Chapter 4: Socialization & The Construction of Reality

Question 0

What is the primary (Social Agents) in socialization?

Answer 0

The Family

Question 1

What is (Socialization), & when does one realize its limits?

Answer 1

(Learning & Internalizing Aspects of one’s Culture, Norms, etc), aka learning how 2 act/respond in social events/situations, this process starts from the time U R born & continues 4 the rest of your life eg, girls R put in pink blankets, & boys in blue, limits R realized when one finds themselves in a new situation, thus they have no way of knowing how 2 respond

Question 2

What r some (Secondary Agents) of socialization?

Answer 2

1) School
2) Friends
3) Media
4) Religion, etc

Question 3

Describe the (Turning Test)?

Answer 3

Named after the scientist that invented it, it’s when a person is asked 2 engage in 2 conversations at same time one with a human the other with a computer, the job of the computer is 2 make U believe you’re talking 2 real person, no computer has passed the test 4 a long time

Question 4

Who is in charge of doing the (Socialization)?

Answer 4

The family unit is first in charge, but as the child grows, the school system plays a major role

Question 5

What does it mean 4 humans 2 have (Agency)?

Answer 5

It means by law we have 2 do certain things, that said we still have the right 2 make the choice if we choose 2 follow said laws

Question 6

Explain the difference between (Me, Self, I, & Other)?

Answer 6

1) Me: The self as a unique object, perceived by others, & I, this happens via (Social Interaction)
2) Self: The ability 2 put self in another’s shoes, & see how they see U
3) I: One’s sense of agency, action, or power
4) The Other: Someone/something other than self

Question 7

How do children learn 2 move beyond self?

Answer 7

The act of (Imitating, Play, & Games) start the process of realizing others, eg when kids play (Peekaboo) because they can’t see U when they close their eyes they believe U can’t see them either, this is due 2 their inability 2 understand (Other), yet through social interaction they learn that U R still there, as they get older, & play cops & robbers, they realize if there’re the cop than U the other is the robber, from here we move 2 games, which involve a more complex understanding of others

Question 8

Why would soccer be a good game 4 children 2 learn 2 play?

Answer 8

More than just foot 2 eye coordination it requires (A Theory of Social Behavior), aka knowing how others R likely 2 react, we learn this based on repeated experiences of trial & error

Question 9

What is meant by the (Generalized Other), what does it lead 2?

Answer 9

It’s the last stage of the socialization process, when one is completely socialize they realize the (Norms) learned at home apply not just 2 family & friends, but 2 those outside the home as well, recognizing the generalized other helps shape our behavior

Question 10

What happens if the (Socialized Other) concept is not cultivated?

Answer 10

It could lead to embarrassment, eg if your not aware talking over others is considered rude, thus if it’s not corrected at home, U will go outside the home & do the same thing

Question 11

What is one of the most important aspects of going 2 a private school?

Answer 11

The social networking it allows one 2 do, thus U start early getting ready 4 your future

Question 12

How do peers act as (Socialization Agents)?

Answer 12

Peers can help (Reinforce) socialization started at home, there R still expected norms one must follow even while hanging out with friends, aka (Peer Pressure), most acts done by kids good or bad is usually due 2 peer pressure, thus friends have strong influence over what other kids do, even more so than parents in some cases

Question 13

How does the media act as a (Socialization Agent)?

Answer 13

TV can help reinforce the same lessons taught by parents, eg Sesame Street, was made 4 low income kids who couldn’t afford daycare or preschool

Question 14

Explain (Adult Socialization)?

Answer 14

This is when one learns 2 do their job, some take longer 2 learn than others, your earlier socialization skills learned from parents, school, etc help make learning easier

Question 15

What is (Re-socialization)?

Answer 15

An intense from of socialization, it’s in a way like dealing with culture shock, in that U have been use 2 doing thing a certain way, but now things R significantly different, eg going abroad 2 school, etc

Question 16

Describe the term (Total Institution)?

Answer 16

It’s a situation where the institution one finds themselves in dictates most facets of daily life, eg military, jail, monastery, etc, here all prior socialization is striped away & a person is (Re-socialized)

Question 17

Why is (Re-socialization) in the military important, & how does it work?

Answer 17

It’s important because soldiers R taught to kill, which is something they were taught 2 never do when growing up, they are put in situations when they are both physically and mentally taxed, they are separated from their normal environment and culture and put in situations where the only right answer is to agree with the branch of service they are training under

Question 18

Explain the difference between (Status, Role, Role Strain, Role Conflict, Status Set, Ascribed Status, Achieved Status, Master Status)?

Answer 18

1) Status: A position held by someone in a social setting, eg teacher, manager, cook, etc
2) Role: The duties & behavior that come along with having status
3) Role Strain: The burden felt by one to keep or maintain their role
4) Role Conflict: The burden of having to live up to 2 or more roles involving status, eg U have a sick child, yet U need 2 grade papers, role conflict is different then roll strain
5) Status Set: The totality of all the statuses one has, eg I’am a father, a husband, a college student, an employee etc.
6) Ascribed Status: The status one is born with, aka involuntary status, eg race, sex, etc
7) Achieved Status: The status one earns, aka voluntary status, eg psychologist, doctor, etc
8) Master Status: The one status that stands out in a group of status roles, this status can be ascribed or achieved, eg although a black man may be a business owner, politician, teacher, doctor, etc. their master status will be they are a black man

Question 19

What is it about (Master Status) that can be a positive?

Answer 19

The level of achievement mastered in order to get to this level master status, eg an expert in one’s chosen field

Question 20

What can be the burden of having a master status?

