Theories of Socialization PDF

24/11/2024 Theoretical approaches to the role of socialization 1 Theoretical approaches 1. Structural approaches 2. Social action approaches 3. A third way:...

24/11/2024 Theoretical approaches to the role of socialization 1 Theoretical approaches 1. Structural approaches 2. Social action approaches 3. A third way: structuration 2 Johanna Bartolo 1  24/11/2024 1. Structural approaches Macro approach Functionalists, some Feminists, and most Marxists They see culture and individual identities as created by the wider social forces making up the social structure of society. Individuals are seen as programmed robots – socialized and manipulated by institutions. 3 From a structural perspective Identity is limited – constrained by norms and values which are culturally defined. Little choice and option is available on the individual. Identity is affected by sources like social class, ethnicity, gender and age. Sanctions exist and people are compelled to obey (rewards vs punishments). Individual choice is minimal. 4 Johanna Bartolo 2  24/11/2024 Structural: Functionalists Both Durkheim and Parsons explain how learning of culture through socialization is a benevolent process. Socialization acts as a ‘social glue’. Norms and values bond people together providing them with agreed guidelines. (value consensus). The socialization makes way for cooperation and harmony – this creates a stable society. Socialization is the means by which individuals are integrated into their societies. 5 Structural: Marxists Socialization is seen less favourably. They do see it as necessary (learning of culture to adopt necessary behaviour) BUT they see socialization as a means of social control. 6 Johanna Bartolo 3  24/11/2024 Structural: Marxists The culture of society is that of the dominant class. There is no value consensus, rather, people are socialized into the beliefs and values of the dominant social class – the dominant ideology. 7 Socialization reproduces and legitimizes the existing social inequalities making them appear as normal and natural. Socialization seeks to encourage conformity – pertaining the status quo. 8 Johanna Bartolo 4  24/11/2024 Structural: Feminists Maintain that the agencies of socialization often reinforce and reproduce patriarchy – the dominance of men over women. E.g: the family encourages boys and girls to conform to traditional gender roles, preparing them for more inequalities later on in life, particularly into employment and the political sphere. 9 Criticism of structural approaches Individuals are seen simply as puppets. Garfinkel (1984) speaks of ‘cultural dopes’. ‘Injected’ with norms and values from socialization – moulding us to be the way we are. They don’t recognize that individuals have free will and can make choice. 10 Johanna Bartolo 5  24/11/2024 2. Social action approaches MICRO: Interpretivism and Symbolic Interactionism Social action theory focuses on understanding human behavior from the viewpoint of individuals as active agents in society Concerned with the meanings and motives of individuals (Mead, Goffman). The role of individual is important in creating culture and defining identity. 11 Individuals are not passive (as described by structural). People have agency, make choices, and create meanings through their interactions. (Symbolic Interactionism). People actively construct their social reality (not puppets on a string) To understand social behavior, one must understand the subjective meanings individuals attach to their actions - interpretation. This often involves looking at individual perspectives and motivations. 12 Johanna Bartolo 6  24/11/2024 George Herbert Mead (1934) The self is not something we are born with but something that emerges through social interaction. The self is a product of social processes, developing as we interact with others and interpret social symbols. 13 George Herbert Mead: Mind, Self, Society As children grow up, they learn to develop a sense of themselves – their self-concept. As they relate with others, they begin to develop ideas about how others see them. Mead is known for his explanation of the “I” versus “Me”. He wrote about the stages of development: 1) Preparatory stage 2) play stage 3) game stage 14 Johanna Bartolo 7  24/11/2024 Preparatory Stage Age: baby – 2 year old Children engage primarily in imitation -they mimic the behaviors, actions, and words of those around them without understanding their meaning. No Sense of "Self": At this stage, children have not yet developed an ability to differentiate between themselves and others. Imitation: The child learns basic behaviors and social cues that they will later use in more complex forms of social interaction. 15 Play Stage Age: Typically early childhood (around ages 2 to 6) In the play stage, children begin to take on roles of significant others through imaginative play. For example, they might play "house" and pretend to be a parent, or play "school" and act as a teacher. Children lack the ability to understand roles outside of the ones they are currently imitating. They do not yet have a concept of how roles relate to each other or the rules that govern social behavior. Importance: This stage helps children learn about expectations, behavior, and social roles through imitation. 