Ch. 4: Socialization and the Life Course Flashcards
What is socialization?
The process by which human beings learn the social expectations of society
Why is socialization significant for society?
Because not only does it allow people to conform to society, but it also gives people a basis for identity.
When does socialization most often occur?
During our interactions with each other
Describe the nature-nurture debate.
What makes us who we are? Is it inborn or learned behavior?
Define social control.
How groups and individuals are brought into conformity with expectations of the dominant culture
What are the consequences of socialization?
Establishes self-concepts, creates capactity for role-taking, creates tendency for people to act in socially acceptable ways, and makes people bearers of culture
Where does our uniqueness come from?
Different experiences, choices we make, resistence to some of society’s expectations
Name all the agents of socialization.
Family, media, peers, religion, sports, and schools
What are peers?
People with whom we interact on equal terms (ex. friends and fellow students)
What do sports tend to teach people?
They teach concepts of self that stay with them in their later lives
Sociologically, what do schools tend to teach children?
Roles and differences among people and gender differences/stereotypes
How does Freud’s psychoanalytic theory explain socialization?
The self is driven by unconcious drives and forces that interact with the expectations of society.
How does social learning theory explain socialization?
Identity is a learned response to social stimuli such as reward-punishment and role models
How does functionalism explain socialization?
It interprets socialization as key to social stability since it establishes shared roles and values.
How does conflict theory explain socialization?
Identity is shaped by patterns of inequality in society
