1. Socialization
How do we become human?

2. Importance of Socialization
Socialization: cultural process of learning to participate in group life
Birth through life
Teaches us attitudes, beliefs, values, behaviors
Harry Harlow’s Monkey Studies (1959)
Wire v. cloth mothers
Closeness and comfort were more important than food
Need for intimacy, warmth, contact, comfort
Deprivation = distress, apathy, withdrawal
Lawrence Casler (1965)
Can improve developmental growth in institutionalized children with 20 minutes of extra touch each day

3. Harlow’s Monkeys

4. Nature – Nurture Interaction
Nature: biological, hereditary, innate factors
Nurture: societal, environmental factors
Complex interaction between both
Article: Separated at Birth

5. Case Studies: Isolated Children
Anna
5 year isolation; made progress but little & slow
Isabelle
6 ½ year isolation; reached normalcy
Genie
13 year isolation; little progress socially, emotionally, intellectually
What have we learned from these children?
Personal & social development is acquired through intensive and prolonged contact with others.

6. Genie

7. Socialization and the Self
Functionalist Perspective:
Stresses how groups work together to create a stable society
Schools and families work TOGETHER to socialize kids
Conflict Perspective:
Stresses inequalities and power struggle
Socialization perpetuate the status quo
Accept social class and status before they understand they have a choice
Social class structure is not upset because of this

8. Socialization and the Self
Symbolic Interactionists:
Self-concept: image of yourself as having a separate identity from other people
Role taking: assuming the viewpoint of another & using that to shape the self-concept
Looking-glass self: image of yourself based on what you believe others think of you
We use other people as mirrors to reflect back what we imagine they think of us.
Often distorted, use significant others as mirrors more
Imagine how we appear to them
Imagine the reactions of others to our (imagined) appearance
Evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us

9. Looking-Glass Self Example
You want to impress a classmate and show them how smart you are. You prepare well for the next day’s lesson.
Imagine how we appear to them: You participate in class discussion and have an image of how you performed.
Imagine the reactions of others to our (imagined) appearance: After you finish participating, you think your classmate is disappointed.
Evaluate ourselves according to how we imagine others have judged us: You feel bad about yourself.

10. Agents of Socialization
Family
Primary agent; helps form basic values
Think, speak, norms, beliefs, attitudes, relationships

11. Partner Discussion Discuss the following with a partner:
What qualities does a GOOD parent have?
What qualities does a BAD parent have?
If you become a parent, what would you do differently from your own parents?

12. Authoritarian Parenting
Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
Demanding, but unresponsive to child’s needs
Obey the rules, no questions asked
No input in rules, punished for breaking
Permissive Parenting
Permissive-indulgent
Responsive, warm, accepting, few rules, rarely punish
Permissive-indifferent
Unresponsive, uncontrolling, rules/punishment a chore

13. Authoritative Parenting
Parenting Styles
Authoritative Parenting
Warm, responsive and involved
Set clear standards & expect children to be responsive
Give-and-take
Rules are firm and consistently enforced
Parents discuss reasons for rules

14. Parenting Style Effects on Children
Authoritarian
Moody, unhappy, fearful, withdrawn, irritable, unspontaneous
Permissive
More cheerful, immature, impulsive, aggressive
Authoritative
Cheerful, socially competent, energetic, friendly, high levels of self-esteem, reliance and control, higher grades, confident, less trouble

15. Agents of Socialization
Schools – How has school made you who you are?
Impersonal relationships for 1st time
Performance instead of affection
Teach less dependence of family
Teach loyalty to something besides family
Hidden curriculum: informal and unofficial aspects of culture taught in school
Discipline, order, conformity, cooperation, schedule

16. Agents of Socialization
Peer Group: set of individuals of roughly the same age and interests
Not controlled primarily by adults
Belong to many – clique, neighborhood, church
Conflict, cooperation, competition, self-direction
Recent studies show that peers may have a bigger influence on socialization than family!!!

17. Agents of Socialization
Mass Media: means of communication meant to reach the general population
TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, movies, books
Distorted images (i.e. police shows)/stereotypes
Provide role models
Provide ideas about values
Exposes children to large amounts of violence

18. Processes of Socialization
Socialization is a life-long process and change constantly occurs.
Desocialization: process of giving up old norms, values, attitudes, behaviors
Standard-issue items, serial numbers
Resocialization: process of adopting new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors
Shaped through rewards and punishments
Examples: US Marines, 1st year at military academies
Anticipatory socialization: voluntary process of prepar- ing to accept new norms, values, attitudes, beliefs
Pre-teen to teenage years; college seniors to real life