3. The Socialization Process (AutoRecovered).docx

The Socialization Process Presenter: Mrs. J. Palmer Grant Inservice Education Unit OBJECTIVES. -Define the term Socialization State the two types of social learning Describe the main types of socialisations Examine the agents of socialization Discuss the theoretical perspectives related to the devel...

The Socialization Process Presenter: Mrs. J. Palmer Grant Inservice Education Unit OBJECTIVES. -Define the term Socialization State the two types of social learning Describe the main types of socialisations Examine the agents of socialization Discuss the theoretical perspectives related to the development of personality and social beings. Introduction -All human beings are social. People have to interact with other people in order to survive. All human beings live in a society; therefore, every person is a member of some human group. -Sociology try to learn the likenesses among people in groups, no matter what the particular orientation of the group may be. Humans learn the expectations of society through socialization. -Socialization is different based on race, gender and class. Human infants are born without any culture. They must be transformed by their parents, teachers, and others into cultural and socially adept human beings. What is socialization? Socialization-the life-long process by which society transmits, through language and gestures, its cultural values so individuals can function properly as its members. Socialisation comes from the word 'socialise which means to render social, to make fit for living in society. - Sullivan (2001): "Socialization is the process by which people develop personal identities and learn the ways of a particular group or society." - Kendall (2002): "Socialization is the lifelong process of social interaction, through which individuals acquire a self-identity and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for survival in society. While socialisation refers to the general process of acquiring culture, anthropologists use the term enculturation for the process of being socialized to a particular culture - We were enculturated to our specific culture by our parents and the other people who raised us What are the functions of socialisation? - For individuals: To develop the skills and disciplines necessary for surviving, acting and participating within their society Socialization prepares the individual for the roles he is to play, providing him with the necessary repertoire of habits, beliefs, and values, the appropriate patterns of emotional response and the modes of perception, the requisite skills and knowledge. On the other hand, by communicating the contents of culture from one generation to the other, it provides for its persistence and continuity What are the functions of socialisation? For the society, inducting all individual members into its "design for living or the moral norms attitudes, values, motives, social roles, language and symbols as the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained There are two types of Social Learning The first is called cultural conditioning, which is the process by which the individual learns the fundamental culture patterns of the society in which he will live Through this the individual learns to walk, talk, handle social obligations, develop attitudes regarding religion and other social norms. -The other type of social learning is personal social learning; this refers to individuals who have had social experiences which influences his personality without influencing another -It is behaviour learned and is not considered culture, example, a child afraid of an old person who he or she came in contact with will fear all old people. TYPES OF SOCIALIZATION Socialization occur at different points throughout the life course. Primary Socialization Secondary Socialization Anticipatory Socialization Reverse Socialization -Resocialization Gender socialization Primary socialisation is the process whereby people learn the attitudes, values, and actions appropriate to individuals as members of particular culture - Example: A child sees the mother expressing discriminatory opinion about a minority group then that child may think this behavior is acceptable and could continue to have this opinion about minority groups Secondary socialisation refers to process of learning what is appropriate behavior as a member of a smaller group within the larger society. It involves smaller changes than those occurring in primary socialization. - Examples: entering a new profession, relocating to a new environment or society. - Anticipatory socialisation refers to the processes of socialisation in which a person "rehearses" for future positions, occupations, and social relationships - In anticipatory socialisation, knowledge and skills are learned for future roles. Reverse Socialization - Reverse Socialization is the process of transmitting norms and values from the younger generation to the older generation This usually takes place when social change is rapid and some members of the adult world are unable to catch up with new behaviours. Resocialisation Resocialisation refers to the process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one's life. It involves learning a new and different sets of attitudes, values and behaviors different from previous experience. Resocialisation Resocialisation occurs throughout the human life cycle and can be an intense experience, with the individual experiencing a sharp break with their past, and needing to learn and be exposed to radically different norms and values-hence, involving a complete change of personality. Resocialisation deals with the process of mentally and emotionally "re-training" a person so that he or she can operate in an environment other than that which he or she is accustomed to. -Key examples of resocialisation include the process of training new recruits in the military so that they can operate as soldiers and in the reverse process, those who have become accustomed to such roles return to society after military discharge. Brainwashing Brainwashing is persuasion or indoctrination, often by force, to get someone to adopt a particular set of beliefs and values. It is a type of resocialisation. Brainwashing is most effective under the following 4 conditions: 1. The person is isolated from their former surroundings, people, and self. Total institutions serve this purpose reality. 2. They are subjected to peer pressure to conform to the new 3. They are subjected to legitimate authority, which tells them what to think. 