Module 4 - Socialization.pdf

SOCI 201 - Introduction to Sociology Dr. Gbenga Adejare Department of Sociology Faculty of Art SOCIALIZATION Socialization: Learning Process Socialization is a lifelong learning process that involves figuring out or being taught how to be a social person in each society. It brings changes in an indi...

SOCI 201 - Introduction to Sociology Dr. Gbenga Adejare Department of Sociology Faculty of Art SOCIALIZATION Socialization: Learning Process Socialization is a lifelong learning process that involves figuring out or being taught how to be a social person in each society. It brings changes in an individual’s sense of self Types of Socialization: Primary socialization is the socialization that occurs during childhood Secondary socialization is the socialization that occurs later in life Determinism: Nature versus Nurture Central to any discussion of socialization are two contentious topics: Determinism versus free will and Biological determinism versus social determinism. Determinism refers to the degree to which an individual’s behaviour, attitudes, and other personal characteristics are determined or caused by something specific (e.g., genetic makeup) Biological determinism (nature) versus Social or cultural determinism (nurture) Biological Determinism Biological determinism (“nature” in the old “nature versus nurture” debate) states that the greater part of who we are is determined by our roughly 26,000 genes E.g., if we are good at sports, music or art it is because we are somehow genetically predisposed to be so. Sigmund Freud: Balancing the Biological and the Socio-Cultural Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) argued that both biological and social factors shape human personality The human mind has three parts: the id, the superego, and the ego: Id represents our unconscious instinctive drives Eros (life drive dedicated to pleasure seeking) and Thanatos (death wish the instinct for aggression and violence) Superego It is the part of the mind that polices the id (your conscience) Internalized moral messages provided by socializing agents Ego is the main agent of personality, driven by the id and its demands but restrained by the superego Sigmund Freud: Balancing the Biological and the Socio-Cultural, cont’d Erik Erikson (1902–1994), recognized the influence that society has on ego development well into old age. He believed each stage of life, from infancy to maturity, is defined by a central crisis (trust versus mistrust, intimacy versus isolation, etc.) that significantly impact individual development. Social (or Cultural) Determinism, a.k.a. Behaviourism Behaviourism is a school of thought in psychology that takes a strong cultural-determinist position (“nurture” in the “nature versus nurture” debate) Behaviourists emphasizes the power of learning in the development of behaviour Much of who we are and what we do is a consequence of how previous behaviour was responded to Social (or Cultural) Determinism, a.k.a. Behaviourism, cont’d Shaping someone’s behaviours through rewards and punishment is called behaviour modification Edward Thorndike calls this the law of effect Desired behaviours are rewarded and thus reinforced Undesired behaviours are ignored or punished and thus likely abandoned The Oversocialized View of Human Behaviour Canadian sociologist, Dennis H. Wrong (1961), argued that behaviourists work with an oversocialized representation of human beings Individuals are not passive recipients of the messages that our socializing agents give us, but have the agency to resist Agents of Socialization Agents of socialization are groups that have a significant impact on one’s socialization E.g., family, peers, neighbourhood/community, school, mass media, the legal system, one’s culture The impact of different socializing agents is contested Significant Other, Generalized Other, and Sense of Self George Herbert Mead, a symbolic interactionist, argued children are socialized by others and internalize norms and values Mead distinguished between two categories of agents of socialization 1. Significant others: key individuals, primarily parents, siblings and friends, whom young children imitate and model themselves after 2. Generalized others: the attitudes, viewpoints, and general expectations of the society into which the child is socialized Freud would call that the superego’s internalization of societal norms Significant Other, Generalized Other, and Sense of Self, cont’d Mead argued that the socialization of a child unfolds as a developmental sequence in three stages: 1. Preparatory stage: involves the imitation on the part of the child 2. Play stage: the child engages in role-taking and assumes the perspective of significant others (e.g., parents, grandparents, siblings) 3. Game stage: the child can consider several roles and viewpoints simultaneously Significant and generalized others continue to exert influence on an individual later in life Significant Other, Generalized Other, and Sense of Self, cont’d Charles Cooley (1864–1929), also a symbolic interactionist, introduced the idea of the looking-glass self as an explanation of how the self develops The individual’s self-image is based on how a person thinks they are viewed by others Source: The Haven Significant Other, Generalized Other, and Sense of Self, cont’d There are three components to the