Building Identity: Socialization Chapter 5, Part 2 Building Identity: Socialization ©Pine Forge Press, an imprint of Sage Publications, 2006.

Gender Socialization Sex = biological maleness or femaleness Gender = psychological, social, cultural aspects of maleness and femaleness (masculinity and femininity) Children begin to use gender as organizing principle at young age. By age of 5, typically see gender as invariant characteristic of social world

Environmental factors Adult behavior often differs with children labeled as boys or girls U.S. parents continue to perceive their infants in gender-stereotyped ways, although less so than in the 1970s Parents tend to engage in rougher physical play with infant sons than with infant daughters and use subtle differences in tone of voice and different pet names As children grow older, parents tend to encourage more gender-typed activities.

Gender-specific toys “Girls’ toys” still revolve around themes of domesticity, fashion, and motherhood encourage creativity, nurturing, and physical attractiveness “Boys’ toys” emphasize action and adventure encourage invention, exploration, competition, and aggression.

Institutional Agents of Socialization As the symbolic interactionist perspective on socialization suggests, socialization is a continual process which knows no institutional boundaries. That said, sociologists are particularly interested in the role of major institutional “agents of socialization” in the process. The family, education, religion, and mass media are the primary agents of socialization that sociologists study.

Education Schools officially charged with equipping students with the knowledge and skills, they also teach students social, political, and economic values, as well as norms (e.g., gender role expectations) Some argue that schooling in most cultures is designed to produce conformists who will fit into the existing social order. Others argue that children from different social classes are “schooled” differently, as anticipatory socialization for their later position in the workforce

Religion Historically, religion as an institution has been a primary source of normative culture and agent of socialization into that culture. Some sociologists suggest that as societies modernize, religion becomes less central as a source of values/norms and agent of socialization. On the other hand, only 4% of Americans report they are agnostics or atheists, around 70% of Americans are members of a congregation, and 25-40% of Americans attend religious services weekly.

Mass media Transmits messages about the type of people we “should” be; subtle and not so subtle messages For example, sports is portrayed as primarily related to individual achievements—a cultural value on which the entire U.S. social structure is based. Messages frequently relate to gender (for example commercials display primarily stereotypical images). Or do they?

Theoretical Views of Institutional Agents of Socialization Structural-functionalists: How do these institutions work in concert with one another or complement one another so as to create social order? Conflict theorists: (a) How do these institutions work in concern with one another to create/perpetuate inequality? (b) How do these institutional agents of socialization conflict with one another?