4. The person is willing to change. Gender Role Socialization -Gender role socialization is "...a lifelong process whereby people learn the values, attitudes, motivations, and behavior considered appropriate to each sex by their culture" -Gender role socialisation takes place from earliest childhood through adolescence and throughout all social interactions in which we participate Children learn proper behavior for girls and boys through parents, the media, peer groups, and other sources of socialization -At an early age, children develop stereotypical conceptions of both genders, and begin to use these conceptions to organize their knowledge and behavior. Parental practices Fathers socialize sons or daughters differently -Fathers react more negatively to sons in cross- gender play (boys with Barbies) and boys believe fathers would do so. -Fathers spend more time with sons than daughters, engage in more physical play; expect more toughness from sons Mothers spend more time with children, more involved in daily care Difference between Gender and Sex Sex refers to the physical and biological attributes of men and women -Sex includes the chromosomal, hormonal, and anatomical components of males and females. Generally, sex is considered to be an ascribed status while gender is an achieved status Gender and Gender Identity Gender refers to the social, psychological and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity, many of which are based on biological distinctions -Gender includes people's self-image and expectations for behavior among other things -Gender describes societal attitudes and behaviors expected of and associated with the two sexes. Gender identity refers to the degree to which an individual sees herself or himself as feminine or masculine based on society's definitions of appropriate gender roles. -Gender Roles - Expectations regarding proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females - Gender roles evident in work and in how we react to others Masculine Scripts 1. No sissy-stuff - men are expected to distance themselves from anything feminine. 2. Big wheel - men should be occupationally or financially successful. 3. Sturdy oak - men should be confident and self-reliant. 4. Men should do what is necessary to "make it" Feminine Scripts -Women should offer emotional support. -Ideal woman is attractive, not too competitive, a good listener and adaptable. -Women are expected to be good mothers and put the needs of others first. Superwoman - successful at a career and a good wife or mother. Agents of Socialisation Agents of socialization are the people, groups and institutions that influence our self-concept emotions, attitudes, and behavior (Henslin, 2006) and teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society The Family The family-the basic unit of society and primary agency for socialization, through which the child learns the expectations of society and, other fundamental social values by internalizing their parents' values and, incorporating these in their own personalities. Families introduce children to the expectations of society. How parents define and treat a child is crucial to the development of the child's sense of self. Some families emphasize educational achievement, some may be more permissive, whereas others emphasize strict obedience and discipline The peer group- usually based on age, rank, sex or interest, affecting our attitudes towards others; it is the most influential among the young and have the greatest impact on their lives. The school- represents the formal process of transmitting the culture of the society, preparing individuals for adult roles and for them to perform successfully as members of society. Socialisation in school aims to ensure social order, emphasizing conformity to rules. In school, teachers and other students are the source of expectations that encourage children to think and behave in particular ways. -Research finds that teachers respond differently to boys than to girls, with boys receiving more of their attention. The hidden curriculum consists of the informal and often subtle messages about social roles conveyed through classroom interaction and materials. 4. The mass media- both broadcast and print media exert powerful influence in socializing individuals. The average young person (age 8-19) spends 6 3/4 hours per day immersed in media in various forms, often using multiple media forms simultaneously. Television is the dominant medium, although half of all youth use a computer daily. Analysts estimate that by age 18, the average child will have witnessed at least 18,000 simulated murders on television. 5. The church- provides for the moral and spiritual needs of the people, introducing children to various tenets and dogmas that influence behavior and outlook in life. Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs as their parents. Very often those who disavow religion return to their original faith at some point in their life, especially if they have strong ties to their family of origin and after they form families of their own. Religious socialisation also influences beliefs about sexuality, including the likelihood of tolerance for gay and lesbian sexuality The Workplace or Neighborhood 6. The workplace- as agent of socialisation for workers, the focus is to introduce the organization's values and to learn the skills to one's job. 7. The Neighborhood - The neighborhood or community-where the child is introduced to the realities of life. Importance of Socialisation -Socialisation is vital to culture- cultural transmission from one generation to the next happen through socialisation. ▸ Socialisation is vital to personality- the training of every person received through socialisation affect his personality. Socialisation is vital to sex-role differentiation- it provides every individual the expected role he or she is to play in society according to his or her sex. Personality Personality (defined): an individual's typical patterns of thought, feeling and action. - Initially emerges via primary socialisation. 