Socialization is the process of learning to participate in group life and takes place through cultural transmission. It begins at birth and continues throughout life, enabling people to fit into social groups and adjust to new situations. The most important learning occurs early in life as children learn to walk, talk, develop emotions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Symbolic interactionism uses concepts like the self-concept, looking-glass self, significant others, and role-taking to explain socialization. The self-concept develops from how we believe others see us. Primary agents of socialization include family, school, peer groups, and mass media.
Socialization is the process of learning to participate in group life and takes place through cultural transmission. It begins at birth and continues throughout life, enabling people to fit into social groups and adjust to new situations. The most important learning occurs early in life as children learn to walk, talk, develop emotions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Symbolic interactionism uses concepts like the self-concept, looking-glass self, significant others, and role-taking to explain socialization. The self-concept develops from how we believe others see us. Primary agents of socialization include family, school, peer groups, and mass media.
Socialization is the process of learning to participate in group life and takes place through cultural transmission. It begins at birth and continues throughout life, enabling people to fit into social groups and adjust to new situations. The most important learning occurs early in life as children learn to walk, talk, develop emotions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Symbolic interactionism uses concepts like the self-concept, looking-glass self, significant others, and role-taking to explain socialization. The self-concept develops from how we believe others see us. Primary agents of socialization include family, school, peer groups, and mass media.
Socialization is the process of learning to participate in group life and takes place through cultural transmission. It begins at birth and continues throughout life, enabling people to fit into social groups and adjust to new situations. The most important learning occurs early in life as children learn to walk, talk, develop emotions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Symbolic interactionism uses concepts like the self-concept, looking-glass self, significant others, and role-taking to explain socialization. The self-concept develops from how we believe others see us. Primary agents of socialization include family, school, peer groups, and mass media.
Socialization SECTION 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION Intro to Socialization
Socialization – cultural process of learning to participate in group
life, and takes place through cultural transmition. Nature vs. Nuture – this is the nurture side of the argument. Nearly all aspects of social life are learned. Begins at birth, continues throughout life. Enables people to fit into all kids of social groups, and adjust to new situations. The most important learning occurs early in life. Walking, talking, emotions, attitudes, beliefs, values, etc. Chp 4.1 Symbolic Interactionism and Socialization PG 106
Q:How does symbolic interactionism help us
understand socialization? Symbolic interactionism uses a number of key concepts to explain socialization. These concepts include the self-concept the looking-glass self significant others role taking (the imitation stage, the play stage, the game stage) the generalized other.
Q Where does the self-concept come from?
Charles Cooley developed the idea of the self concept from watching his own children at play. Section 2: Socialization and the Self Three major theoretical perspectives provides insights into socialization? Symbolic Interactionism (most fully developed perspective for studying socialization The self concept is developed by using other ppl as mirrors for learning about ourselves
Q: How does the functionalist perspective explain socialization?
Functionalism stresses the ways in which groups work together to create a stable society. Schools and families, for example, socialize children by teaching the same basic norms, beliefs, and values.
Q: How does the conflict perspective explain socialization?
When people are socialized to accept their family’s social class, for example, they help preserve the current class system. People learn to accept their social status. The Self Concept The self-concept: an image of yourself as having an identity separate from other people Q: Where does the self-concept come from? Charles Horton Cooley (1902) Realized children could recognize the ways people react to their behavior. Children used these reactions to judge themselves in terms of how they imagine other will react to them The looking-glass self – an image of yourself based on what you believe others think of you What are the steps in looking glass process? 1. Imagine how we want to appear to other. 2. Looking at how other react to our actions. 3. We react to our assumptions of how people judge us. significant others those people whose reactions are most important to your self-concept
For a child significant others include parents, grandparents, teachers, and playmates. Forteenagers, significant others mainly include their friends/peers. For adults, significant others range from spouses, parents, and friends, to ministers and employers. Think-Pair-Share
“ No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”
Describe an experience you have had with the looking-glass
process. How did this experience touch or change your self concept? What is role taking?
Internal conversations Role taking allows us to see ourselves through the eyes of others We take the viewpoint of others, and respond to it How does the ability for role taking develop? (Mead) Three-stages Imitation state, play stage, game stage Three Stages of Role Taking Imitation Stage Begins around 1.5-2 yrs old Child imitates (without understanding) the physical/verbal behavior of significant others
Play Stage – the stage during which children take on roles of others one at a time. 3-4; who do children “play” as?
Game Stage – children learn to engage in more sophisticated role taking – can consider the roles of multiple ppl simultaneously Everyone has a specific role to play This is the stage that children learn to gear their behavior to the norms of the group When do we start acting out of principle? – What is the Self? Generalized other – an integrated conception of the norms, values, and beliefs of one’s community or society – emerges. Children eventually stop doing things to please others, and do so because it seems wrong (or right). What is the Self? (Mead) “Me” and “I” Me – created through socialization; accounts for predictability and conformity I – accounts for spontaneity, unpredictability, and creativeness Me/I conversations occur all the time. The “I” is first to react to a situation, the “Me” offers a rationalization. Me v. I “I” is myself as I am…
“ME” is my self as others see me & the me portrayed for others
Genie didn’t have a concept of “me” because she was not
socialized to perceive how others saw her, she only had a concept of “I” – she was an egocentric baby with no concept of anything but her own needs Compare the “ME” & “I”
“Me” “I” Predictable/ Created by Spontaneous/Unlearned or socialization Instinctual Directs 1st reaction to Acts in rage or excitement socially acceptable 1st reaction channels Can be directed by me Can be overridden by I Can over ride me Section 3 Review What are the primary agents of socialization? List 4 of them Are there others? Try to think of one. https://glencoe.mheducation.com/site s/0078745195/student_view0/unit2/cha pter4/self-check_quizzes.html Agents of Socialization
I. The Family II. School III. Peer Groups IV. Mass Media Agents of Socialization Which things does a child learn from their family? •Think & Speak •Internalize norms, beliefs, & value •Form basic attitudes •Develop capacity for intimate & personal relationships •Acquire self image *Impact reaches far beyond its direct effect, families social class shapes what we think of ourselves & how we are treated by others. Which things are learned through school besides academics? Discipline/Order/Co-operation/Conformity Idea of time & schedule Rules & Regulations Rewards of praise/ Acceptance for proper behavior Young people must depend on each other for their social life Briefly summarize the importance of peer groups? Different relationships: School/Family vs. Peer Group Experience conflict, competition, and cooperation Self direction new ways of thinking, feeling, behaving, & engaging in self-expression What roles do mass media play in socialization? Pros/positive effect Cons/ negative effect Displays role model for Display violence and children to imitate violent behavior Offer Children ideas about Depicts ideas of values in their society discrimination & sexism Provide images of : Effects are hidden, subtle, Achievement & Success and long term Activity & Work Equality & Democracy Peer-Group Socialization vs. Socialization Within the Family Socialization Within the Family Peer-Group Socialization The norms and values imparted In peer groups, the focus by the family usually focus on is the subculture of the the larger culture. group. Parents often become alarmed if they come to Peer-group goals are believe that the norms and sometimes at odds with values of the peer group are the goals of the larger more important to their society. children than those of society as a whole.
