1. Chapter 3
Socialization

2. Society Makes Us Human Feral Children
Isolated Children (Read Genie Handout)
Institutionalized Children
Deprived Animals
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3. Society Makes Us Human
Babies do not develop “naturally” into social adults; although their bodies grow, human interaction is required for them to acquire the traits we consider normal for human beings. The process by which we learn the ways of our society, through interaction with others, is called socialization.
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4. Society Makes Us Human
Social environment: the entire human environment, including direct contact with others.
Self: the unique human capacity of being able to see ourselves “from the outside”; the views we internalize of how others see us.
Personality: Stable patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior. Core of self.
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5. Socialization into the Self and Mind
Cooley ( ) and the Looking Glass Self
Imagine how we look to others.
Interpret (evaluate) others reactions.
Develop a self concept.
A favorable reflection in the “social mirror” leads to a
positive self-concept, while a negative reflection leads to a
negative self-concept.
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6. Socialization into the Self and Mind
Mead ( ): Role-taking
Imitation: Children mimic others.
Play: Take on roles of others (starts at three).
Team games: Children learn the role of each team member.
Play is critical to the development of a self. In play, we learn to take the role of others—to understand and anticipate how others feel and think.
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7. Socialization into the Self and Mind
Generalized other: The norms, values, attitudes, and expectations of people “in general”; the child’s ability to take the role of the generalized other is a significant step in the development of a self.
Significant other: An individual who significantly influences someone else’s life.
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9. Socialization into the Self and Mind
“I”: Subjective, active, spontaneous, creative part of the social self (for instance, “I shoved him”).
“Me”: Objective part—attitudes internalized from interactions with others (for instance, “He shoved me”).
Both self and mind social products. Cannot think without symbols. Language provides us with these symbols (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis).
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10. Socialization into Gender
Gender: The behaviors and attitudes that a society considers proper for its males and females; masculinity or femininity.
Gender Socialization: The ways in which society sets children onto different paths in life because they are male or female.
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11. Agents of Socialization
Agents of socialization: Individuals or groups that affect our self-concept, attitudes, behaviors, or other orientations toward life . They provide structured environments in which socialization occurs.
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12. Agents of Socialization
The Family
Social Class and Type of Work
The Neighborhood
Religion
Day Care
The School and Peer Groups
The Workplace
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13. Agents of Socialization
Primary Socialization: Occurs during childhood when a child learns the attitudes, values and actions appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture. Anticipatory Socialization: Learning to play a role before entering it. Resocialization: Learning new values, norms, attitudes, and behaviors to match new situations.
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14. Agents of Socialization
Total Institutions: A place where people are cut off from the rest of society and come under the control of officials who are in charge. Degradation Ceremony: An attempt to remake the self by stripping away an individual’s current identity and stamping a new one in its place.
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15. Socialization Through Life
Life course: The stages of our life as we go from
birth to death, where we learn the various roles
that enable us to meaningfully participate in
social groups. The stages follow a biological
sequence; but the content is socially understood.
Early Adulthood
18-29
Adolescence
Transitional stage
Middle-Age
30-65/67
Birth
Death
Childhood
Sheltered period
Age 65/67 and Beyond
Disengage from more active social roles
Above sequence is life course as typically found in industrial societies and post-industrial societies.
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16. Socialization Through Life
Childhood - Birth to 12 yrs
Adolescence - 13 to 17 yrs
Transitional Adulthood - 18 to 29 yrs
(Early adulthood on handout)
The Middle Years - 30 to 65/67 yrs
(Middle-age on handout)
Early Middle Years - 30 to 49 yrs
Later Middle Years - 50 to 65/67 yrs
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17. Socialization Through Life
The Older Years (about age 65/67 on)
The Transitional Older Years
The Later Older Years
Sociological Significance of Life Course
Does Not Merely Represent Biology
Social Factors Influence Life Course
Social Location Very Significant
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18. Are We Prisoners of Socialization?
Sociologists Do Not Think So
We have a self
Individual behavior is hard to predict
Individuals Are Actively Involved in the Construction of the Self
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