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Chapter 2 - Socialization
Socialization and the creation of social identity
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Nature v. Nurture Debate
How human behavior can be explained. - nature – biological/genetic - nurture – cultural terms Roles – expected patterns of behavior associated with our status - i.e. – teacher, student, friend, parent Values – beliefs or ideas that are important to the people who hold them - expresses how something should be Norms – socially acceptable ways of behaving when playing a particular role
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Domain Assumptions Domain Assumptions: assumptions on which a particular perspective or ideology is based ex – domain assumptions for Marxism include economic exploitation and class conflict. ex – domain assumption for Post Modernism assumes that… ex – domain assumption for Positivism assumes that…
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Structuralist + Functionalist
Structuralist (macro)- Originated from Durkheim and Marx - Social Action is beyond individual control, structure of systems dictates our actions. i.e. - capitalism Functionalist (opposite of Marxist Structuralist) – Arrangements between institutions make for a smooth running of society - ex – family, education, and government make for smoothly running society
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Interactionism Interactionism – microsociological approach – sociology focused on individuals and small groups. 3 types of interactionism Phenomenology – the social world consists of phenomena whose meaning is both negotiated and interpreted through interaction.
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Interactionism 2. Ethnomethodology – all social interaction is underpinned by a search for meaning. If we can understand the meanings people give to a situation we can understand their behavior in such situations. 3. Symbolic Interactionism –analyzes society and situations in terms of the meanings that people impose on objects, events and behaviours.
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Over-Socialized Conception of Man
The Over-Socialized Conception of Man - a criticism of the claim that human beings are simply the product of their socialization. Behavior can be understood merely as a response to external stimulation.
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Labeling Interactionists view labeling as the product of social interaction. Male / Female – We associate certain characteristics and roles. These may change over time because they are based on interactions.
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Structuration Structuration – both structure and action are equally significant in our ability to understand the relationship between the individual and society people develop relationships, practices towards one another become normalized, then we conform to the structure we have developed
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Rules in Society Negotiated – friendship - unwritten, unspoken
Non-Negotiable – murder – imposed by powerful groups
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Key Terms p32-35 Socialization Feral Children Social Self
Looking-Glass Self Action Theory Social Engineering
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Socialization Socialization – people learn various forms of behavior consistent with membership of a particular culture - Young children learn roles, norms, and values so they can become fully functioning members of society. These things do not occur naturally.
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Feral Children (wild child)
a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has little or no experience of human care, behavior, or, crucially, of human language walking upright, talking, using eating implements – not picked up quickly or easily. What does this tell us about socialization?
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Social Self Mead argued – our ability to see ourselves as others see us separates us from animals. Social Self – an awareness of how others expect us to behave in given situations means that our sense of self – who we believe ourselves to be – is created through social interaction and exchange
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Social Self “I” – our opinion of ourselves (unsocialized)
“Me” – awareness of how others expect us to behave in a given situation - who you are male/female, adult/child, etc. - where you are – alone at home or a public place - who you are with – family, friends, strangers
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Looking-Glass Self Looking Glass Self – argues that our sense of self develops from how we are seen by others. We understand who we are by looking in the “mirror” of how other behave towards us. Goffman – We adopt a particular identity and “perform” to “manage” the image that others have of us.
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Action Theory Action Theory – perspective focusing on individuals and how their interactions create and re-create a sense of society. -negotiation, what it means to be young, old, male, female is constantly changing.
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Social Engineering Social Engineering – cultural manipulation of individuals to produce particular social outcomes, such as gender equality. Attempts to limit the effects of biological differences.
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Key Terms p36-41 Social Control Positive / Negative Sanctions
Formal / Informal Controls Primary Agencies of Socialization Secondary Agencies of Socialization Sub Culture Social Sanctions Consumerism Customs
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Social Control Social Control – the process of brining order, stability, and predictability to people’s behavior. - a lifelong process of rule learning. If there is a “right” way to do something, there is also a “deviant” way.
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Sanctions Positive Sanctions – rewards – ie: smiling, praise, encouragement, gifts Negative Sanctions – punishments – ie: ignore someone, prision
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Types of Controls Formal Control – written rules, laws, code of conduct Informal Control – unofficial rules of how to act
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Agencies of Socialization
Primary Agencies of Socialization - family - peers Secondary Agencies of Socialization - Education - Mass Media - Religion
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Sub-Culture Sub-Culture – a culture within a larger group - religious groups - gangs - fans of a particular band (DMB, Phish)
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Social Sanctions Social Sanctions – rewards or punishments designed to exert social control and enforce conformity to roles, norms, and values. This Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon was giving Penny chocolate for acceptable behavior (Positive Sanction)
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Consumerism Consumerism – repeated exposure to affluent lifestyles and desirable consumer goods. The idea that “happiness can be bought”
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Customs Established and accepted cultural practices and behaviors.
