Chapter 4 Socialization The Importance of Socialization Socialization and Personality Socialization: the cultural process of learning to participate in group life No idea how to be social at birth Nearly all aspects of social life are not natural, but learned through the process of socialization Babies have no idea about thinking, feeling, and behaving without socialization

Proper Manners For Dating A man should not sit down at the table in a restaurant until the woman is seated. A man should always pull out a woman’s chair for her and see that she is served first. A man should never let a woman carry anything heavy; she should only carry a small package at the most. A man should help a woman put on and take off her coat. A man should always get out of the car and come to the door when picking a woman for a date. A man should always open a door for a woman and let her pass in front of him.

Socialization: process of learning to participate in a group Socialization begins at birth and continues throughout life Freshmen in high school, college adjust to new situation Graduates in first job All new situations throughout life Socialization: process of learning to participate in a group

How do we know socialization is important? Harry Harlow’s famous experiment Closeness and comfort more important than food How do we know socialization is important? Case studies we talked about Genie Studies about effects of isolation on monkeys Harry Harlow – psychologist in 1950’s-60’s Two artificial mothers (wire with nipple, wrapped in soft terry cloth Choice between food and comfort, closeness Closeness and comfort were more important than food to these monkeys When frightened by a rubber snake, they ran to the cloth mothers for comfort and protection 3

Does the same apply to human beings? Importance of affection, intimacy, and warmth Can we generalize from monkeys to human beings? Famous 1965 study – Lawrence Casler Developmental growth rate of institutionalized children (who receive less physical contact than normal) improved with only 20 minutes of extra touching a day 4

Case Studies on Isolated Children Anna, Isabelle, Genie Case Studies on Isolated Children Anna and Isabelle: Case Studies on Isolated Children Anna and Isabelle: Read pp. 113-114 Implications? Unmistakable The personal and social behavior associated with being a human being is acquired through intensive and prolonged social contact with others 5

The left hand scan shows the brain of a normal three year old with healthy neural development. The right hand scan shows dark patches where whole areas of the brain have shrunk from lack of stimulation.

Socialization and the Self All three theoretical perspectives agree that socialization is needed if cultural and social values are to be learned Functionalist Perspective Conflict Perspective Symbolic Interactionism Socialization and the Self All three theoretical perspectives agree that socialization is needed if cultural and social values are to be learned 6

approach that emphasizes the contributions of each part of society Functionalism: approach that emphasizes the contributions of each part of society Conflict Perspective: approach emphasizing the role of conflict, competition, and constraint within a society Symbolic Interactionism: approach that focuses on the interactions among people based on mutually understood symbols 7

functionalist perspective We work together to create a stable society How does the functionalist perspective explain socialization? Stresses ways in which groups work together to create a stable society Schools and families – good example Both socialize children by teaching the same basic norms, beliefs, and values family school 8

conflict perspective Don’t upset the existing social class structure! social classes exist maintaining the status-quo How does the conflict perspective explain socialization? Views socialization as a way of perpetuating the status quo When people are socialized to accept their family’s social class, they help preserve the current class system Because they don’t challenge their position in life, they don’t upset the existing class structure Consequence? The political and economic advantages of the higher social classes are maintained. Don’t upset the existing social class structure! 9

Symbolic Interactionism and Socialization Developed in the early part of the twentieth century by Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead The self-concept The looking-glass self Significant others Role-taking (the imitation stage, the play stage, and the game stage) The generalized other Symbolic Interactionism and Socialization   Developed in the early part of the twentieth century by Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead For them human nature is a product of society They use a number of key concepts to explain socialization. They include: The self-concept The looking-glass self Significant others Role-taking (the imitation stage, the play stage, and the game stage) The generalized other 10

Where does the self-concept come from? Self-concept: the image you have of yourself as having an identity separate from other people 11

When you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror. Are you dressing for yourself or for how others see you? If not for rules and expectations, would you dress differently than you do? How and why?

Where does the self-concept come from? Cooley: How does looking-glass self work? According to Cooley, we use other people as mirrors to reflect back what we imagine they think of us Cooley breaks it down into 3 stages: First we imagine how we appear to others Next we imagine the reaction of others to our (imagined) appearance Finally, we evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us This is not a conscious process, it can happen in very rapid succession The result of the process is a positive or negative self-evaluation Example: You are going to meet someone you really wanted to meet When you meet them you have an image of your performance (stage 1) After chit-chat you sense their disappointment (stage 2) Because you wanted this person to be impressed, you feel bad about yourself (stage 3)   Can the looking-glass be distorted? YES! Since it comes from our own imaginations, it may be distorted The mirror might not accurately reflect others opinions of us at all Unfortunately, the looking-glass process works even if we are mistaken about others’ perceptions of us If we believe someone doesn’t like us, the consequences to us are just as real as if it were true Example: children learns how to behave within their families by watching how their parents judge their behavior and then judge themselves accordingly Looking-glass self: an image of yourself based on what you think others think of you 12

