1.1 The process of learning and socialization Flashcards
One key feture in defining society
People see themselves as having something in common with others in their society and, by extension, they consider themselves different from people in other societies
Different societies involve two types of space:
1) Physical space, marked by a physical border or a non-physical border
2) Mental space, which separates people based on the beliefs they have about the similarities they share about people in their society and the differneces from people in other societies
Societies are mentally constructed by:
- geographic borders that set physical boundaries
- a system of government
- common language, customs and traditions that people share
- a sense of belonging and identification that develops the view that our society is different from other societies
customs
established and accepted cultural practices and behaviors
culture
the way of life of a particular group of people, taught and learnt through socialization
socialization
the process through which people learn the various forms of behavior that go with membership of a culture
social construction
the idea that our perception of what is real is created through a variety of historical and cultural processes, rather than something that is fixed and naturally occurring
Two basic parts of cultures:
1) Material culture involves physical objects that society produces that show cultural knowledge, skills and interests
2) Non-material culture consists of the knowledge and beliefs of a culture, including religious and scientific beliefs, as well as the meanings given to material objects
All cultures are constructed from the same basic materials:
roles, values and norms
roles
expected patterns of behavior expected with each position that we hold
values
beliefs or ideas that are important to the people who hold them, a belief about how something should be
norms
socially acceptable ways of behaving in different roles
Roles are a building block of culture for two reasons:
1) They are always played in relation to other roles. They demand both social interactions and that people are aware of others. Roles help people develop the ability to form groups and communities
2) Every role has a name or label. This name identifies a particular role and carries with it a sense of how people are expected to behave in a situation.
anomie
a situation in which people are unable to predict the bahevior of others because the system of norms and values is not being followed
beliefs
important, deep-rooted ideas that shape our values. All values express a belief, but not every belief expresses a value. They are more general behavioral guidelines that include ideas, opinions, views and attitudes.
Arguments for ‘nature’ in socialization
Genetics suggest that behavior may be guided by instincts based on biological instructions that can be seen as part of ‘human nature’.
Instincts are fixed human features. These are things we are born knowing and our cultural environment plays little or no role in the development of these instincts.
‘Nature’ gives us strong hints about behavioral rules, but people are free to ignore those hints.
Arguments for ‘nurture’ in feral children
When children are raised without human contact they fail to show social and physical development like an ordinarily raised child.
If human behavior is instinctive it’s not clear why feral children develop so differently than children raised with human contact.
It’s expected that feral children will return to normal once back in human society, but that’s not the case.
social control
Ways in which members of society are made to conform to norms and values.
Linked to the idea that human behavior involves a life-long process of a rule-learning, built on sanctions.
sanctions
ways of rewarding or punishing acceptable or unacceptable behavior; usually used in the sense of punishments
socialization is a form of social control as it…
involves limiting the range of behaviors open to individuals
agencies of socialization/social control
The social institutions and groups, such as family and the media, which influence behavior by providing guidance, examples and sanctions
agencies of primary socialization
family and peers
family as an agency of socialization
Parents shape both our basic and moral values. Sanctions are mainly informal, with positive sanctions including facial expressions, verbal approval and physical rewards. Negative sanctions range from showing disapproval through language to physical punishment.
Functionalist view on primary socialization
As a one-way process that passes from adults to children. However, children are also actively involved in negotiating their socialization
peers as an agency of socialization
Peers can be considered primary agencies of socialization because we usually choose friends of a similar age and our personal interaction with them influences our behavior. Also because they may be used as a reference group
subcultures
A culture within a larger culture. They usually develop their own norms and values.
agencies of secondary socialization
school, religious organizations and the new media
education involves two kinds of curriculum
- the formal curriculum (the subjects, knowledge and skills that children are explicitly taught in school)
- a hidden curriculum (the things we learn from the experience of attending school)