3 components of personality: 1. Cognitive: thoughts, beliefs, memories, etc. - 2. Emotional or Affective: feelings like love, pride, guilt, anger, etc. - 3. Behavioral: patterns of physical behavior, skills, etc. The norms and value of a culture influence the socialization process as well as the personality traits we exhibit. Nature versus Nurture Nature - hereditary Nurture - social environment Is social behavior the product of heredity or learning? -We are the products of the interaction between heredity and learning. Genetic factors provide the basic potentials of an individual. Social experience may develop or discourage these potentials. - - Similar to seeds and soil. Both need each other, and the same seed grows differently in different soils. Effects of Childhood Socialisation Children raised in childhood isolation. -The case of Anna (1932-1938): 5 years in near total isolation. Raised in a storage room in a Pennsylvania farm house by an unstable mother from a strict family where illegitimate children were taboo. -When rescued by a social worker, she was a zombie - unresponsive to the social world. Re-socialisation helped her a little - she learned to smile - but she was permanently retarded in virtually every way: cognitive, affective and behavioral. Children raised in near total isolation suffer retardation along all three dimensions of personality. - Long term isolation - the duration of the primary socialization period - seems to produce permanent or irreversible retardation. - Short term isolation - perhaps a few years during primary socialisation - produces initial retardation, but these effects may be reversible with effective re-socialisation. Children Raised in Total Institutions Total Institution: residence where inmates are cut off from society, under the control of a hierarchy of official. - Examples: prison, boarding school, asylum, boot camp. bureaucratic orphanage Many orphanages in the 1950s were total institutions. Personality studies revealed that some of these children did not have a chance to establish close emotional ties with specific others. The result was slight physical, social, and emotional retardation for some, particularly in emotional empathy skills. They were a bit more emotionally aloof or "cold" than other children. Failures of Socialisation When socialisation fails then we have the feral children, children raised in relative isolation, hospital studies and animal studies. Feral means wild, untamed or undomesticated. Feral children are children who have been raised by animals. For example, children raised by wolves or other animals unable to speak but have all the attitudes and behaviours appropriate for their environment but not for life among humans. -Isolated children, left alone and when found could not walk, talk or feed self, suffering from malnutrition and showed no emotion or recognition of people. Some recover but always behind in milestones and others die. Children grown in institutions are sometimes physically and emotionally retarded. Many died of a variety of ailments or suffer from a variety of problems. Functionalist Approach People adapt the attitudes of others, conform to role expectations and internalize the norms and values of society. The object of socialisation is to pass on the cultural patterns of society so that new members can function effectively. Through the process of socialisation, people develop their "social self" that reflects the society in which they live. Functionalist Theory of Socialisation Individual Learning process - People internalize role expectations in society Formation of self - Internalizing the values of society reinforces social consensus Influence of Society - Society relies on conformity to maintain social equilibrium Symbolic Interaction Approach People employ symbols to convey meanings to one another, defining situations, negotiating interaction and order and constructing reality according to attributed meanings. Our distinct self-image and self-concept-or our personality-are derived from our interaction with other people. The Looking Glass Self (Charles Horton Cooley) We acquire our sense of self by seeing ourselves reflected in the behavior of others and their attitudes toward us. The way others treat us is like a mirror reflecting our personal qualities. We imagine how we appear to other persons and based on that imagination; we judge our appearance to others. Our sense of self is derived from the perception of others. Our looking glass self is not who we actually are or what people actually think about us- it is based on our perception of HOW other people think of us ➜ Three processes: 1. Presentation-we imagine the way we appear to others 2. Identification-we determine how we imagine others judge that appearance 3. Subjective interpretation-we interpret those judgments and form our own self-concept. The Self and Socialization -The I is the part of you that is uniquely you - your personal reactions to the situation. The social self is a product of the ongoing interaction between the Me and the I. Stages of Self-Development 1. Preparatory stage- interactions lack meaning and children largely imitate people around them. 2. Play stage children learn to use language and other symbols, enabling them to pretend to take the roles of specific people. 3. Game stage children understand not only their own position but also that of others; games are structured by rules and are often competitive so children become concerned with the demands and expectations of others. DRAMATURGY (Erving Goffman) "Everyone is consciously playing a role" -It views social situations as scenes, complete with stage, actors playing their roles, props and audience -In our everyday life, we constantly play a role -some are stereotyped, others are patterned or improvised. Symbolic Interaction Theory of Socialization Individual Learning process - Children learn by taking the role of significant others Formation of self - Emerges as the creative self-interacts with social expectations of others Influence of society - Expectations of others form the context for learning social roles Conflict Approach (Karl Marx) Child rearing practices vary by social class and affect the life chances of individuals -Social customs and institutions are arranged to perpetuate class distinctions (example the media is employed by the capitalist class to foster a false consciousness like consumerism among the masses) Through socialisation, social institutions seek to legitimize social inequality by propagating an ideology that says existing arrangements -where the poor get poorer and the rich get richer -are right and reasonable. There is a conflict between the demands of society (or parents) and the primal biological drives of sex and aggression of an individual. Conflict Approach (Sigmund Freud) We begin as pleasure-seeking id. As the child struggles to accommodate parental demands, the ego develops to find realistic and acceptable ways of satisfying the id's desires. As we internalize our parents' ideas of right and wrong, the superego develops. Thus, socialisation is the struggle to redirect primal impulses into culturally required and approved channels of conduct. Conflict Theory of Socialization Individual Learning process - Aspirations that are part of identity are shaped by available opportunities Formation of self - Group consciousness is formed in the context of a system of inequality Influence of Society - Social control agents exert pressure to conform CONCLUSION Being social is not an autonomic process. We learn to be social when we develop attitudes and behaviours that are similar to those of other members of our society. Thus, we literally learn to become human. Every attitude and behaviour presupposes socialization and it is the single most concept in the study of sociology.