Freud's Psychosexual Stages Quiz

Assigned Readings

• Sociology Introductions: George Ritzer (2018) Chapter 5 (pgs. 145-175)
• Our Social World: Ballantine, Jeannne H., et al (2016) Chapter 4 (pgs. 92-120)
• Sociology Introductions: George Ritzer (2018) Chapter 8 (pgs. 252-290)
• Our Social World: Ballantine, Jeannne H., et al (2016) Chapter 7 (pgs. 188-229)

Socialization and Social Interaction

• Focus: Sociologists study behavior and attitudes throughout the lifespan, from infancy to old age.
• Socialization: Lifelong process where individuals learn cultural norms, values, and behaviors.
• Interaction: Socialization occurs primarily through human interaction.
• Purpose: Socialization helps individuals understand appropriate behavior and expectations within a culture.
• Self-Image: Socialization influences self-image and personality development.

Nurture vs. Nature

• Nurture: Experiences shape personality.
• Experiments: Experiments with primates, especially monkeys isolated from social interaction, show the impact of isolation on development.
• Nature: Genetic factors influence development.
• Twin Studies: Studies of separated identical twins show the influence of both nature and nurture.

The Self

• Emergence: Self-identity develops through interaction with others.
• Looking-Glass Self (Cooley): Understanding self through how others perceive us. This involves imagining how we appear to others, how others judge us, and developing feelings about ourselves based on these judgments.
• Stages of the Self (Mead): A process of developing self-concept:
• Preparatory Stage: Imitation of those around you
• Play Stage: Pretending to be other people and taking on roles
• Game Stage: Understanding multiple roles simultaneously.

Mead's Theory of the Self

• Central Position: In their early life, children see themselves as the central figure.
• Perspective of Others: Developmentally, as children grow older they start to have more regard for others' perspectives.
• Significant Others: Individuals most influential in shaping the developing self (positive or negative).

Socialization & Interaction

• Instrumental in shaping individuals: Socialization and interaction are crucial for individual development
• Sociological Analysis: These issues are fundamental to sociological analysis.
• Micro-Macro Continuum: Sociologists examine social phenomena from micro-level details to large scale trends.

The Individual and the Self

• Nature vs Nurture: Sociologists debate whether human nature is a natural instinct (nature) or learned (nurture).
• Sociological Perspective: The primary concern for sociologists is how individuals are influenced by their social environment.
• Importance of Learning: Socialization through interaction with others is crucial for development of one's self.

Symbolic Interaction

• Key Principle: Human development relies heavily on interaction and symbolic communication about cultural meaning.

Goffman's Presentation of Self (Dramaturgy)

• Impression Management: Many of our daily activities involve attempts to create an impression to others.
• Front Stage/Back Stage: We adapt our behaviors depending on the context, whether our performance is visible to an audience or private.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Stages-based conflict: Each stage of development offers unique potential conflict (in the unconscious) between natural impulses and societal restrictions and demands.
• Id, Ego, Superego: The ego tries to mediate the internal conflict between the unconstrained desires of the id (pleasure-seeking impulses) and the societal constraints of the superego (the internalization of social rules and values).
• Fixation: Conflict unresolved can lead to conflicts that appear later in life.

Dimensions of Social Stratification

• Differentiation: Hierarchical differences in social positions, particularly economic, political, and social statuses.
• Distribution of Resources: Inequality in how resources are allocated in society and how this relates to different social positions.
• Systems: Significant systems of stratification are class, caste, and estate/slavery systems.
• Dimensions: The key three dimensions of class are income, status, and power.

Social Class

• Economic Position: Social class is based on income and wealth levels
• Similar Ranking: Individuals with similar levels of income and wealth rank closely to each other.
• Marx's Perspective: Upper classes (Bourgeoisie) own means of production, lower classes (Proletariat) are workers
• Status & Power: Other factors beyond income may inform individual social class.

Dimensions of Social Class

• Status: Prestige attributed to individual social positions.
• Educational Achievement: Higher status is associated with more formal education.
• Power: Ability to get others to do what you want. This exists within nearly every aspect of social institutions

Consistency Across Dimensions of Stratification

• Similar Levels: Individuals typically have similar rankings across the dimensions of power, status, and income
• Example: A mid-level manager within a corporation likely has a mid-level salary, status, and overall influence.

Economic Inequality

• Focus on Money: Stratification in many parts of the world is primarily based on a concept of money.
• Occupational Structure: Occupational structure is usually characterized by higher wages or compensation for individuals in higher-level positions.
• Inequality: The range between the rich and poor
• Value-driven systems: Value-driven (symbolic) economies can also characterize a stratification system.

Wealth vs Income

• Income: Money earned (job, business, investment)
• Wealth: Total assets (minus liabilities).

