental aspect of human socialization Religion and State Government and organized religion impact life course by reinstituting some rites of passage

Socialization throughout the Life Course Rites of passage: means of dramatizing and validating changes in status Life course approach: looking closely at social factors that influence people throughout their lives Terms youthhood, emerging adulthood, and not quite adult coined to describe the prolonged ambiguous status that young people in their 20s experience

Anticipatory Socialization and Resocialization Anticipatory socialization: person “rehearses” future occupations and social relationships Resocialization: discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones during transitions in one’s life

Anticipatory Socialization and Resocialization Total institution: regulates all aspects of a person’s life under a single authority Degradation ceremony: ritual in which individual becomes secondary and rather invisible in overbearing social environment

Role Transitions throughout the Life Course Socialization is a lifelong process Levinson: One transitional stage begins when individual gradually enters adult world Midlife crisis: stage where men and women realize they have not achieved basic goals and ambitions

The Sandwich Generation Sandwich generation: adults who simultaneously try to meet needs of their parents and their children

Adjusting to Retirement Phases of Retirement Preretirement Near phase Honeymoon phase Disenchantment phase Reorientation phase Stability phase Termination phase

Adjusting to Retirement Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) When older people congregate in areas that have gradually become informal centers for senior citizens Often emerge as singles and young couples move out and older people move in Residents of some of these communities threatened by gentrification

Social Policy and Socialization: Child Care around the World Looking at the Issue In the US, 73% of employed mothers depend on others to care for their children 30% of mothers who aren’t employed have regular care arrangements Researchers found high quality child-care centers do not adversely affect socialization of children Few can afford to have a parent stay at home

Social Policy and Socialization: Child Care around the World Applying Sociology Interactionists favor studies assessing quality of child care outside of home; micro level of analysis High-quality day care not equally available to all families Conflict perspective notes child care costs are burden for lower-class families Feminist perspective questions low status and wages of day care workers

Social Policy and Socialization: Child Care around the World Initiating Policy Policies vary throughout the world When policymakers decide child care is desirable, must determine degree to which taxpayers subsidize it