Ch. 3 Socialization Flashcards
Social Environment
the entire human environment, including interaction with others
Feral children
children assumed to have been raised by animals, in the wilderness, isolated from humans
What is key to human development?
language
Why is language the key to human development?
Without it people have no way of developing thoughts and communicating their experiences
What is the key to what people become?
culture
What is the Skeels/Dye experiment?
- 13 mentally disabled children were put in an institution for low iq women
- 12 were placed in an orphanage
- The conclusion was that socialization played a huge role in the development of children
What conclusions could we draw from Genie’s case
there is a developmental window in which it is crucial that children have socialization and after that window is passed, they can not be rehabilitated
How does society make us human?
Without society, babies do not develop naturally and dont progress past a “big” animal
Socialization
the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group
Explain how feral, isolated, and institutionalized children help us understand that society makes us human
In all of the above populations, when shielded from isolation they were mentally and physically impaired. Even though they were physically impaired, if they were rehabilitated during the developmental window, they were able to at least somewhat recover from their trauma. If this window was missed, they were not able to be rehabilitated
What did Charles Cooley conclude?
- producing a sense of self is an essential part of how society makes us human
- sense of self develops from interaction from others
- developed the looking-glass self
Looking-glass self
- we imagine how we appear to those around us
- we interpret others reactions
- we develop a self-concept
Use the ideas of Cooley to explain socialization into the self and mind
People gain a sense of self through interacting with others. When interacting with others we imagine how we appear to others and care about there opinions of us. Even if we guess these things wrong, it still becomes part of who we believe we are
What were Mead’s ideas?
- When we play with others we learn to take the role of the other
- We develop this over a period of years
- “I” is the self as a subject and the “Me” is the self as object
Who are the only people we can take the role of when we are younger?
significant others: parents, siblings, etc.
Generalized other
the norms, values, attitudes, and expectations of people in general; a child’s ability to take the role of the generalized other is a significant step in development
What is Mead’s 3 stages?
- imitation
- play
- team games
What occurs in the imitation stage?
- under 3 years of age
- mimic others
- no sense of self separate from others
What occurs in the play stage?
- 3-6
- We begin to take the roles of specific people; firefighter, Disney princess, etc.
What occurs in the team games stage?
- begins when we enter school
- we are able to take multiple roles
What can we conclude from Mead’s ideas?
both of our minds and self are social products
Use the ideas of Mead to explain socialization into the self and mind
Mead largely believed that both the self and mind were a social product. There were three stages in which we learn to “take the role of one another” which helps to gain a sense of self and mind.
What were Piaget’s ideas?
- children go through natural processes as they develop their ability to reason
- 4 stages
What are Piaget’s 4 stages?
- Sensorimotor
- Preoperational
- Concrete Operational
- Formal Operational Stage
Sensorimotor stage
- birth to age two
- limited to direct contact, we cannot think
- cannot recognize cause and effect
Preoperational stage
- age 2 to 7
- we develop the ability to use symbols
- we do not understand concepts such as size, speed, or causation
Concrete Operational stage
- age 7 to 12
- we can understand numbers, size, causation, speed, etc.
- we can take the role of the other and play team games
- still cannot understand the concepts such as truth and justice
Formal Operational stage
- after age 12
- capable of abstract thinking
Use Piagets ideas to explain socialization into the self and mind.
Piaget used the four stages to convey the idea that different parts of the self and mind are developed at different times
What are criticisms on Piaget’s ideas?
the stages that he introduced are not as distinct as he thought
What were Freud’s ideas?
- founded psychoanalysis
- id, ego, super ego
Id
the inborn drive that causes us to seek self-gratification
Ego
The ego is the balancing force between the id and demands of society
Superego
The norms and values we internalize from parts of our social groups
What is Freud’s idea of an emotionally healthy individual?
the ego succeeds in balancing these conflicting demands of the id and superego
What do scientists object about Freud’s ideas?
they dont believe that inborn and subconscious motivations are the primary reason for human behavior
What are Kohlberg’s ideas?
- We go through stages as we develop morality
What are Kohlberg’s 4 morality stages?
- amoral stage
- pre-conventional stage
- conventional stage
- post-conventional stage
Amoral stage
- no right and wrong
- need to be personally satisfied
Preconventional stage
- ages 7-10
- learn rules and know how to stay out of trouble
- right or wrong is what please or displeases their parents and peers
- get rewards, avoid punishment
Conventional stage
- age 10
- morality means following norms and values learned
Postconventional stage
- able to reflect on abstract concepts of right and wrong
- able to judge people’s behaviors
What is a criticism of Kohlburg’s ideas?
Other cultures do not have a postconventional stage or universal reasoning
What are Ekman’s ideas?
- socialization is not relevant to our emotions, biology is
- we all have the same 6 expressions
What study seems to prove Ekman’s ideas?
People who were blind from birth exhibited the same facial expressions as did those who were not blind
Social mirror
the result of your socialization in yourself and emotions
Gender
the behaviors and attitudes that a society considers proper for its males and females
Gender socialization
learning society’s gender map, the paths set out for us because we are male or female
What is the relationship between gender messages and the family?
Parents are often the first people to introduce you to gender. Either through differing actions between male and female babies, clothing, toys, colors
Peer group
a group of individuals who are linked by common interests and orientations
How do peer groups reinforce gender roles?
- girls reinforce images of appearance and behavior appropriate for girls
- boys police one another’s interests and ways of discussing their sexuality and violence
How does the family aid in socialization?
- they have influence over schools, religion, peers, activities, neighborhoods
- family decides social class
How does social class effect socialization?
middle and upper class families are able to have a close connection
How does religion affect socialization?
Judeo-christian values are still very prevalent in society although 20%+ of Americans do not identify with a religion
How does day care effect socialization?
- children enrolled in day-care have less of a connection with their mothers and tend to be less cooperative in kindergarten and are more likely to have academic difficulties later in life than children not enrolled
Manifest functions
intended purposes
Latent functions
unintended consequences
Anticipatory socialization
mental rehearsal for the career
Ongoing socialization
the job becomes a part of the self-concept
Total institution
people are cut off from the rest of society
Degradation cermeonies
strip people of their identity
How much of our human characteristics come from nature and how much from nurture?
language and intimate social interaction are aspects of nurture and are essential to the development of human characteristics
How do we acquire a self?
We are born with the ability to develop a self but it most be socially constructed. Cooley believes this is through how others view us and Mead believes we learn this through taking the roles of others.
How do children develop reasoning skills?
Piaget developed four stages to hypothesize this
how do people develop morality?
- seems that morality is inborn
- Kohlberg created 4 stages to understand this
How does socialization influence emotion?
socialization into emotions is one of the means by which society produces conformity
How does gender socialization affect our sense of self?
- controls human behavior
- children receive messages about gender even when they are younger
What are the major agents of socialization
- family, neighborhoods, religion, day care, school, peer groups, mass media, and the workplace
Does socialization end when we reach adulthood?
no, it lasts a life time
Are we prisoners of socialization?
No we are not the sum of our socialization experiences