Economic Inequality

• Income Inequality: Significant increase in inequality in many countries since the 1970s. Historically top 1% of Americans earned a significantly smaller percentage of overall income in 1979 compared to 2007.

Reasons for Income Inequality

• Consequences of a "winner-take-all" society:
• Deindustrialization: Loss of manufacturing jobs, impacting the working class.
• Technological advances: Automation leading to job displacement
• Political climate: Policies favoring long term investment.
• Cuts to public benefits: Declining social support.
• Executive & superstar incomes: Increased high end earning levels.

Economic Inequality- Wealth

• Wealth Inequality: A much wider gap between the wealthy and everyone else concerning overall wealth.
• Advantages (Wealth): Greater ability to invest, generate wealth, material comforts.

Wealth Inequality- Implications

• Inherited Wealth: Wealthier individuals tend to inherit wealth and maintain high class standing over multiple generations.
• Lack of Wealth: A lack of wealth can be self-perpetuation because there may be nothing passed down to spur a rise from poverty.
• Social Control: The wealthy may have significant power and control through various means including charities, political influence, and direct political action.

Economic Inequality- Poverty

• Concerns: Poverty is a significant concern with multiple problems, notably lower health, lower life expectancy
• Moral Issue: Poverty is a moral concern to some. (i.e. The poor are a drag on society, or the poor are victims)
• Social Analysis: Sociological analysis highlights the importance of larger-scale social forces in creating and perpetuating poverty.

Economic Inequality- Analysis of Poverty

• Capitalist System: Poverty is often understood as a structural element of a capitalist system.
• Class Competition: Competition between social classes means those with more power may actively prevent others from advancing.
• Government Action: Actions to alleviate poverty are sometimes restricted by policy and societal expectations, particularly by those focused on personal responsibility.

Economic Inequality- Types of Poverty

• Absolute Poverty: A basic measure of what people need to survive, typically constant over time. It is a relatively objective measure of poverty.
• Relative Poverty: Defined by comparison to others in a society. It is a more subjective measure of poverty.

Economic Inequality- Poverty in the U.S.

• Poverty Line: Defined threshold based on the cost of an adequate food budget
• Examples: Figured annually by the Social Security Administration, $23,050 for a family of 4 and $11,170 for a single adult in 2012.

Economic Inequality- The Feminization of Poverty

• Women in Poverty: Poverty amongst women is increasing.
• Reasons: Women tend to have lower average earnings than men, are more likely to live alone, and increasing numbers of women are raising children outside of established marital relationships.

Social Mobility

• Change in Position: refers to the ability (or inability) for members of society to change their position in a social hierarchy.
• Types:
• Intergenerational: Difference between the social class of parents and children.
• Intragenerational: Mobility within a person's lifetime
• Occupational: Changes in work either across or within generations.
• Structural: Effect of changes in larger society on an individual's social position.

Social Mobility- Positions

• Achieved Positions: Positions earned based on achievement or merit (ex. Open stratification systems)
• Ascribed Positions: Positions based on characteristics assigned at birth (ex. closed stratification systems)
• Examples: Race, gender, caste, or wealth typically shape ascribed status.

Social Mobility- Caste/Slavery

• Caste System: Extremely rigid system with little mobility between social classes.
• Slavery: System where individuals are treated as property without rights similar to a caste system.

Theories of Social Stratification

• Structural/Functional: Societies must be stratified to effectively fill positions that require more skill or expertise, motivating those to fill these roles.
• Conflict/Critical: Stratification promotes inequality, motivated by those in higher levels who control culture.
• Feminist: Gender is a key factor in social stratification
• Critical Race Theory: Race impacts social positions based on discrimination and inequality
• Colonialism: Stratification imposed via political control and resource extraction.
• Imperialism: Control without colonies, defined by economic exploitation.
• Post/Neo-Colonialism: Continued inequality despite decolonization. Global economic systems exploit nation-states at the margins of economic systems.
• Symbolic Interactionist: Social stratification is influenced by micro-level actions and interactions between people in different positions within stratified societies.

Consumption and Social Stratification

• Consumption Differences: Different social positions express themselves through consumer choices.
• Conspicuous Consumption: Higher-level individuals may engage in consumption activities to display wealth or status.

Globalization and Stratification

• Global North/South: Wealthier nations in the global north dominate social, political, and economic spheres at the expense of nations in the global south.
• Bottom Billion: Substantial portion of global population exists with barely adequate income for survival.
• Race to the Bottom: Competitions between countries to offer lower wages or prices, often negatively impacting workers.
• Digital Divide: Inequality in access to technology and information

Additional Notes

• Specific Assigned Readings to be examined.
• Questions and Comments: An open forum for further clarification.

Test your knowledge on Freud's Phallic and Latency stages of psychosexual development. This quiz covers essential concepts, including age ranges, associated complexes, and potential fixation issues. Challenge yourself and deepen your understanding of Freud's theories in psychology.