CHAPTER SIX SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Introduction to

CHAPTER SIX SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION • Socialization is the lifelong process through which people are prepared to participate in society • Sociologists are interested in socialization because, by studying how people learn the rules of society, they can understand why people think and act in different ways • The issue as to whether human behavior is chiefly a function of biology or socialization is called the nature-nurture debate Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SOCIOBIOLOGY AND THE NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE • Sociobiology is the study of the biological and genetic determinants of social behavior • Sociobiologists believe social behavior is a function of genetic traits and natural instincts • Sociologists criticize the sociobiological viewpoint on grounds that human behavior varies greatly from culture to culture Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE EFFECTS OF ISOLATION • Human infants are utterly helpless and must have human interaction to survive • Observations of children raised with little to no human contact show a lack of social contact early in life has strong negative long -term effects Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

FERAL CHILDREN • The importance of early socialization is evident in studies of feral children (i. e. , children raised in the wild) • These children cannot talk and do not learn language as adults • These children lack manners and act animalistic even after extensive therapy • Aveyron and Caldarar are two famous cases Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

CHILDREN IN INSTITUTIONS • Research on children placed in orphanages and other such institutions show that lack of social interaction early in life has negative effects on children • Two studies in particular underscore the salience of early socialization: – Skeels and Dye – Spitz Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN • Children who have been isolated from others in their own homes also show a lack of development • Even after being removed from the abusive situations, these children can only learn primitive communication skills and can never live a normal life in society • The cases of Isabelle, Anna, and Genie are illustrative Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

DEPRIVED MONKEYS • Psychologist Harry Harlow conducted studies on monkeys raised in captivity to determine how maternal deprivation affected their development • Harlow found that more than nourishment is needed for maternal attachment to occur Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

DEPRIVED MONKEYS (CONTINUED) • Harlow also found that monkeys kept in isolation for eight months or longer were unable to fit in with other monkeys afterwards • In the end, Harlow concluded that, if a baby monkey is isolated for three months or longer, he or she will be permanently unable to live a normal life with other monkeys Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF • How do we know who we are? • What factors contribute to the development of our identities? • Do we care what others think about us? • Scholars such as George Herbert Mead and Charles Horton Cooley contributed to the importance of early socialization on the individual Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD: MIND, SELF, AND SOCIETY • George Herbert Mead (1934) demonstrated that the unique feature of the human mind is its capacity to use symbols and he discussed how human development proceeds because of this ability • Role Taking: Significant and Generalized Others • The “I” and the “Me” Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

CHARLES HORTON COOLEY: THE LOOKING-GLASS SELF • Charles Horton Cooley (1864– 1929) theorized that the idea of the self develops in a process that requires reference to other people, a process called the looking-glass self • According to Cooley, the looking-glass self has three components: – How we think our behavior appears to others – How we think others judge our behavior – How we feel about their judgments Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ERVING GOFFMAN: THE PRESENTATION OF SELF • Erving Goffman (1959) was interested in the process of interaction once a self has been developed • The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life • Goffman compared social interaction to a drama on stage—a comparison known as the dramaturgical approach • According to Goffman, once we have presented ourselves in a certain role, we need to maintain our presentation Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ERVING GOFFMAN (CONTINUED) • Moreover, when we do make a faux pas, we immediately try to account for it or excuse the misrepresentation Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ERVING GOFFMAN’S DRAMATURGY • According to Goffman, most social interaction is a negotiation between people about how the situation is being defined. • Why is the definition of a situation so important in determining how we act? Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ERVING GOFFMAN’S DRAMATURGY (CONTINUED) • How we manipulate the definition of situation: • “expressions given” • “expressions given off” • performer • Audience • Front region/stage • Back region/stage Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

ERVING GOFFMAN’S DRAMATURGY (CONTINUED) • “Impression Management” • Presentation of Self • “Working Consensus”– for an interaction to proceed successfully, there has to be a “working consensus” – that is, there has to be agreement about the definition of the situation. Interaction is often about trying to reach a working consensus. – What happens when there is not a working consensus? Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

KOHLBERG’S STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT • Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg spent many years studying children and the process of moral development • He proposed a number of stages which people pass through in their moral development – Pre-Conventional Stage – Post-Conventional Stage Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SIGMUND FREUD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY • Sigmund Freud believed that personality consists of three elements: the Id, Ego, and Superego • The Id represents a person’s inborn instinct to seek immediate self-gratification • The Superego represents a person’s conscience, including one’s internalized norms, values, and beliefs that are taught through socialization Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SIGMUND FREUD (CONTINUED) • The Ego represents the balancing force between the Id and Superego Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

MAJOR AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION • Socialization is found in all interaction, but the most influential interaction occurs in particular groups referred to as agencies of socialization • Five agencies of socialization are especially important: – The Family – The School System – Peer Groups Introduction to Sociology, 5/e – Religion – The Mass Media © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE FAMILY • The family is considered the primary agent of socialization • Families teach children the values they will hold throughout life • As more and more children spend time in child care instead of in the family, the question of what type of socialization will take place in these organizations is of major concern Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM • In highly technical societies, children are also socialized by the education system • Schools teach sets of expectations about the work children will do when they are adults • Schools also teach citizenship in countless ways • Most school administrators and teachers reinforce their society’s cultural ways of life Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

