Socialization: Becoming Human and Humane Chapter 4 Socialization: Becoming Human and Humane © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Introduction Socialization: the lifelong process of learning to become a member of the social world, including learning the values and beliefs of our culture Interaction: the basic building block of socialization, through which a child is shaped into a human being and becomes a member of a society Social self: the perceptions we have of who we are © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Nature vs. Nurture The nature vs. nurture debate: The nature argument: Which best explains the human self and human behavior—biology or socialization? The nature argument: Sociobiology (evolutionary psychology): claims our genes “wire” us for social behavior The nurture argument: Sociobiology is a reductionist theory Social behaviors vary, are not hard-wired Socialization is more important than genes © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

The Importance of Socialization Children need human contact, affection, and interaction in order to fully develop Evidence: Cases of isolated children E.g., Anna, Isabelle, neglected orphans Because these children were not socialized at the proper time, they experienced developmental disorders and could not be fully integrated into society © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Socialization & the Social World Most activities are part of the socialization experience: Micro-level: e.g., parents, peer groups Meso-level: e.g., schools, religious groups Macro-level: e.g., national advertisements Social importance of socialization Organizations are dependent upon socialized people to help them survive Lack of adequate socialization increases the likelihood of deviant behavior © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Socialization & the Social World Perspectives on Socialization Micro-level: Symbolic Interactionism: the development of the self Meso- and Macro-levels: Structural-functionalist perspective: various socializing agents support one another and society as a whole Conflict perspective: various socializing agents have conflicting goals Those in power ensure that others are socialized into supporting power structures which benefit elites Most individuals have little power to decide their futures © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Development of the Self: Micro-Level Analysis Self: the perceptions we have of who we are, derived from our perceptions of the way others respond to us The development of the self allows us to interact with others and function in the social world We are not born with a self; its development begins in infancy Biology and society both contribute to the development of the self The self, our ability to be aware of ourselves as individuals, may be distinctive to humans © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

The Looking Glass Self A symbolic interactionist theory of the self developed by Charles H. Cooley The looking glass: “Each to each a looking-glass Reflects the other that doth pass.” © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Role-Taking A symbolic interactionist theory of the self developed by George Herbert Mead Role-taking allows us to view ourselves from the standpoint of others, from the outside Once we can symbolically recognize objects, we can the view the self as an object E.g., having a name allows us to see ourselves as objects separate from other objects Reflexive behavior: ability to view oneself from the outside, as an object © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Parts of the Self Mead’s parts of the Self: The “I”: spontaneous, unpredictable, impulsive, acts without considering social consequences The “me”: the reflexive part of the self, formed through role-taking, that knows the rules of society and attempts to control and direct the “I” into socially acceptable behavior The “me” requires the ability to take the role of others, anticipating others’ reactions © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Stages in the Development of the Self Mead’s stages of development Imitation: child observes and imitates others Play: children play at taking the roles of significant others, but do not understand complex relationships Game: children take the roles of multiple others concurrently & the role of the generalized other Generalized other: a composite of social expectations As behavior comes to be governed by abstract rules, children can enter into novel social arenas © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

The Self and Connections to the Meso Level The Iowa School of symbolic interaction: Our sense of self is rooted in our positions within social organizations and institutions We develop a relatively stable core self, or sense of who we are regardless of immediate setting, based on our most important social positions We have a vested interest in the preservation of the organizations and institutions that contribute to our social positions and sense of self © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Socialization Throughout the Life Cycle Socialization occurs throughout life … Infancy Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Middle Adulthood Retirement, the Elderly Dying and Death Rites of passage occur at most stages Rites of passage: public celebrations or recognitions of passage from one status to another Important because they impact others’ perceptions, self-perceptions, and expectations of the individual © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

The Process of Resocialization Resocialization: the process of abandoning one or more social positions in favor of others that are more suitable for a newly acquired status Resocialization may occur in a total institution, in which people are isolated from the outside world and lead bureaucratically regimented lives © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Agents of Socialization Agents of socialization: people, organizations, and institutions that enable us to learn the beliefs, values, and behaviors of our cultures Micro-level: family, peer group, local organizations Meso-level: educational, religious institutions; media Formal: socialization is stated goal (e.g., the family) Informal: socialization isn’t a stated goal but occurs anyway (e.g., the media) Agents of socialization shift over the life course Different agents’ messages may concur or conflict © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Families: Micro-Level Socialization Families use positive and negative sanctions to help teach children right and wrong The number and type of sanctions shape the socialization process and the self Family socialization differs by Culture Sub-culture Number of children in the household and birth order © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Social Class: Meso-Level Socialization Social class: the wealth, power, and prestige rankings individuals hold in society Social class and socialization: Parents socialize children to meet expectations of the social class into which they are born Middle class: autonomy, creativity, self-direction Working class: rule-following, respect authority Class socialization in the family impacts later socialization in school © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Electronic Media: Meso-Level Socialization Electronic media as socialization agents: television, computers, internet, DVDs, video games, audio Concerns: Those who control the mass media can influence socialization within the home What messages do these agents of socialization send to children? What is the impact of children spending more time with media and less time with caregivers and peers? © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Socialization and Macro-Level Issues Socialization in a globalized world Transnationalism: the situation of individuals or families who have national loyalty to more than one country, often a result of migration May result in multiple and conflicting messages about appropriate behaviors Global communications and events May lead us to interact with diverse others, or solidify feelings of “we” vs. “they” © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.

Policy and Practice Many policy questions and topics require understanding of socialization Parenting and child-care The education system Retirement Community development Patriotism and global citizenship Sociologists provide and interpret data for policymakers and try to solve problems by working with state agencies, consulting firms, and foundations © Pine Forge Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.