Chapters 5 & 9 - Socialization and Deviance

Question 1

People behaving predictable ways based on nature versus nurture, describe aspects of both concepts.

Answer 1

Nature

• People born with instinctual characteristics.For example:
• Males more competitive, females more cooperative
• Males more rational, females more emotional
• Criminals are going bad
• Characteristics are innate and unchanging
• Based on heredity

Nurture

• People learn how to behave
• Characteristics are acquired
• Characteristics are malleable (Can be changed)
• Based on upbringing

Question 2

Socialization: the nurture perspective

• Our patterns of behavior are learned
• Socialization is the process of this learning
• Technical knowledge: how to do stuff
• Normative knowledge: What is right and wrong
• Interpretive knowledge: How other people will interpret what we do
• People are intrinsically social creatures. Getting along in groups is one of the core skills we require to function

Question 3

what is the one complicating factor for socialization?

Answer 3

• Humans almost always living groups but the groups are different
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Age
• Occupation
• Religion
• Idiosyncratic interest
• Etc. Etc. Etc.
• Almost all people get socialize, but to particular patterns. These may or may not fit where someone ends up at a particular time

Question 4

Where does socialization occur?

Answer 4

• The family
• the school system
• peer groups
• Mass media