Answer 20

If we begin to internalize some of the things that make up one’s master status, we may begin 2 adopt that outlook of others into our own self-concepts

Question 22

In understanding how institutions socialize us, the key is to understand (Role theory) what is the main part of role theory?

Answer 22

(Status) which is a position held by someone in a social setting, that person has a (Role) they must play which they should be equipped 2 play, aka have the credentials 4 that particular role, when that person feels they are being stretched too thin, aka they must keep up on all current events regarding that role they can experience (Role Strain)

Question 23

What (Gender Roles)?

Answer 23

Norms or expectations set by society and culture that suggests how to different genders should behave

Question 24

What are two things that start at a very young age in helping to socialize children?

Answer 24

The toys they own, & the fashion in which they play helps to socialize children

Question 25

What R 2 ways that we go about (Socially Constructing) our reality?

Answer 25

1) Look at a society’s values norms culture etc. over a long period of time and see how if any it has changed
2) Look at two different cultures in the same time period

Question 26

What does it mean to say something is (Socially Constructed)?

Answer 26

The idea of something being socially constructed it has to do with (Symbolic Interactionisim), which is when people of a group or society share the same culture symbols language etc, thus it’s when a society gets together and assigns a meaning to something and the rest of the people in the society except that meaning

Question 27

What are the three basic tenets of some (Symbolic Interactionisim)?

Answer 27

1) We act toward ideas, values, traditions, etc. based on the meaning they have to us
2) These meanings we adopt R the product of one’s social interaction in one’s society
3) These meanings R (Modified and Filtered) via an interpretive process that each individual uses dealing with outward signs

Question 28

What is the (Symbolic Interactionisim Theory), & what is it good for?

Answer 28

It’s a theory that suggest that we interact with each other using words, behavior, etc that have a (Symbolic Meaning) 2 them, it’s good for understanding cultural differences and the way in which different cultures interact in social settings

Question 29

Explain the (Dramaturgical Theory) made famous by Erving Goffman?

Answer 29

This is the analogy that life is but a play and we are all (Actors) that play a particular role in the play of life, with full script, costumes etc, when someone (Deviates) from the script, costume, ert of their particular role, it can be unsettling, in Goffman’s theory the play called life has a (Moral) a.k.a. (impression Management), thus all us actors are trying to make the best impression we can on our audience

Question 30

Describe the difference between (Front Stage and Backstage) having to do with Goffman’s theory?

Answer 30

This means that there is a clear distinction between the front stage and backstage of a theater, to put it in a real-life scenario in a restaurant the front stage would be where people eat and the waiter would take their order, the waiter would have to be all smiles and polite even if the customer is giving him a hard time, yet when he goes back into the kitchen he might complain how much of a jerk the customers are to his co-workers, yet he must re-enter the scene all smiles as if the customer is always right, aka impression management

Question 31

What is the most important goal of (Impression Management)?

Answer 31

To save (Face), which is the esteem that others hold you in, this is usually lost when one is caught in a back stage situation

Question 32

What is meant by saying that (Socialization) flows both ways in a family?

Answer 32

With technology constantly changing its often not only the parents teaching the kid how 2 act or what 2 do, but the kids R teaching the parents also, eg computers, I-pads, etc, also kids of immigrants take on the role of teaching parents about norms in U.S.

Question 33

Explain (Ethnomethodology), & the breaching experiment?

Answer 33

Means the method of the people, this theory focuses on the way humans interact and make sense of the world, how they convey this understanding to others, & produce a shared order, the breaching experiment is when you purposely breach social norms and 2 see how people react

Question 34

What happens when we face a new social situation in which we have no social script to follow?

Answer 34

You might be able to call on past experiences that are similar to the situation you find yourself in

Question 35

How has the Internet changed or created new social situations between people?

Answer 35

Communicating on the Internet is different than communicating in person or even over the phone you can’t tell voice inflections via the Internet, thus you’ll miss out on both verbal and visual cues that you use to help determine a person’s attitude, you also have to be careful of cyber crime which a something shouldn’t have to worry about in the past potentially buying stolen goods on line

Question 36

Name the different styles that middle vs working/poor people use 2 socialize their children?

Answer 36

1) Middle Class: use (Concerted Cultivation) which consist of structured activities, children learn critical thinking skills, how 2 manage schedules, how 2 deal with adults, etc, stress (Independence & Self-Direction)
2) Working/Poor Class: Focus on (Accomplishments of Natural Growth), which means they decide how they want 2 structure their free time, stress (Obedience & External-Authority)

Question 37

What is it about (Statuses and Roles) that we all have?

Answer 37

They all change over time, eg when you started college your status change from being a senior back to being the new kid at a school

Question 38

Generally speaking how do (Social Interactions) begin?

Answer 38

With an (Opening) which signals the other person/people that the interaction is about 2 start

Question 39

What is (Civil Inattention)?

Answer 39

It’s when one waits 2 interact until one signals that they R ready 2 have an interaction with them

Question 40

What is the major point in the debate between (Nature vs Nurture)?

Answer 40

Dose our genetic makeup or our social interaction make us who we R, sociology believes social interaction, thus (Nurture) is more important, both play a role in developing self

Question 41

What R ( Given Off Gestures)?

Answer 41

They R (Sub-Conscious) signals of our true feelings, thus if someone is talking 2 U & U really don’t want 2 talk 2 them U would glance at your at your watch or reach 4 your phone, etc, but if U really needed 2 leave & looked at your watch it doesn’t apply