SOCIALIZATION

Objectives

• Understand the definition of socialization and human development

• Introduce the Agents of Socialization• Introduce the Theories of Socialization• Analyze the debate of Nature vs. Nurture

SOCIALIZATION

• Socialization – the process of learning how to interact in society (language, behaviors, manners, etc.)

• How humans learn how to become members of society

• Agents of Socialization : Family, Media, Education, Peer Groups

SOCIALIZATION

• SOCIALIZATION IS ESSENTIAL:

– For an individual’s survival and for human development

– For survival and stability of society – socialization helps maintain an existing social structure

SOCIALIZATION

• SOCIALIZATION IS INFLUENCED BY:– The type of society

– The subcultures within a society (class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender)

– Unique individual experiences (family, friendship groups)

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

• To be human means to be conscious of ourselves as individuals with unique identities, personalities, and relationships with others

• But how do humans learn how to be human?• Are we born with these human characteristics

or do we develop them through interaction with others?

NATURE VS NURTURE

• Nature vs. Nurture – which has a greater impact on human development – heredity (inherited traits) or society (your environment)?

• Nature - genetic makeup is the primary factor in determining human behavior.– Physical experience and personality

characteristics

NATURE VS NURTURE

• Nurture – environmental variables (early childhood experiences, how we are raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture) effect who we are

Theories of Socialization

• Socio-biologists – Support nature - argue that our genetic makeup is the primary factor in determining human behavior.

• Sociologists criticize this view because behavior varies among cultures, classes, regions, etc.

Looking Glass Self

• Charles Horton Cooley – wondered how human infants developed a sense of self – the ability to see themselves “from the outside”

• Looking-Glass Self – our interpretation of how others see us; the ability to contemplate our past, present, and future existence; develops from interaction with others.

Looking Glass Self• Looking-Glass Self contains 3 elements:

1.We imagine how we look to others (tall, short, fat, thin)

2.We interpret others’ reactions (how we think others evaluate us)

3.We develop a self-concept (as we interpret the reactions of others, we develop feelings and ideas about ourselves)

Looking Glass Self

• George Herbert Mead – Agreed with Cooley

• He added that play is critical to the development of the self.

• In play, children take on the role of others and learn to understand how someone else feels and thinks.

• Children also learn what others expect of them, and how to behave in order to meet those expectations.