Becoming

a
member
of the
society
 :
oExplain the development of one’s
self and others as a product of
socialization.

oDiscuss the importance of

understanding the self in
relation to becoming a member
of the society.
 activity
“The World and
I”
 How did your family take What role did your relatives play
care of you as a child? in your upbringing?

FAMILY RELATIVES

ME

GODPARENTS NEIGHBORS

Do you personally know your How did your neighbors interact with
godparents? How did your parents you as a child? To what extent did
choose them? What roles did they they socialize with your family?
play in your upbringing?
 According to John Locke:
(British Enlightenment philosopher)

“The human mind at birth is

nothing but a blank slate or
tabula rasa.”
 1.
The self and
Socialization
 on
 is the lifelong process of social
interaction through which
individuals acquire a self-identify
and the physical, mental, and
social skills needed for survival in
society.
 socializati
on
 It prepares new members of society and
trains them to think, feel, and act in
appropriate ways.

Examples:
-child-rearing
-orientation to new school
-attendance in Sunday school
-recruitment processes for political parties
-acquainting an immigrant to his new country
Theories on
how the
self is
formed
 Works of:
 Sigmund Freud’s
Model of Personality

 Jean Piaget’s
Theory of Cognitive Development

 George Herbert Mead’s

Theory of the Social Self

 Charles Horton Cooley’s

Looking-glass Self
 Sigmund
freud
Model of Personality
 combined basic needs and
the influence of society into a
model of personality with
three parts:

 id, ego, and superego

Sigmund
freud
(1856-
 Model of
Personality

id ego supereg
■a
■repre
pers o
sents ■or
on’s
the consci
cons
hum ence
cious
an consist
effor
bein s of
ts to
g’s the
bala
basic moral
nce
drive and
innat
s, or ethical
e
biolo aspect
pleas
gical s of
ure-
and
 Jean piaget
Theory of Cognitive
Development
 In each stage of human
development, children’s
activities are governed by their
perceptions of the world
around them.
 When age appropriate tasks
are complete, new mental
abilities allow the transition to Jean piaget
the next stage. (1896-
1980)
 4 Stages of
cognitive dev’t
 sensorimotor stage (age 0-2):
the level of human development at which
individuals know the world only through
the five senses

 preoperational stage (age 2-7):

children develop ability to use words or
mental symbols and to form mental images
 4 Stages of
cognitive dev’t
 concrete operational stage (ages 7-
11):
children learn to reason and take the role
of the other

 formal operational stage (age 12 and

up):
children develop the ability to think in
highly abstract thought
 George
Herbert

mead
For Mead, the self is a part of
Theory of the Social Self
our personality and includes
self-awareness and self-
image.
 It is the product of social
experience, and is not
guided by biological drives
(see Freud) or biological
George
maturation (see Piaget). Herbert
mead
 SOCIAL DEV’T
 preparatory stage: children largely imitate
the people around them

 play stage: children learn to use language and

other symbols, thus making it possible for them to
pretend to take the roles of specific people

important aspect:
role playing - mentally assuming
the perspective of
another in order
to respond from that
imagined viewpoint
 SOCIAL DEV’T
 game stage: children understand not only their
own social position but also the positions of those
around them.

At this time the child develop a generalized other –

an awareness of the demands and expectations of
the society as a whole.
 Theory of
social self
 G.H. Mead linked the idea of self-concept
to role-taking—the process by which a
person mentally assumes the role of
another person in order to understand the
world from that person’s point of view

“significant other”
individuals who are most
important in the development
of the self.
Charles Horton

cooley
Used the phrase looking-glass
Looking-glass Self
self to mean a self-image
based on how we think others
see us.
 As we interact with others, the
people around us become a
mirror (an object that people
used to call a “looking glass”)
in which we can see Charles
ourselves. Horton
cooley
 self
 We imagine how our personality and appearance
will look to other people.

 We imagine how other people judge the

appearance and personality we think we
represent.

 We develop a self-concept.
 2.
Agents of
socialization
socialization
 These are the persons, groups, or
institutions that teach us what we need to
know in order to participate in society.

- family
- school
- peer group
- mass media
 family
 The family is the most important agent of
socialization in all societies.

 Families are the primary focus of procreation and

socialization of children, as well as the primary
source of emotional support.

 To a large extent, the family is where we acquire our

specific social positions in society
 school
 Schools teach specific knowledge and skills and they also
have a profound effect on a child’s self-image, beliefs and
values.

 Schools are responsible for:

- Socialization: teaching students to be productive members
of society
-Transmission of culture
-Social control and personal development
-The selection, training, and placement of individuals on
different rungs in society
 group
 A peer group is a group of people who are linked by
common interests, equal social positions, and
(usually) a similar age.

 Peer groups function as agents of socialization by

contributing to our sense of belonging and our
feelings of self-worth

 Individuals must earn their acceptance with their

peers by meeting the group’s demands for high
level of conformity to its own norms, attitudes,
speech, and dress codes.
 media
 The mass media function as socialization
agents for children and adults in several
ways:

 They inform us about events

 They introduce us to a wide variety of
people
 They provide an array of viewpoints on
current issues
 They make us aware of products and
services that if we purchase them,
supposedly will help us to be accepted by
others
end.