Sociology: Self and Moral Development

• Sociology explores the social development of individuals and societies

Core Concepts

• George Herbert Mead: Studied the concept of the "self."
• Self: An individual's distinct identity developed through social interaction; involves viewing oneself from others' perspectives.

Stages of Self Development

• Imitation: Copying others' behavior, typical of children under 3.
• Play: Role-playing as significant others (e.g., mom, dad), common between ages 3-6.
• Team Games: Understanding one's position within a group context, around ages 6-7.
• The Generalized Other: Internalizing societal expectations.

Moral Compass

• Moral Development: The process of learning societal norms of right and wrong.
• Pre-Conventional Stage: (Ages 0-12) Morality based on self-interest.
• Conventional Stage: (Teen years) Consideration of others' feelings and intentions.
• Post-Conventional Stage: (Age 20+) Morality based on societal good.

Gendered Morality

• Gilligan's Theory: Argues males and females develop different understandings of morality.
• Boys: Tend toward a justice perspective emphasizing rules and consequences.
• Girls: Focus on care and responsibility, considering intentions behind actions.

Agents of Socialization

• Agents of Socialization: Factors that impact how you are socialized

• Family: Influences child-rearing practices; shaped by race, class, and religion.

• Peer Groups: Teach norms like sharing and taking turns.

• Institutions: Schools, workplaces, and government entities that teach behavior and system navigation.

• School: Teaches teamwork, scheduling, textbook usage (latent functions).

• Hidden Curriculum: Informal teaching of societal norms in schools.

• Religion: Communities for worship and learning.

• Government: Socializes individuals into new roles (e.g., military enrollment at 18).

• Mass Media: Distributes information to a broad audience via various platforms.

Socialization Through Life Stages

• Childhood: (Birth-12 years old) Learning basic human skills and responsibilities.
• Adolescence: Transition from childhood to adulthood.
• Transitional Adulthood: Period after high school before assuming adult responsibilities.
• Early Adulthood: (Around age 40) Establishing career and family. Career establishment tends to happen in stages for males while females experience all stages at once.
• Middle Adulthood: (Around age 65) Career stability, family well-being, and reduced activity.
• Old Age: (Age 65+) Often viewed negatively in the U.S.

Reshaping Identity

• Resocialization: Replacing old behaviors with new ones to fit a new social role, often in total institutions.
• Total Institutions (Goffman): Environments with complete life regulation and supervision.
• Degradation Ceremony: Stripping away old identities to adopt new ones.
• Institutionalized: Difficulty living outside an institution after prolonged residence.

Nature vs. Nurture

• Socialization: Lifelong process of developing human potential and learning culture.
• Personality: Consistent patterns of acting, thinking, and feeling.
• Nature: Influence of genes and heredity.
• Nurture: Impact of environmental factors on development.
• Harlow Studies (1962): Highlighted the importance of social relationships in development.
• Neglect Cases: Cases of isolated children lacking developmental skills due to lack of social interaction.

Theories of Development

• Sigmund Freud: Focused on psychosexual stages of development.
  • Id: Instinctive, unfiltered behavior driven by basic human needs.
  • Ego: Balances the id and superego.
  • Superego: Internalized cultural values and norms.
• Jean Piaget: Emphasized social interactions in child development.
  • Sensorimotor Stage: (0-2 years) Learning through senses and actions.
  • Preoperational Stage: (2-7 years) Increased social interaction and vocabulary development.
  • Concrete Operational Stage: (7-12 years) Understanding concrete concepts.
  • Formal Operational Stage: (12+ years) Ability to understand abstract concepts.
• Charles Cooley: The looking-glass self is formed from our perception of how others view us.
• Erving Goffman: Explored how social interactions can radically alter behavior.

Additional Concepts

• Chris Langan: Argues socialization is more critical than intelligence.
• Mass Media: Socializing agent for impersonal communication to a large audience.

Understanding Society

• Society: Community sharing a common culture.
• Gerhard Lenski: Technological advancement drives societal progress.

Types of Societies

• Preindustrial Societies:
  • Hunter-Gatherer: Reliant on the immediate environment.
  • Pastoral: Domestication of animals and plant cultivation.
  • Horticultural: Stable crops and permanent settlements.
  • Agricultural: Advanced tools and farming techniques.
  • Feudal: Land ownership and hierarchical social structure.
• Industrial Society: Emerged in the 18th century with machinery replacing manual labor.

Social Order and Deviance

• Collective Conscience: Shared beliefs, morals, and attitudes within a society.
• Social Integration: Strength of ties within social groups.
• Mechanical Solidarity: Social order based on cultural consensus.
• Organic Solidarity: Acceptance of economic and social differences.
• Anomie: Instability from the breakdown of social norms.
• The Essential Nature of Deviance (Durkheim): Argued deviance is a normal part of a successful society.
• Strain Theory: Socially accepted goals influence conformity and deviance.
  • Conformity: Pursuing goals through legitimate means (e.g., attending college for a higher income).
  • Innovation: Illegitimate means to achieve goals (e.g., theft).
  • Ritualism: Rejecting goals but adhering to means (e.g., recycling without believing in climate change).
  • Retreatism: Rejecting both goals and means (e.g., withdrawing from society).
  • Rebellion: Rejecting existing goals and means, creating new ones.
• Social Disorganization Theory: Crime is likely in communities with weak social ties.
• Power Elite: Small group of wealthy, influential people (C. Wright Mills).
• Conflict Theory (Karl Marx): The economy ("base") shapes society ("superstructure").
  • Bourgeoisie: The wealthy middle class.
  • Proletariat: The laboring class.
  • Capitalism: Private ownership of economy.
  • Alienation: Isolation from society, work, and self.
    • From the product: Detachment from what one produces.
    • From the process: Lack of control over working conditions.
    • From others: Competition among workers.
    • From oneself: Loss of connection to one's occupation.
  • False Consciousness: Holding beliefs against one's best interests.
  • Class Consciousness: Awareness of one's social class.
• Max Weber: Focused on how individuals experience societal divisions and saw capitalism as rational.
  • Rationalization: Society built on logic, not morality or tradition.
  • Iron Cage: Trapped by institutions and bureaucracy, leading to "disenchantment."
• Labeling Theory: Deviance is determined by societal reaction.
  • Primary Deviance: Norm violation with no long-term effects.
  • Secondary Deviance: Repeated norm violation leading to lasting consequences.
• Differential Association Theory: Deviant behavior learned from others who normalize deviance.
• Control Theory (Travis Hirschi): Social bonds affect social control.
  • Four Types of Social Bonds: Attachment, commitment, involvement, belief.
• Habitualization: Repeated actions become patterned behavior.
• Institutionalization: Established norms and procedures within a society.
• Thomas Theorem: Situations defined as real have real consequences.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: False ideas become true when acted upon.

Social Roles and Status

• Roles: Expected behaviors associated with a social position. Examples: daughter, neighbor, employee.
• Status: Responsibilities and benefits based on social rank.
• Ascribed Status: Statuses assigned at birth (e.g., son, elderly person, female).
• Achieved Status: Statuses earned by choice, often influenced by ascribed statuses.