Socialisation Flashcards
what is socialisation?
the process of influencing people so that they join society and share its norms and values
what is explicit socialisation?
people know what they are doing
what is implicit socialisation?
people not consciously aware of it eg. dad takes son to football match
what is internalise socialisation?
forget we were taught it
what is primary socialisation?
influence of parents from when you are born till around 5 years of age
eg. learning to walk, talk, use of potty, eat food correctly and restrain antisocial impulses, religious traditions
what is secondary socialisation?
later influence of other people on norms/values eg. teachers how to behave, youth leaders, employers, peer group, media - tv, internet, video games
key study - talcott parsons
talcott parsons 1959 nuclear family is ideal for socialising children and re-socialising adults through responsibilities
- instrumental role for men - go out and work
- expressive role for women - nurturing, caring and emotional
- he describes families as ‘personality factories’ –> family is where your personality is emerged
but he recognises that families pass on particularistic values specific to family - specific attitudes + priorities that the family has - their way of doing things
- important for children to acquire universalistic values from school
eg. to respect authority
key study - margaret mead 1935
sex and temperament in 3 primitive societies 1935
arapesh people: gentle + cooperative
mundugumour: violent + aggresive
tchambuli: traditional gender roles reversed
- evidence for social constructivist view - socialisation can construct any kind of culture
EVAL of socialisation - functionalist view
functionalist - positive view
- sees it as vial for transmitting culture and social solidarity (sense of belonging)
- also stabilises personalities = opposes anomie
- without proper socialisation we become confused, unhappy, criminal, destructive
- socialisation for funcs is a source of social order
BUT
- people can be socialised into nasty norms/values as well eg. bigotry people aren’t born as bigots = harmful traditions get passed on too like hitler youth formed to pass on nazi values
EVAL of socialisation - marxist view
critical of socialisation see it as a source of ruling class ideology
Eli Zaretsky 1976 - agrees with parsons that family socialises children but not for benefit of children themselves but for the benefit of capitalist bosses
- the sons are socialised into imitating father’s unquestioning and obedience to ruling class
- daughters imitate their mothers by helping their husband be a good worker
EVAL of socialisation - feminist view
critical of socialisation source of patriarchal ideology
Ann Oakley 1982: girls and boys are socialised differently
- boys are given freedom, encouraged to be assertive
- girls are controlled, encouraged to be compliant
role of social construction or biology?
eg. are gender roles partly influenced by biological sex –> can raise child to be feminine or masculine of does biological sex make difference
functionalist - oppose social constructivism - biology matters and some socialisation works better than others
socialisation or free will (issue)?
issue of free will - socialisation seem to say that everything about who we grow up to be is decided for us by the socialisation process
- some people do turn out, other’s don’t they resist the socialisation
- LINKS to interactionism
