Chapter 3 Socialization

By: Jarrett Hurms

Section 1The Importance of Socialization

Socialization & Personality

• All human social behavior we consider normal or natural is learned.

• Socialization-the process of learning to participate in a group.

• Socialization begins at birth and continues throughout life.

• Enables people to fit in to all kinds of social groups.

• Exampleo High school freshman, high school seniors

Socialization & Personality

• Most important learning occurs early in life.• Without prolonged and intensive social contact,

children do not learn the basics (walking, talking, love).

• Without socialization human infants cannot develop attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors.

How do we know Socialization is Important?• There have been test conducted

with human’s closets relative … monkeys!

How do Monkeys React to Social Isolation?

• Harry Harlow• Devised an experiment that showed negative

effects of social isolation on monkeys.• Experiment:

o One group was separated from their mothers at birth and exposed to two artificial mothers (wire dummies that were the same size and shape)

o One substitute mother was exposed and the other had fuzzy cloth.o Monkeys choose soft fuzzy mothers over wiry rough one.o Even when scared they ran to cloth mother for protection.

How do Monkeys React to Social Isolation

• Harry showed that infant monkeys much like infant humans need intimacy, warmth, physical contact and comfort.

• Monkeys raised in isolation (by themselves) provided distressed, hostile, and withdrawn.

• As mothers they rejected or ignored their young.

Can we Generalize from Monkeys to Humans?

• Many experts believe that human infants and monkey infants are remarkably similar in their emotional needs and physical needs.

• Human babies that are denied close contact usually have difficulty forming emotional ties with others.

• Touching, stroking, holding, and communication tend to be essential to normal human development.

Section 2Socialization & the Self

How does the Functionalist Perspective Explain

Socialization?• Functionalism stresses the ways in which

groups work together to create a stable society.o Schools and family socialize children by teaching them norms,

values, and beliefs.

How does the Conflict Perspective Explain

Socialization?• The conflict perspective views socialization

as a way of perpetuating the status quo.o Status quo-to maintain the status quo is to keep the things the

way they presently are.

• Socialization maintains the social, political, and economic advantages of higher social class.

How does the Symbolic

Interactionists Explain

Socialization?• Uses a number of key concepts to describe

socialization.• Examples:

o The self-concepto The looking-glass selfo Significant otherso Role takingo Generalizing others

• Human nature is a product of society and socialization is not biologically established.

How does the Media Influence Socialization?

• Functionalist:o Network television programs encourage social integration by exposing

the entire society to shared beliefs, values, and norms.

• Conflict Theorist:o Newspaper owners and editors exercise power by setting the political

agenda for a community.

• Symbolic Interactionists:o Words, pictures, and children's books expose the young to the

meaning of love, manners, and motherhood.

Socialization ConceptsThe Self Concept The Looking-Glass Self

• Self concept-image of yourself as having an identity separate from other people.

• Charles Horton Cooley discovered the self-concept.

• The looking-glass self-self concept based on our idea of other's judgments of us.

• Charles Horton Cooley discovered the looking-glass self.

• We use others as mirrors to reflect back at what we imagine what they think of us.

• 3 stage process:o 1st we imagine how we appear to others.o 2nd we imagine the reaction of others to our

appearance.o 3rd we evaluate ourselves according to how we

imagine how others have judged us.

• This is not a conscious process, it remains in all our minds.

• The 3 step process occurs too rapidly for us to even know we are using it.

The Looking-Glass Self

Self 1

Easily Distracted

Critical

Past & Future Oriented

Critiquing

This is what the looking-

glass self is in with self 1

and self 2.

Role Taking• Role taking-assuming the viewpoint of another

person and using that viewpoint to shape the self-concept.

• Through internal conversations we can imagine the thoughts, actions, and emotions of others.

• Putting yourself in someone else's shoes.

How does Role Taking Develop?

• 3 Stage Process• Imitation stage:

o Children begin to imitate behaviors without understanding why.o George Herbert Meado Begins at 11/2-2 years of age.o Can imitate physical and verbal behaviors.o 1st step in developing the capacity for role taking,

How does Role Taking Develop?

Play Stage Game Stage• Develops around age 3-4.• Children can be seen

playing as "mother, father, police officer, fireman, etc."

• This play involves acting and thinking as a child imagines.

• Stage during which children take on roles of others at one time.

• Children anticipate the actions of others based on social rules.

• More sophisticated role taking.

• Develop capacity to have multiple characters at the same time.

• Play involves others.

Section 3Agents of Socialization

The Family & Socialization

• Child's first experience to the world occurs within the family.

• Within the family the child learns:o Think and speako Internalize norms, beliefs, and valueso Form some basic attitudeso Develop a capacity for intimate and personal relationshipso Acquire a self-image

• Family social class shapes what we think of ourselves and how others treat us.

Socialization in Schools

• Rewards and punishments are based on performance rather than affection.

• Teacher evaluates students by objective standards while a mother may judge a child with love.

• Children are taught to be less dependent emotionally on their parents.

How do Schools Socialize Students?

• Hidden curriculum:o Underlying formal goals of the school.o Informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in

preparation for life.

Family & Schools in

SocializationWhat’s the difference

between socialization in

the two images