[3] Socialization (Henslin)

• Nature vs Nurture


  Physical & Mental Abilities = Hereditary (Nurture)

  Attitudes = Environment (Nature)
• Feral Children


  • Disconnected from society and raised by or around wild animals
  • Had animalistic behaviors
  • Seemingly raised by the "society" of the animals
• Isolated Children


  • No natural language – they did not know how to speak
  • Lacking connections, no shared ideas
• Institutionalized Children


  • The Skeels/Dye Experiment

  Control group = at the orphanage

  Experimental group = cared for by the women at the institute for mentally r*tarded women

  Children experience greater development with more intimate relations

  Children also need stimulating and interactive play in order to develop effectively

  The timing of which children are introduced to this stimulus is important

  Example: Genie who was locked up until 13 years old was never able to recover even with training
• Deprived Animals


  • Deprived of normal interaction

  Physical contact > Nursing

  Babies don't develop naturally
• Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self


  Our sense of self develops from interaction with others
• Three Elements of the Looking-Glass Self


  • We imagine how other people see us
  • We interpret other's reactions
  • We develop a self-concept from our interpretation
• Self-development is a lifelong process
• Mead and Role-Taking


  The importance of "play" in developing self

  We learn to take the role of the other

  We internalize the expectations of the "Generalized Other"
• 3 Stages of learning how to take the roles of another

  • Imitation (<3 years): Mimicry, No "self" separate from others
  • Play (3-6 years): Pretend to take the roles of other
  • Team Games (>6 years): Organized play, team games, Begins when one enters school
• "I" and "Me"


  "I" = Self as subject (active, spontaneous, and creative)

  "Me" = Self as object (attitudes from internalization)
• Main Point: "Both our self and our minds are social products."
• Piaget and the Developmental Reasoning


  Development of the mind and how we learn to reason
• 4 Stages of Piaget's Theory


  • Sensorimotor Stage (birth - 2 years): Understanding is limited to direct contact, No ability to "think"
  • Preoperational Stage (2 years - 7 years): The ability to use symbols, The ability to count but not to understand the numbers themselves
  • Concrete Operational Stage (7 years - 12 years): Reasoning abilities are more developed, Though, abstract concepts cannot be understood yet
  • Formal Operational Stage (>12 years): Abstract thinking, Conclusions based on general principles, Roles used to solve abstract problems
• Sigmund Freud's and the Development of Personality


  Mind, self, and personality develop together

  Psychoanalysis: Techniques for treating emotional problems through long-term exploration on the subconscious mind
• Freud's Theory of 3 Elements


  • Id: Born with it, Driven by pleasure and need for immediate gratification, Limited/suppressed by the needs of others
  • Ego: The balancing force between id and the demands of society, The balancing force between id and superego
  • Superego: Conscience, the moral component of the personality, Provokes feelings of guilt, shame, pride, self-satisfaction, The culture within us (norms and values we internalize)
• Kohlberg and the Development of Morality


  Selfishness later turns into consideration
• Kohlberg's Theory (Stages of Developing Morality)


  • Amoral Stage – <7 years: No right or wrong, There are only needs to be met
  • Preconventional Stage – 7-10 years: Learned roles and follow them to stay out of trouble, Their "right and wrongs" are limited to what pleases or displeases their parents
  • Conventional Stage – ~10 years: Morality = following norms and values learned
  • Postconventional Stage – ~>10 years: Reflect on abstract principles of right and wrong, Judge people based off these principles
• Criticisms of Kohlberg: Only studied boys, Women were found to more likely evaluate morality in terms of personal relationships, No universal way to figure out what is moral
• Research on Babies: Even babies have morality
• The Cultural Relativity of Morality


  Morality is "capacity hardwired" in the brain, Society lays particular ideas on what is moral to a child, Morality differs per location or culture
• Socialization into Emotions


  Global Emotions: Paul Ekman's universal emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise)

  Facial expressions are clear tools to tell or read emotions, Inherent – people who have been blind from birth even make the same expressions
• Expressing Emotions: Following "Feeling Rules"

  • Facial expressions are biological, The sociological aspect comes in with the use of bodies, voices, and gestures to show our feelings

  Gender Rules: Women are allowed to scream in glee, men are allowed to show brief emotions

  Culture: Different cultures may have different rules or norms

  Social Class: May determine how much emotion you are permitted to show

  Relationships: Closeness determines how open you can be with you emotions
• What We Feel


  Socialization also affects what we feel, Different cultures may have different norms that make you feel different things even in similar situations
• Society Within Us: The Self and Emotions as Social Control

  Goal of Socialization = make us into conforming members of society, Both self and emotions mold our behavior, Expectations mold our behaviors, Social Mirror: Sets up internal controls for you behavior, The result of your being socialized into self and emotions
• Socialization is essential for our development as humans, We learn how to think, reason, and feel from our interactions, Cultural standards shape our behavior
• Socialization Into Gender


  Gender is a major foundation or signpost, Expected attitudes by general society and by specific cultures, Gender Map – judged into "lanes"
• Gender Messages in the Family

  • Parents: First to introduce us into the Gender Map, Can consciously or subconsciously reinforce the Gender Map

  Toys and Play: Boys = action figures & rough play, Girls = dolls & playing house

  Gay and Lesbian Parents: Children usually portray less stereotypes
• Gender Messages from Peers


  • They teach each other what it means to be male or female, Makeup, muscles, language, humor, media, etc.
• Gender Messages in Mass Media

  • TV, Movies and, Cartoons: Males usually outnumber female characters, Typical stereotypes about each, Actors usually have the "preferred" body for their gender role
  • Videogames: Male dominance in terms of characters, Some nowadays are more inclusive
  • Advertising: Boys = outdoor, sporty activities, action figures, Girls = indoor, passive activities, dolls
• "Male" and "Female" are powerful symbols
• Agents of Socialization


  Individuals and groups that influence our orientation
• The Family


  • Establish your initial motivations, values, beliefs, Basic sense of self
• Social Class and Type of Work


  • Working-class Parents = "stay out of trouble", Usually influenced by their job being told what to do

  Middle-class Parents = "develop curiosity, self-expression, and control", Usually influenced by the fact their jobs require more critical thinking
• Social Class and Play


  • Working-class Parents = "They develop naturally, play as long as you don't get into danger" – Wildflower

  Middle-class parents = "They need lots of guidance, play to accomplish something" – Houseplants
• The Neighborhood


  • Children from Poor Neighborhoods = more likely to get in trouble, get pregnant, dropout

  Children in Better Neighborhoods = less crime, stronger bonds, and more support groups
• Religion


  • Does not only affect the "religious", Where they learn doctrine, values, and morality, Religious Participation can lead to a sense of belonging, sense of identity
• Daycare


  • (Low Quality Care) + (More Time in Daycare) = Worse academics and behavior

  (High Quality Care) + (Less Time in Daycare) = Better academics and behavior
• The School


  • Manifest Function (Intended Purpose): To teach knowledge and skills

  Latent Function (Unintended Consequences): Develops a broader perspective, Learns universality – some rules applying to everyone

  Hidden Curriculum: Cultural messages, Examples: Patriotism, democracy, justice, honestly

  Corridor Curriculum: Students teaching each other, Examples: Racism, sexism, coolness
• Peer Groups


  • "Conformity or rejection", Separate groups form their own "worlds", Most likely mirroring your peers