Lets list some examples…..
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Key Terms p42-45 Social Construction of Reality Critical Theory Power
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Social Construction of Reality
Material Culture – cars, books, phones (artifacts) that reflect our cultural knowledge, skills, and preoccupation Non-Material Culture – beliefs that we value – religion, science Social Construction of Reality – our perception of what is real is created by historical and cultural processes. i.e. – different societies construct male and female identities differently
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Roles / Values / Ideologies
Roles – played in relation to other roles Values – specific to specific roles Ideologies – focused around fundamental beliefs, trying to explain something - meaning of life - family organization - superiority / inferiority
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Critical Theory Critical Theory – argues that ideologies have a manipulative element. - associated with Marxism - i.e.- capitalist-controlled media which shapes a favorable reality for the elite
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Power Power - The ability to make others do what you want. - coercive – forced to obey, threat of punishment - consensus – people obey because they believe it “right” to do so Leaders in Power - Charisma – obey because they trust the person in power - Traditional – custom and practice, this is how things have been done - Regional/Legal – position allows them to demand complicane Lets come up with examples of each method of exerting power
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Key Terms p46-50 Social Identity
Class Identities – Lower, Upper, Blurring Gender Identities Ethnic Identities
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Social Identity Social Identity – collective or group identities - how a particular group is expected to behave ie – class/gender/ethnicity
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Class Identities Lower Class – working class, manual labor (industrial revolution) - less working class jobs as we transition from manufacturing to service economy Middle Class – professionals w/ high levels of education, ie – doctors, managers, intellectuals, consultants Upper Class – Used to be landed aristocracy, now is business elite, immense wealth Blurring – shift in people seeing themselves as working class to middle class. - people tend to chose who they want to be today. (more fluid) - today upper class often seen “vulgar” and “tasteless” flaunting of money
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Income Gap
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Net Worth Gap
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Net Worth by Race
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Gender Identities Gender – social characteristics associates with men and women. Connell: we are not born man or woman, we become men and women through the social construction of gender identities. Male: physical strength, physique, leaders, providers, being unemotional Female: passive, emotional, provide service to others
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Male Identities / Female Identities
Activity – Girls will present “Male Identities” and “Crisis” (p47-48) - Boys will present “Female Identities” (p48-49)
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Ethnic Identities Ethnicity is different from race. - Race – man-created. No Scientific evidence of a difference between racial groups. - Ethnicity – a combination of cultural differences ie – religion, family structure, beliefs, values, norms - a shared cultural background and history, “memories of a shared past” - symbolic elements – family, kinship, religion, language, territory a cultural and social identity
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Key Terms p51-54 Function High Culture Low Culture Postmodernism
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Modernity Modernist Perspective – what culture and identity do, how are they used, and what they mean. Fisher – culture systemizes the way people do things, avoiding confusion and allowing “cooperation” (functionalism)
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Functions of Culture Communication – common language
Perception – how we see the world, “predestination?” Identity – how we see ourselves and others Value Systems – education, media, religion… sources of values Motivation – sanctions, encourage of discourage behaviour Stratification – ie - class.. Functional because incentives motivate people Production/Consumption – what we need, use and value
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Culture High Culture – idea that some cultural products and practices are “superior” to others. - Mass education enables people to work up the social ladder. Low Culture – “pop culture” or “mass culture” – defined by a ruling class as shallow, worthless, or disposable. - widest possible audience, not to enrich, simple to understand - distracts working classes from problems of low wages, capitalist exploitation. - provides lower classes with a sense of happiness, togetherness, and well being.
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Neo-Marxist Theory Neo-Marxist – greater meaning to cultural factors in explaining human behavior. (still has clash of power) - consumption for satisfying “needs” - consumption for “symbolic” meaning People are socialized in pre-existing categories – gender, age, class - consumption choices are used to enhance people’s perception of their own and other people’s identities. Good Example – types of cars – need/symbolic
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Postmodernism Postmodernism - class, gender, and age are becoming less important in defining our sense of “self” - globalization is shifting our sense of self identity by – going “green”, social media, consumption. - traditional roles are lessened – “real men don’t cry” - people are more confused as to how to behave, “fragmented identities”
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