looking-glass self: 1. How you imagine you appear to others 2. How you imagine those others judge your appearance 3. How you feel as a result (proud, sel-confident, etc.) Source: The Haven E.g., Carol Gilligan’s (1990) research on girls’ self-esteem Family The family is the first and often most powerful agent of socialization Socialization of the child is consistently seen as a key function of the family However, the approach to socialization varies from family to family and culture to culture Some researchers have questioned the role of family socialization and instead have linked personalities to national character Peer Group Peer group can be defined as a social group sharing key characteristics such as age, social position, and interests Peer pressure refers to the social force exerted on individuals by their peers to conform in behaviour, appearance, or externally demonstrated values Peer pressure is socialization in action E.g., Paul Willis’s (1977) study of the informal culture of teenage, working-class boys Community and Neighbourhood Community and neighbourhood can be important agents in child and adolescent socialization How do the following issues affect a child? City versus small town versus suburb Rich versus poor versus mixed neighbourhoods Depending on where they live, children are more or less likely to engage in risk behaviours, that is lifestyle activities that place a person at increased probability of suffering negative consequences (e.g., dangerous speeds, drinking to excess) Mass Media This is one of the most powerful agent of socialization in contemporary sense Let’s watch “Beyond Good & Evil: Children, Media & Violent Times” There has been much debate as to whether mass media influences our behaviour Much has been debated regarding the violence children see on television, in movies, and using video games Some studies suggest that exposure to violence desensitizes, especially young men Others claim that violence in media provides a safe outlet for pent-up hostile emotions Mass Media Cont’d Mass Media, cont’d Education Education is another powerful socializing agent Schools are often the first source of information that children receive about a social group other than their own Students are socialized through teachers, curriculums, textbooks, and the social environment of the classroom Teachers play a critical role A teacher’s social location—their gender, age, ethnicity, and so on—can have a powerful effect on the educational socialization of the student Education, cont’d There are observable gender differences in educational performance that are the result of differential socialization It is a common belief that boys have a greater aptitude for the so-called STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—while girls have a higher ability in language and literature. Both tend to be discouraged to take on subject matters assigned to the opposite sex Much has been done to increase girls’ representation and performance in male-dominated disciplines, but boys are still not encouraged to enter female-dominated fields Issues of Socialization David Elkind (2003) studied how culture contributes to the hurried child syndrome He argues that today’s children have lost free play and instead have a rigid program of scheduled activities Due to over-programming many children now feel adultlike stress levels and guilt Digital communication also creates generational gaps Children and their parents use different technology Technology makes adult content available to children and thus affects childhood socialization Secondary Socialization and Resocialization Secondary socialization usually occurs during adolescence and early adulthood and takes place outside the family and involve a group smaller than society (e.g., new school or neighbourhood) Resocialization is the process of unlearning old behaviours, attitudes and values and learning new ones upon moving into a significantly different social environment Resocialization can be either voluntary or involuntary Both types of resocialization can occur together Voluntary Resocialization Voluntary resocialization occurs when someone starts school, changes schools, starts a new job, retires, undergoes a religious conversion, etc. This type of resocialization is often marked by a rite of passage, a ritual or ceremony signalling a change of status E.g., confirmation, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah Involuntary Resocialization Let’s Watch “Anybody's Son Will Do” Involuntary resocialization occurs when someone is forced to change Total institutions re-socialize by regulating all aspects of an individual’s life (e.g., residential schools, prisons, military) Part of the unlearning process in total institutions is the degradation ceremony: A rite of passage that strips a person of their individuality (e.g., hazing) Hazing entails re-socializing new members of a group or organization such as a university fraternity or sports team Hazing as Resocialization Hazing often entails enduring demeaning or uncomfortable experiences Hazing typically involves ritual humiliation of rookie members by veterans Hazing can at times cross over into abuse Traditionally, hazing has been more of a male than a female activity People are molded and/or remolded through socialization. Conclusion Socialization is a continuous process – from cradle to grave.