Cooley’s Looking-Glass Self 3 Step Process: We imagine how we appear to others (I look good in these new clothes) We imagine the reaction of others to our (imagined) appearance (Just saw that person looking at me. Must be because I look good in these clothes) We evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us (I feel great about the way I look today!) 13

Do we use some people as “more important” mirrors?   Mead pointed out that some people are more important than others to us   Mead: pointed out that some people are more important than others to us Significant others: those people whose reactions are most important to your self-concept The people whose judgments are most important to our self concepts For a child: mother, father, teachers, grandparents, etc. Teenagers place heavy reliance on peers Adults: spouses, parents, friends, clergy members, employers, co-workers Significant others: those people whose reactions are most important to your self-concept 14

What is role taking? What is role taking? Role taking: assuming the viewpoint of another person and using that viewpoint to shape the self-concept We can play out scenes in our minds and anticipate what others will say or do Asking teacher for an “A” on a paper If you cant mentally put yourself in teacher’s place you would have no idea of the objections your teacher might have You can prepare for those objections and be ready to justify your “A” Role taking: assuming the viewpoint of another person and using that viewpoint to shape the self-concept 15

How do we learn the ability for role taking? According to George Mead, it’s a 3 step process Imitation stage: around the age 1 or 2 According to George Mead, it’s a 3 step process Imitation stage: around 1 or 2, child imitates (without understanding) physical and verbal behaviors of significant others. 1st step in developing capacity for role taking Imitating behaviors without understanding why 16

Act in ways they imagine other people would 2. Play stage: Around 3 or 4 years Play stage: around 3 or 4, kids can be seen playing the roles of mother, father, policeman, teacher, etc. Kids act in the ways they imagine other people would Act in ways they imagine other people would 17

Anticipate actions of others based on social rules 3. Game stage Early school years Game stage: anticipate the actions of others based on social rules. Through games, kids learn to gear their behavior to the norms of the group Anticipate actions of others based on social rules 18

When do we start to internalize how to behave in social situations? Over time its not just about pleasing significant others It begins to seem wrong in principle to be dishonest, to break norms, etc. Generalized other: integrated conception of the norms, values, and beliefs of one’s community or society Generalized other: integrated conception of the norms, values, and beliefs of one’s community or society 19

“Man can be defined as the animal that can say I, that can be aware of himself as a separate entity.” Erich Fromm 20

Mead – What is the self? Mead – What is the self? According to George Mead the “self” is made up of two parts: the “me” and the “I” - the “I” is myself as I am…the “me” is myself as others see me The me: is the part of the self formed through socialization Genie didn’t have a concept of “me” because she had never been socialized to understand how others might see her or how she might understand others Genie only had the concept of “I”…she was like a little baby, egocentric, with no concept beyond her own needs According to George Mead the “self” is made up of two parts: the “me” and the “I” the “I” is myself as I am…the “me” is myself as others see me 21

Agents of Socialization: Sharing 22

The Family and Socialization First exposure to the world and the primary agent of socialization Within the family the child learns to: Think and speak Internalize norms, beliefs, and values Form some basic attitudes Develop a capacity for intimate and personal relationships Acquire self-image First exposure to the world and the primary agent of socialization 23

Socialization in Schools First time children are under the supervision of adults who are not relatives For the first time many of the child’s relationship are impersonal Rewards and punishment are based on performance rather than on affection Creates a feeling of loyalty and allegiance to something beyond the family Hidden curriculum: the informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in school Hidden curriculum: the informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in school

Peer Group Socialization In family and school kids are subordinate to adults, in peer group they engage in give and take relationships Peer group: set of individuals of roughly the same age and interests Experience conflict, competition, and cooperation in peer groups Gives the experience of self direction Begin to make their own decisions In family and school kids are subordinate to adults, in peer group they engage in give and take relationships

Mass Media and Socialization   Mass Media and Socialization Mass Media: communication designed to reach the general population TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, books, internet, music Mass media display role models for children to imitate Imitating these role models help to integrate the young into society Violence in mass media: by age 16, average teen has witnessed 20,000 homicides on TV Hundreds of studies involving over 10,000 children have concluded that watching aggressive behavior on TV significantly increases aggression in society Sitcoms: how are fathers, teachers portrayed?

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Mass Media and Socialization Our perceptions of he ideal body types seem to be largely a product of media socialization. How do television, magazines, CDs, and video games reinforce these images? Has the media socialized Americans to admire certain figure and body types?

Desocialization Total institutions: people separated from the rest of society and controlled by officials in charge Desocialization: the process of giving up old norms, values, and behaviors Often means the destruction of old self-concepts of personal identity Total institutions: people separated from the rest of society and controlled by officials in charge Prisons Mental hospitals Military Desocialization: the process of giving up old norms, values, and behaviors

Resocialization Resocialization: the process of adopting new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors

Anticipatory Socialization Anticipatory Socialization: the voluntary process of preparing to accept new norms, values, attitudes and behaviors