Topic 3 - how do we learn to be social? Flashcards
Introduction?
Sociologists assert that humans learn culturally appropriate behaviors through socialization, which starts at birth and continues throughout life. This process involves various methods that teach individuals how to meet cultural expectations.
Talcott parsons and socalisation?
One of the early influential American sociologists, he argued that socialization is the process through which individuals learn and internalize their culture, norms, and values. He believed this learning shapes specific beliefs and behaviors, becoming integral to personality development. He identified three stages of socialization.
Primary socalisation?
In the primary stage of socialization, a child learns beliefs and values from their immediate family, adopting the expectations set by their parents.
Secondary socalisation?
In the secondary stage of socialization, a child learns societal expectations beyond the home, gaining insights from agencies such as peer groups, education, mass media, and religious organizations.
Tertiary socialisation?
Adult socialization occurs when individuals adapt to new situations, such as becoming parents, changing jobs, or coping with illness or retirement.
2 elements of socalisation?
formal and informal
Formal socialisation?
This process involves deliberate manipulation to ensure individuals learn and follow specific rules, often occurring through education, where children are taught to obey authority figures like family, schools, police, government, and religion.
Informal socalisation?
This informal process involves individuals learning to fit into their culture by observing and imitating those around them, understanding acceptable behavior and their societal roles. Parsons believed unusual behavior indicated poor socialization within the family, overlooking the possibility that individuals might knowingly choose to defy social norms for personal reasons.
Agents of socalisation?
Agencies of socialization are social groups or organizations that transmit cultural norms and values, teaching us the expected rules of society. Examples include:
Family
Education
Mass media
Peer groups
Religion
Work
Legal systems
Penal system (prisons)
Aims of family socalisation?
Family socialization is intentional, with parents teaching children to become functioning members of society by passing on various social skills. The five key skills are:
Family and habitus?
Pierre Bourdieu, a French Marxist sociologist, argued that children learn behaviors and perceptions from their families, which share similar social backgrounds and ethnicities. This results in a distinctive habitus, characterized by shared accents, manners, and thought patterns, creating a familiar social environment.
The family as an agent of primary socalisation?
The family imparts essential social attitudes, norms, and values to children during primary socialization. Feminist research highlights how children develop their identities and learn gender roles within the family. Children acquire social skills by imitating their parents, learning behaviors related to eating, bodily control, and appropriate communication.
Role models?
Children imitate their role models, often encouraged to emulate the same-sex parent. For example, girls may receive domestic toys and learn behaviors associated with their mothers.
Sanction?
Children are punished for inappropriate behavior and praised for acceptable behavior. For instance, a boy displaying “unacceptably feminine” traits may be pressured to conform to typical male behavior, facing teasing or rejection for non-masculine actions.
Expectations?
Boys may develop better spatial skills than girls because parents often expect them to excel in sports and engage more in physical play.
