Socialization Unit 2 - b

Your Name and who you are Your name might tell you the following: Your gender Your ethnicity – Physical characteristics Possibly your age Example: What comes to mind when you hear the name Jennifer?

Socialization Describe yourself: Age? Name? Ethnicity? Physical characteristics? likes? dislikes? Hobbies? Strengths (school, sport, art…)? Interests? values? personal history? Now, imagine you were switched at birth with another baby in the maternity ward and went home with the ‘wrong’ family and were raised by them. How might you be different?

The Nurture Side of Things! Socialization – lifelong process through which we learn all the knowledge, skills and attitudes we need to survive and prosper Sociologist: focus on how we learn the basic rules and attitudes of human behaviour (don’t pick your nose) Psychologists: focus on the development of the human personality – those characteristics that make each individual unique (self-confidence) Anthropologist: focus on the process by which permanent human societies are produced. (A uniquely human way of life centered on ‘marriage’, ‘family’, and ‘household’)

Socialization continued Key process in the development of the individual Necessary for the continuation of society Affects virtually every aspect of our lives example: 1) Hunger patterns (when we eat) 2) Perception of the world around us (Arctic peoples have many words for ‘snow’)

Components of Socialization Develop the ability to think ahead and act according Components of Socialization We learn: Language How to eat To practice hygiene Gender roles To deal with emotions Anticipatory Socialization Secondary Socialization Primary Socialization Lean how to function in groups (schools) How to follow the behaviours society expects of us while acting in group situations

Components of Socialization cont. Resocialization: Deliberate attempt by society to replace aspects of an individual’s socialization with new learnings In prisons, society tries to change inmates’ learned behaviour to more appropriate, law-abiding ones

Agents of Socialization How might a person develop if cut off from normal human contact at an early age? Ferals: Children raised by wild animals (unrealistic) Isolates: raised in human households but were severely neglected physically, socially and emotionally Anna 1938. 5 year old found hidden in a second floor storage room tied into a chair Genie 1970: 13 year old had been kept locked in a room with only a potty seat

Agents of Socialization - Family Primary Socialization – 1st Agent of socialization Most influential ages 0-6, after 20 Norms Gender roles What are our own special unique qualities Vital in the development of the self The socialization we get at home is not always correct

Agents of Socialization - School Secondary Socialization – group rules Dealing with formal rules Preparation for the adult world Manifest function – visible purpose of school - to learn academic skills Latent function – hidden purpose - to learn how to understand and cooperate with strangers - learn rules about being on time, being neat, when to talk, respect for authority

Agents of Socialization – Peer groups Most influential between ages 10-20 Social group where members are the same age and share the same interests and social position Provide opportunities to do things not usually encouraged by one’s family Peer pressure: values and behaviour, sexual attitudes, gender roles

Agents of Socialization - Media Function: Commercial – designed to make money by obtaining as many customers as possible Attract customers by setting out an unrealistic view of life (cop drama: suspense, romance, tragedy and justice fits into 52 minutes) Advertising – attempts to persuade us that we can ‘have it all’ Gender roles are created and reinforced, whether realistic or not example: average model 5’9”, 123 lb average women 5’4”, 144lb

Agents of Socialization - Religion 1996 – approx 86% of Canadians indicated that they had some sort of religious faith - 30% reported weekly attendance at a religious service Religious activities communicate beliefs about gender, appropriate sexual conduct, the afterlife, responsibility for one another in society, values and morals (usually reinforced by the family)

Agents of Socialization –Workplace Most people take up paid employment at some time Already learned the importance of punctuality, appropriate dress, respect for authority at school Must learn specialized language, procedures, rules as they relate to our jobs Must learn how to deal with colleagues, competitors, customers, students Teambuilding activities

Agents of Socialization – Total Institutions Intended to wipe out old socialization and Replace it with new Boot camp – for young offenders Prison – convicted felons Destructive religious cults Monasteries Military Emphasis on removing individuality and replacing it with a common group identity - identical hair cuts - identical clothing - strict enforcement of rules about daily activities and schedules

Total Institutions - Asylums Degradation ceremonies – intended to weaken a person’s current identity so that a new one could be put in its place – many have since been abolished Common in all Total Institutions: All aspects of life are closely supervised by staff Members have no choice regarding food or sleeping arrangements Formal rules about virtually all aspects of daily routine