16 Johanna Bartolo 8  24/11/2024 Game Stage Age: Typically later childhood (around ages 6 and up) Characteristics: In the game stage, children start to understand and play organized games that have multiple roles and rules. Children now grasp the concept of the generalized other—a sense of society's expectations and norms. They can anticipate how others are likely to respond based on shared rules and social norms. Importance: This stage is crucial for developing a full, mature sense of self. It allows children to see themselves from the perspective of a larger community, understanding how individual roles are interconnected within a social structure. 17 George Herbert Mead: The “I” spontaneous, unpredictable, and individual aspect of the self. The "I" is the subjective aspect of the self, reflecting a person’s desires, impulses, and individual identity. It operates in the moment, not constrained by societal norms or expectations. Examples of the "I": A child suddenly deciding to shout in the middle of a quiet room. An adult choosing to try a new hobby or make an unexpected comment during a conversation. 18 Johanna Bartolo 9  24/11/2024 George Herbert Mead: The “Me” The socially constructed aspect of the self. It is the part that reflects the expectations and attitudes of others, representing the internalized social norms, rules, and expectations. Responsive to the expectations of society and others. The "Me" is what guides behavior to conform to social expectations and is built through interactions with others. 19 George Herbert Mead (1934) 20 Johanna Bartolo 10  24/11/2024 Charles Horton Cooley (1902) The looking glass self concept Individual's self-concept is shaped by how they believe others perceive them. People form their sense of identity based on how they think they are viewed by others, effectively using society as a "mirror" to reflect their self- image. We develop our self from the reactions of others towards us. Based on others’ reactions to us, we determine whether others view us as we view ourselves. 21 Erving Goffman “The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life” (1959) His idea focuses on how individuals present themselves in everyday life, almost like actors performing on a stage, aiming to control the impressions they make on others. Dramaturgy - Sees society like a stage. People are actors, performing their part. 22 Johanna Bartolo 11  24/11/2024 Erving Goffman Impression management: Goffman described each individual’s “performance” as the presentation of self, a person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds. The presentation of the self: trying to convince others of the identities we may wish to assert. 23 Erving Goffman According to Goffman, everyone is engaged in the process of manipulating others and being manipulated by them to give the best possible impression of themselves. Good actors can persuade audiences that they really are the characters they are playing. 24 Johanna Bartolo 12  24/11/2024 Front stage: actions which are visible to the audience and are part of the performance (in the limelight). Back stage: the behaviours when the audience is not present. The actor can shed his stage identity, stop performing and be him/herself. When individuals finally get home into a private setting – abandon impression management of their identities and be themselves. 25 Impression management might not always be successful. This is particularly the case for those with stigmatized identities. 26 Johanna Bartolo 13  24/11/2024 27 Criticism of the social action approach Individuals are seen as having too much control over their identity formation. Not enough importance is given to power inequalities and gender issues. Although individuals might choose aspects of their identity, we are still influenced by factors of control – such as disapproval from others. 28 Johanna Bartolo 14  24/11/2024 3. Structuration: The third way (1980s) Developed by Anthony Giddens It attempts to reconcile how human behaviour is influenced by both individual agency (choices and actions) and social structures (rules, norms, institutions). 29 3. Structuration (3rd way) Anthony Giddens explains how there is a middle way between structure and social action approaches. (structure-ation). Social structures limit how people may act and the identities they may adopt, but Giddens also sees that they make it possible for people to act and form identities in the first place. People enter into situations not of their own making, yet, they can act on them and transform them. 30 Johanna Bartolo 15  24/11/2024 3. Structuration (the third way) The culture and structure of society provide people with the means of establishing their identities and the tools necessary to make sense of society – providing some degree of predictability through an understanding of and agreement on basic social norms and values and a common language. With these, people can make choices, and have opportunities to form and change their identities. (mix of structure and agency) Social structure and social action are thus interdependent. 31 3. Structuration - The reflexive self Individuals are not simply passive receivers of identities handed down by agencies of socialization. Identity is formed and developed through a reflexive self (individuals actively reflect on their identity as they interact with others in context of the agencies of socialization). Identity is like an evolving narrative or a biological story – where the individual is continuously reflecting on, working on and re-working as they go through life. 32 Johanna Bartolo 16  24/11/2024 33 Johanna Bartolo 17