SOURCES OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE Agents of Socialization

Family – Key institution – orientation to the culture Locus Affection Protection Socialization

Locus – placement in society Meaning of each w/in cultural context Source of cultural capital Way one sees the world and place in it Factors/”locators”  SES – Kohn  Race  Ethnicity  Gender  religion

Protection Physical Emotional

Socialization Orientation Learn norms & values Languages and symbols “tools” and “Lens” Material culture Development of the SELF

Affection – “Specialness” Love – unconditional – you are special and unique - irreplaceable  Brofenbrenner Support  Decisions  Growth  Successes  failures

School – benefit to society Gracey – Kgartern = bootcamp  NOT SPECIAL Formal  Skills and Knowledge – replacement parts Sort & Select  What opportunities are open Social interaction –new peeps & encounters Intellectual growth – new ideas Personal development – new experiences Cultural transmission – values,history, norms Social control – hidden curriculum

Peer Groups – continues through life Key focus time = Autonomy – sense of independence Belongingness – sense of worth & acceptance – “earned” Knowledge and conformity necessary for membership “peer pressure”

Mass Media Cultural transmission – reinforces values “Meaning” – social reality is created  SES,race,ethnicity,gender,religion,age Materialism- stuff we should want Vicarious living/entertainment Information/interpretation of key events Can create change/can reflect status quo

Public Opinion Ideas on major issues Reflects the culture at a given time Indicates areas of culture strain and change

Shaping ideas Gender socialization – ideas, messages about being male or female in specific groups SES – differing values, goals, norms Racial socialization – ideas, messages about race/ethnicity in specific groups  Personal & group identity  Intergroup and interpersonal relationships  Position within the social structure/hierarchy

Gender Socially and culturally constructed differences between males and females Found in the meanings, beliefs & practices associated w/ Femininity Masculinity

“Gender is a human invention, like language, kinship, religion, and technology; like them, gender organizes human social life in culturally patterned ways. Gender organizes social relations in everyday life as well as in the major social structures, such as social class and the hierarchies of bureaucratic organizations.” Lorber

Gender Roles Attitudes and activities that society defines as appropriate for each sex Learned through the socialization process

Gender Identity Person’s perception of him or herself as female or male Evaluation Body consciousness

Gendered belief systems All ideas regarding masculine and feminine attributes held to be valid by the society Reinforces ideas of appropriate behaviors, choices, norms, etc.

Gendered institution Embedded ideas of gender – images, language, ideas Divides power, resources, tasks, rewards

Equity Different is merely different – not one better than the other Social perceptions Meta analysis

GENDER AS MASTER STATUS SOCIALLY DEFINED AND CONSTRUCTED Gender Socialization

Social Construct of Reality “To be a woman means to inhabit from early infancy to the last day of life, a psychological world which differs from the world of a man.” Mirra Komarovsky We occupy intersecting, but different realities.

Role of culture DP---DE----DT----DB Differential perceptions Differential expectations Differential treatment Differential behaviors Gender-appropriate behavior is learned through the socialization process

Self Concept: A Social Construction- develops and changes throughout life Total of all our beliefs and feelings about ourselves Foundation of our communication w/other Physical self Active self Social self Psychological self

Self Concept: Two Parts Self identity Who am I? Define through relationship to others Self esteem What am I worth? Interpretation of messages we receive about ourselves from others

Factors that contribute to the shaping of SELF

Developmental ist v. Interactionist Developmentalist Stage theorists biological emphasis maturation process Individual = passive Childhood emphasis Interactionist No fixed stages Social experience & interaction basis – socially defined Individual = active; uniqueness Continuous process- life long – feedback loop