23/05/2014

Socialization &
Social Environments
A. Society Makes Us Human
B. Socialization into Gender
C. Agents of Socialization

Sources: Schaefer, Richard T. (2013). Understanding Sociology. Sociology: A Brief Introduction (10th ed.)
(pp 76-99). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc .
Henslin, James M. (2012). Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (11th ed.) (pp 60-89).
United States of America: Pearson, Inc.

A. Society Makes Us Human

Nature (heredity) versus Nurture

(social environment) – traditional
view

Modern sociologists – interaction
both nature and nurture

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Impact of Socialization: Two Cases

1st Case: Isabelle
ISABELLE
- lived in almost total seclusion for 6 years
- little contact with other people except
her mother, who could neither speak nor
hear
- Isabelle’s grandparents were so ashamed
because she was born illegitimately – so
kept both Isabelle and her mother
hidden
- 1938, Ohio authorities discovered the
child when Isabelle’s mother escaped
from her parents’ home with Isabelle
- When first discovered, Isabelle could not
speak but could merely make various
croaking sounds
- Her only communication were with
mother only simple gestures
The socialization process
- In the beginning, she showed strong fear
of strangers and reacted almost like a
wild animal
- At first, observers thought Isabelle was
deaf
- When tested on maturity, she scored at
the level of infant
- Specialist developed a systematic
training programme to help Isabelle
adapt to human relationships and
socialization
- After a few days of training, she made
her first attempt to verbalize (speak)
- In over two months, she could speak in
complete sentences
- Nine months later, she could identify
words and sentences
- Before she reached nine, she was ready
to attend school
- By 14, she was in sixth grade, doing
well and emotionally well adjusted

2nd Case: Genie

GENIE
1970 – a 14-year-old Californian
named Genie was discovered in a
room
- had been confined since age 20
months
- during isolation – no one spoke to
her and all she could hear was
swearing
- no television or radio, so she never
heard the sounds of normal
human speech
The socialization process
- After 1 year, of extensive therapy,
Genie’s grammar was similar to an
18-month-old
- Although she made some
advances with therapy, she never
achieved full language ability
- Today, Genie, now in her late 50s
lives in a home for
developmentally disabled adults

Even animals raised in isolation could not adjust to their life.

- Psychologist, Harry and Margaret Harlow
- raised baby monkeys in isolation
- the monkeys could not participate in monkey interaction

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IN SUM

Babies do not develop “naturally” into social adults

If children are reared in isolation, their bodies grow but
they become little more than big animals

Without language, they can’t grasp relationships
between people (brother, sister, friend, teacher etc)

Without warm interaction, they can’t bond with others

Human contact is what help people learn to be
members of the human community

The process by which we learn the ways of

society (particular groups) is called
SOCIALIZATION.

How do we acquire the SELF?

Self

Looking- Role-
Glass Self playing

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How do we acquire a SELF? - 1

Humans are born with the capacity to develop a
self.

The self is socially constructed; that is its contents
depend on social interaction.

According to Charles Horton Cooley’s (1864-
1929)concept of the looking-glass self, our
self develops as we internalize other’s reactions to
us.

How we interpret others’ reactions to us frames
our feelings and ideas about ourselves. So a
positive social mirror leads to a positive self-
concept and a negative social mirror leads to a
negative self-concept.

How do we acquire a SELF? - 2

George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

Play is important in developing a self.

When we play, we take the role of the other.

ROLE-PLAYING

• Imitation
• Children under age 3
Stage 1 • Imitate others - significant others (parents or siblings)

• Play
• Ages 3 to 6
• Play “pretend” others (princess, Spider-man, fire-fighter, wrestler, nurse etc)
Stage 2

• Team Games
• After about age 6 or 7
• Team Games (organized play)
Stage 3 • Learn to take multiple roles – generalized other

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B. Socialization into Gender

Gender Messages in the Family

Gender Messages from Peers

Gender Messages in the Mass Media

Gender Messages in the Family

Colours

Toys

Play

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Gender Messages from Peers

The sorting process into gender begins in the family is
reinforced the peer group.

Friends, classmates and “kids in the neighbourhood”

Look at this conversation between two 14-year-old girls:

Cindy: The only thing that makes her look anything is all the
makeup…
Penny: She had a picture, and she standing like this. (Poses
with one hand on the hip and one by her head)
Cindy: Her face is probably this skinny, but it looks that big
‘cause of all the makeup she has on it.
Penny: She’s ugly, ugly, ugly.

Gender Messages in the Mass

Media - 1
1. ADVERTISING – stereotypical images

The average person is exposed to 30000 commercials a
year
Boys – outdoor settings
- action figures

In commercials for CHILDREN

Girls – indoor settings

- dolls

Stereotype : An unreliable
generalization about all members or a
group that foes not recognize
individual differences within the
group. (Schaefer, 135)

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• What are they selling?

• What are they
promoting?
• What message do they
convey?

Gender Messages in the Mass

Media - 2
2. MOVIES AND TELEVISION – teach gender lessons
but times are changing and more dominant, aggressive
females are being portrayed.

The gender messages, however, are mixed.

New message: Powerful but they have to be skinny,
gorgeous , or look a certain way and wear the latest
fashion.

3. VIDEO GAMES AND ANIME

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C. Agents of Socialization

Individuals and groups that influence our
orientations to life :

Self-concept

Emotions

Attitudes

Behaviour

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Agents of Socialization

1.The Family
2.The Neighbourhood
3.Religion and the State
4.The School
5.Peer Groups
6.The Workplace

1. The Family

Primary agents of childhood socialization

Play a critical role in guiding children into gender roles

Establish our initial motivations, values and beliefs

Receive our basic sense of self, ideas of who we are and
what we deserve out of life

2. The Neighbourhood

Children from poor neighbourhoods are more likely to
get into trouble with the law, to get pregnant early, to
drop out of school and to suffer mental health

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3. Religion and the State

Religion - Religious ideas provide some foundation of
morality

Participation in religious services – people learn
doctrines, values and morality

Life in congregations (groups) provide a sense of identity
or sense of belonging
E.g: Some rites bring the family together

The State – government regulations stipulate the ages

at which a person may drive a car, drink alcohol, vote in
elections, marry without parental consent, work
overtime and retire.

4. The School

Functionalists view - Schools fulfill the function of teaching
children the values and customs of the larger society.

Manifest function – intended purpose – formal
education is to teach knowledge and skills

Latent functions – unintended consequence- help the
social system – learn universality – that the same rules
apply to everyone, regardless of who their parents are or
how special they may be at home.
.

5. Peer Groups

As a child grows, the family becomes somewhat less
important. Instead peer groups assume the role of Mead’s
significant others.

Basic rule of “conformity or rejection” applies

As a result, the standards of our peer groups tend to
dominate our lives.

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6. The Workplace

We learn from the people we work with
– skills and perspectives

The more you participate in a line of work, the more this
work becomes part of your self-concept.

You may come to think of yourself in terms of the job
E.g: If you are asked to describe yourself, you may include the

job in your self-description. “I’m a chef”, “I’m an hotelier”,

“I’m a travel consultant”

Let’s stop to PONDER…

Is socialization necessary?

Are we prisoners of socialization?

Does socialization make people

seem like robots?

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