INDIVIDUALS AND

SOCIETY
Nature vs. Nurture
“How did I become who I am?”
Biological Determinism (Nature)
The idea that our biology and genetic makeup
we inherit from our parents is mostly responsible
for human behavior and actions.
Social Determinism (Nurture)
The idea that culture and social environment
completely shape and influence human
behavior.
Sociologists do not like the term “Human
Nature” as it alludes to biological determinism.
The Social Construction of Identity
Social Constructivism is an
interactionist perspective that
argues that things are
constructed through cultural or
social practice.
Enculturation and
Socialization
Enculturation
The process by which people learn
the requirements of their surrounding
culture and acquire the values and
behaviors appropriate or necessary in
that culture.
Socialization
It refers to a lifelong social
experience by which people
develop their human potential
and learn culture.
Three Goals of Socialization
It teaches impulse control and help
individuals develop a conscience.

It teaches individuals how to prepare

for and perform certain social roles.

It cultivates shared sources of

meaning and value.
Identity Formation
The development of an individual’s
distinct personality, which is regarded
as a persisting entity in a particular
stage of life by which a person is
recognize.
Norms and Values
NORMS are rules that guide the
behavior of members of a society or
group.
Normal
Refers to that which conforms to
norms
Normative
Refers to what we perceive as normal, or
what we think should be normal,
regardless of whatever it actually is.
Refers to beliefs that are expressed as
directives or value of judgment.
 The process of
socialization is guided
by norms and taught to
us by those around us.
Values
Culturally defined standards that people
use to decide what is desirable, good, and
beautiful, and that serve as broad
guidelines for social living.
Aspects of Sociological
Concept of Value
Values exist at different levels of generality of
abstraction

Values tend to be hierarchically arranged

Values are explicit and implicit in varying

degrees

Values often are in conflict with one another

Statuses and Roles
Are important concepts in socialization
because the behavior of young members
of society are controlled by assigning
them certain status which they will enact.
Status
Position in a social system

Refers to a social position that a

person holds

Can be ascribed or achieved, given or

accomplished, respectively
Ascribed Status
A social position receives at birth or takes
on involuntarily later in life.
Achieved Status
Social position a person takes on
voluntarily that reflects personal identity
and effort.
Role
Refers to the behavior expected of
someone who holds a particular status
A person who holds a status and perform a
role
Understanding
Conformity and
Deviance
Conformity
Behavior in accordance with socially
accepted conventions or standards.

The anticipated behavior to follow.

Is the desire to go along with the

norms
Deviance
Departing from usual or accepted
standards

A behavior that violates expected rules

and norms.
Structural Strain Theory
Robert Merton offered a “side-
by-side” formulation of
conformity and deviance.
Strain Theory
Refers to the differences between
culturally defined goals and the
institutionalized means available to
achieve these goals.
Strain Theory
This theory traces the origins of deviance
to the tensions that are caused by the gap
between cultural goals and the means
people have to achieve those goals.

Culture – establishes goals for people

Social Structure – provides (or fails to

provide) the means for the people to
achieve those goals
Members of society reacts
to strain in five different
ways:
Conformist
A person who conforms to accepted
behavior or established practices
Innovator
Are those individuals that accept the
cultural goals of society but reject the
usual methods of attaining those goals
Ritualist
A person who do not believe in the
established cultural goals of society, but
they do believe in and abide by the means
for attaining those goals
Retreatist
Who reject both the cultural goals and the
accepted means of attaining those goals
Rebels
They are not only rejecting both the
established cultural goals and the
accepted means of attaining those goals
but they substitute new goals and new
means of attaining these goals
Labeling Theory
Explains why people’s behavior clashes
with social norms.

Holds that deviance is not inherent to an

act, but instead focuses on the tendency
of majorities to negatively label minorities
or those seen as deviant from standard
cultural norms.
Labeling Theory
Labeling Theory takes the view that
people become criminals when labeled as
such and when they accept the label as a
personal identity.
Human Dignity
Refers to the idea that a person has the
innate right to be valued, respected, and
treated well.
Human Rights
Are legal, social, and ethical principles that
consider the human person as deserving
of liberties and protection by virtue of his
or her human being.

Are founded on Natural Rights, which are

universal and an inalienable, and are not
contingent on laws, customs, beliefs, or
values of a particular culture.
How Society is
Organized?
 “No man is an island, entire
of itself; every man is a part
of the continent, a part of the
main.”

- John Donne
People as Social Animals
The daily activities of people are
performed in the company of others.

If people are deprived of the company of

others for a prolonged period of time,
mental breakdown is the usual result.
Group
Unit of people who interact with some
regularity and identify themselves as a
unit.

A collection of people interacting

together.

As a result of this interaction, members

feel a common sense of belonging.
Types of Groups
According to influence:

• Primary groups are small but intimate.

• Direct access and interaction with each
other (ex. Family)
• Secondary groups are formed to
perform a specific purpose.
• To accomplish the goals of the group
• Often formal and impersonal (ex. A
student can become close friends with his
classmates)
Types of Groups
According to membership:

• In-groups provide members a sense of

belongingness and loyalty.
• Out-groups are groups than an
individual is not a member.
• Elicit a sense of antagonism from a person
Types of Groups
Reference Groups
• Provide a person with a set of standards to
check against and to know if one is doing
well or where he or she needs
improvement. (ex. Neophyte Scientist)

Networks
• This is the entity of social connections an
individual takes part in for whatever
purpose and through whatever means.
(ex. A politician’s link with civil society
organizations and non-government)