Chapter 4:

Socialization:
Becoming Human and
Humane
JPESantos

Introduction

Socialization- the lifelong process of

learning to become a member of the social
world
Interaction - the basic processes of
socialization through which a child is shaped
into a human being, learns its culture, and
becomes a member of a society
Social self - the changing perceptions we
have of who we are as a result of ongoing
socialization, from birth to death.

The Nature vs. Nurture

Debate
The

debate over whether biology (genes,

evolution) or socialization explains the
self and all human behaviors
Sociobiology (evolutionary psychology)is a bio-determinist theory that claims our
genetic make-up wires us for certain
social behaviors
Not well accepted by most sociologists >
1920s
Greatly abused in from 1850 (Social
Darwinism) all the way to 1945 (Fascism)

The importance of
socialization
Children

need human contact,

affection, and interaction in order to
fully develop

Socialization and the social

world

Most of our experiences are a part of

our socialization experience

Micro-level- e.g., parents, friends

Meso-level- e.g., schools and religion
Macro-level- e.g., national advertisements

Organizations and institutions are

dependent upon socialized people to
help them persist: school, boot camp,
internship, church school, etc.

Development of the self

Self - the perceptions we have of who

we are which are developed from our
perceptions of the way others respond
to us in our myriad interactions
The development of the self begins at
birth and through infancy
Biology and sociology both contribute
to the development of the self

The looking glass self

(Cooley)
1.
2.

3.

4.

We imagine how we appear to others

We interpret how others judge that
appearance and then respond to that
interpretation through behavior
We experience feelings of pride or
shame based on this imagined
appearance and judgment by others
We respond based on our
interpretation

Role-taking (Mead)

We imagine ourselves from the point of view of

others and assume the role we think we are
When humans can symbolically recognize
objects, they can then view the self as an object
This process begins with having a name, which
differentiates the self from other objects
Only humans use symbols
We imagine ourselves being others: role-playing

Symbolic interaction theory

We take the actions of ourselves

and others into account and take
mental notes accordingly
The self can be passive (developed
by the way that others see us) and
active (an initiator of action - an
agent)

Parts of the self (Mead)

The I- spontaneous, unpredictable,

impulsive; acts without considering
social consequences
The me- knows the rules of society
and attempts to channel the impulses
of the I into socially acceptable
behavior that still meets the Is
needs
The me requires the ability to take
the role of the other

Stages in the development

of the self (Mead)
Play - children actually take on the role
of particular others, but do not
understand complex relationships
Game- children can take the role of
multiple others at once and understand
the generalized other

Generalized other- a composite of societal

expectations
Can now play complex games (e.g., baseball)

Socialization throughout
the life cycle
Rites of passage occur at most
stages

Important because they impact how others

perceive the individual, how the individual
perceives herself, and what is expected of
the individual

Infant
- Childhood - Adolescence
Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood
Retired and the Elderly

- Death and Dying

The process of
resocialization

Resocialization- the process of

abandoning one or more social
positions in favor of others that are
more suitable for a newly acquired
status
Can be voluntary or non-voluntary

Agents of socialization
Agents are the mechanism through
which the self learns the beliefs,
values, and behaviors of the culture
The importance of various agents
change over the life course
Agents can be formal or informal
Socialization differs by parenting
style, social class, race, sex, etc.

Families as agents of
socialization
Families

use positive and negative

sanctions to help teach right from
wrong
The amount and type of sanctions differ
by family
Family socialization differs by culture
The number of children in a household
and birth order can influence individual
socializations

Social class and

socialization

Social class- the wealth, power, and

prestige rankings individuals hold in
society
Parents socialize their children to
enter into adult roles common to
other members of their social class
The unequal distribution of
resources in society have an impact
on who we become