PEER GROUPS • Peer groups are an important agent of socialization for young people • Peer group socialization has been increasing over the past century because young people are attending school for longer periods of time • Today, teenagers’ most intimate relationships are often those with their peers, not with parents or siblings Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

RELIGION • All societies have some form of religion and how one practices religion can be an extremely powerful influence on a person’s social self • Children whose parent encourage them to attend church early in life are more likely to rely on faith and prayer in much of their adult life as well Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

RELIGION (CONTINUED) • Children learn the language of their religion and the ideas about what is and is not acceptable behavior, particularly regarding morality Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE MASS MEDIA AND SOCIALIZATION IN AMERICA • The American mass media play a major role in teaching Americans to buy and consume goods • The American mass media also teach values • For example, the slogan “Ford Tough” indicates that driving a Ford truck makes a man strong Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

THE MASS MEDIA AND SOCIALIZATION (CONTINUED) • The American mass media teach viewers something about what life is like, although the view may be an idealized version • Researchers now believe that television not only shapes what we think, but how we think Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SOCIALIZATION AND GENDER ROLES • Socialization plays an especially important part in determining what children believe to be acceptable behaviors for members of their own sex • People who diverge significantly from expected gender roles often meet with resistance from individuals and from the social system Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SOCIALIZATION AND GENDER ROLES (CONTINUED) • The same sources of socialization that influence people in other areas of their lives—family, schools, religion, and mass media—also affect the socialization of gender roles Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

INFANT AND CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES • Gender role and socialization in society begins at birth • Research shows that infants are viewed differently, depending on the future role expectations of the child • Infants respond differently to these very early variations in treatments Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

GENDER IDENTITY • Gender identity: How we identify as male or female • The Case of John/Joan • Gender identity: nature and/or nurture Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

INFANT AND CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (CONTINUED) • Parents teach their boys and girls different techniques for solving problems • Today, parents are beginning to have different role expectations for their daughters Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

GENDER-ROLE SOCIALIZATION IN SCHOOLS • Children continue to learn gender-role behavior in nursery school • Teachers spend more time with boys • Teachers evaluate boys differently from girls • Schools teach gender roles by indirect means as well: – Elementary school teachers are usually female – High school teachers are frequently male – Principals and other top administrators are mostly male Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

GENDER-ROLE SOCIALIZATION IN PEER GROUPS • Children play mainly in same-sex groups, and this contributes to their socialization • The result of playing in same-sex groups is that girls are socialized to act like girls and boys are socialized to act like boys • In early group socialization, girls learn to act demurely and speak softly, whereas boys learn to act competitively and speak assertively Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

MASS MEDIA AND SOCIALIZATION OF GENDER ROLES • From childhood on, Americans spend thousands of hours watching television, which has a strong tendency to portray gender-role stereotypes • Music videos, for instance, show men acting rough, tough, and violent while “their” women follow or even crawl after them, waiting, competing, or even suffering for a bit of attention Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SOCIALIZATION IN ADULTHOOD • Adult socialization occurs when we learn new roles that are expected of us as we get older • While new knowledge may be different from knowledge acquired as children, the same agencies of socialization are at work Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

SOCIALIZATION IN ADULTHOOD (CONTINUED) • Four areas of adult socialization are of particular interest to sociologists: – College and Marriage – Parenthood – Career – Resocialization Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

COLLEGE • Colleges teach adults of all ages, and the move from home to college can be a period of intense socialization • College freshmen must adapt to their new independence from the family and make their own decisions about health, food, sleep, class attendance, study habits, exercise, and social relationships Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

COLLEGE (CONTINUED) • Some college students may drop some of the values of their parents and adopt new ones, while other students may maintain the values of their parents throughout college Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

MARRIAGE • Single people must be socialized when they marry in order to live intimately with their spouses and share living arrangements • Each person is socialized toward marriage based on their own set of experiences and social interactions growing up • Once married, a young couple must decide how to define their marriage based on their own expectations rather than those of their parents or other people in society Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

PARENTHOOD • When a couple has children, they learn the role of parent and will probably rely on the knowledge of child care they acquired from their own parents • Because the two parents were themselves brought up by different sets of parents, they will have to socialize each other to reach agreement about child-care practices • Children can also socialize their parents Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

CAREER • Another type of adult socialization is occupational training, which teach the attitudes and values associated with an occupation, as well as skills • Acquiring a new job involves taking on new statuses and roles • A new employee has to learn how to conform to the expectations of the other workers and the written and unwritten rules of the workplace Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing

RESOCIALIZATION • Resocialization usually follows a major break in a person’s customary life • Divorce, retirement, or the death of a close family member often involves resocialization • Mortification of self, the most dramatic type of resocialization, occurs in such institutions as the military POW camps, and mental hospitals • People entering these institutions are totally stripped of their old selves Introduction to Sociology, 5/e © 2012 BVT Publishing