SOC 101  EXAM #1 on Friday.

Last week  Grades for “UNIT 1” (First three

weeks) will be ready soon.
  Nature vs Nurture Lecture today

SOC 101  Read Chapter 3 in textbook for

Wednesday

This week!  Assignment after Wednesday’s

class (Due Friday)
 Class exercise on Friday
The Individual in Society:
“Nature vs. Nurture”
SOC 101-Introductory Sociology
Dr. Jeff Jackson
Sep 12, 2022
The sociological imagination=

 The ability to see the intimate realities of our own lives in

the context of common social structures.
 The ability to see our “personal troubles” as they relate to
“public issues.”

individual society

Next 3 weeks:
How do sociologists understand the individual …in social context?
 Who are you?
The Self
Achieved Characteristics Ascribed characteristics
 The statuses we hold  Our biological makeup
 And roles we play in society  Age
 Norms / our behaviors  Heredity / genes
 Values / our beliefs & preferences  The physical body we inhabit

These are “learned” features These are “in-born” features

of the self of the self
Products of our social environment Products of our genetic makeup
(Sociogenic) (Biogenic)

“NURTURE” “NATURE”
The “Nature” versus “Nurture” debate:
 Which is more important in shaping “the self,” nature or nurture?
 Is the self “fixed at birth” or are we “products of our environment?”
 Do we learn how to be who we are, or are we “born that way?”
 Example: professional athletes, musical “geniuses”
 Both nature and nurture play a role in shaping the self, but which is
MORE important?
 Sociologists place emphasis on NURTURE and the social
construction of the self: We are largely products of social
learning and our cultural environment.
 The idea of the self as a product of social interaction and social
experience is CENTRAL to the sociological point of view.
Socialization=

 “The lifelong social experience by which

individuals develop their human potential
and learn culture.”
 Theprocess of learning the roles, statuses,
norms and values necessary for
participating in society.
Next time:
THEORIES OF SOCIALIZATION
 Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, psychological
theories
 Charles H. Cooley
 George Herbert Mead
Theories of Socialization

 Psychological theories (Freud, Piaget, others)

 Charles H. Cooley (1864-1929)
Wondered how humans develop a “self”
“The Self”= our interpretation of how others
see us.
“The looking-glass self”—our sense of self
develops from interaction with others
“The looking-glass self”—our sense of self develops from interaction
with others
(3 elements)

1. We imagine how we look to others

2. We imagine how others judge us
3. We develop feelings and a self concept
based on these judgements
George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)
 Agreed with Cooley that the self
develops out of social experience
 In particular, we learn social norms by
taking the role of “the other” (those
people in our social environment)
 Significant others (parents, siblings)
 Generalized other (group as a whole)
Development of the self (Mead)-
“Taking the role of the other” (4 stages):

1. Imitation—mimic others, prepares the child

for future role taking (under age 3)
2. Play—pretend to take the role of specific
others (ages 3-5)
3. Game—can take on multiple roles in one
situation (ages 5 and above)
4. Everyday life—can take on multiple roles in
multiple situations (ages 5 and above)
Types of socialization

 Primary socialization (early childhood)

 Anticipatory socialization—role learning for
roles we are likely to assume in the future
 Resocialization—abandoning a developed
self-concept for a radically new one.
(Example: total institutions)
Agents of socialization

1. The family
2. The school (education)
3. Peers
4. Mass media

5. Religion
6. The workplace
 Can we imagine life
without…
society? Our family?
Our friends?
Our schooling?
Our internet & mass media?
Our religion, our workplaces?
“On your own” exercise this week:
• Cases of social isolation (“Anna” and “Isabelle”)
• Children raised without “nurture”
• What is the consequence of not having “socialization”?
• What does this mean for the “nature vs. nurture” debate?
• Assignment #5 (on Blackboard) DUE FRIDAY
• Will also have discussion of this in class Friday