BECOMING A MEMBER OF

SOCIETY
SOCIALIZATION AND
ENCULTURATION
John Locke said that the
human mind at birth is
nothing but a blank slate,
or tabula rasa.

Socialization refers to
the lifelong process of
social interaction
through which people
acquire their identities
and necessary survival
skills in society.
 Internalization refers to the process of accepting the social
norms, attitudes, roles, and values transmitted by people and
social groups within society as one’s own.

 This is the view of functionalists like Talcott Parsons, who

explains that if people failed to play their expected roles or
behaved “strangely,” there is incomplete or inadequate
socialization.

 Interpretevist sociologists, on the other hand, see

socialization as an interactive process between individuals
and other members of society.
 The sociologist William Wentworth has proposed a
synthesized view of socialization which considers how factors
such as free will, human autonomy, and social structures and
processes influence socialization.

 The synthesized view identifies three significant aspects of

socialization: social context, content and process, and results.

1. Social context
– refers to the particular circumstances of a society and consists
of its culture, language, and the social structures that define
social class, ethnicity, and gender.
2. Content
– refers to ideas, beliefs, behavior, and other information that are
passed on by members of society to the individual;

Process
– refers to the methods of interaction that enable the content to be
given to the persons undergoing socialization.

3. Results
– refers to the outcomes of socialization, and are evident when
individuals begin to practice the behaviors, attitudes, and values that
society considers necessary for them to function effectively as its
members.
 Self-identity refers to the establishment
of a unique sense of identity and an
awareness of how it relates to their
society and the world.

 Through enculturation, individuals learn

cultural symbols, norms, values, and
language by observing and interacting
with family, friends, teachers, and the
rest of society.

 Socialization and enculturation go hand-

in-hand in instilling in the individual the
accepted values, norms, and standards of
behavior in society through social rules
on behavior and laws.
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
AND ENCULTURATION
THE FAMILY
 The primary agent of socialization
of an individual upon birth,
throughout infancy, and up to
childhood.

 Apart from defining the identity of

the individual as a member of
society, the family itself as an
institution is also defined by the
changes that society undergoes.

 The family’s social and cultural

background are also significant
factors that define a child’s social
opportunities and experiences.
SCHOOLS
 Schools have a critical and active
role in socialization, as their
various academic and social
activities mold students’ beliefs,
values, and attitudes.

 There are varied classifications

of schools.

 Through education, students

become aware of the interactions
between people and social
institutions and how these
influence society.
PEER GROUPS
 Peer groups also reinforce
acceptable behaviors introduced
by the family and school, allow
a certain degree of
independence from family and
certain figures of authority, and
are also a means for
socialization and involvement in
social and political issues.

 Peer groups for the most part

are formed by informal,
spontaneous, and voluntary
means.
MASS MEDIA
 It is a powerful agent of
socialization which is widely
used by many institutions
and organizations involved
in the use of print and
electronic communication.

a. Pluralist model
– portrays media as an
ideological marketplace that
enhances debate and electoral
choice.
MASS MEDIA
b. Market model
– suggests that media reflects the views of the general public, and
that media presents what they think the people want.

c. Dominant-ideology model
– traces this bias to link between media and the political and
social elite.

d. Elite-values model
– recognizes media bias as a product of the personal views of
media professionals such as journalists, broadcasters, and editors.
RELIGION AND STATE
 Religion exerts a great influence
on the views of a person,
legitimizes accepted social
practices, provides stability to
society, and can even be sources
of social change.

 The state, meanwhile,

participates in socialization
through laws and other
regulations that reinforce
appropriate behavior, and help
form values and attitudes of the
citizens.
MAJOR SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS
 The changes and
developments brought
about by historical events
often cause
transformations in the
values, attitudes, and
views that define societies,
leading to further changes
in the behavior and
traditions of societies.
CONFORMITY, DEVIANCE, AND
SOCIAL CONROL
CONFORMITY
 It refers to the process of
altering one’s thoughts and
actions to adapt to the
accepted behavior within
his or her group or society.

 Herbert Kelman identifies

three types of conformity:
compliance, identification,
and internalization or
acceptance.
CONFORMITY
1. Compliance
– refers to the outward conformity to social pressure but privately
disagreeing with it.

2. Identification
– refers to the individual adopting a certain behavior because it
enables him or her to have a satisfying relationship with the
members of his or her group.

3. Internalization or acceptance
– involves both public compliance and internal acceptance of the
norms and standards imposed by the group.
DEVIANCE
 It is defined as a behavior that elicits
a strong negative reaction from group
members and involves actions that
violate commonly held social norms.

1. Structural strain theory

– argues that the tensions and strains
between socially-approved goals and an
individual’s ability to meet them will
lead to deviance.

2. Subcultural view
– points to the emergence of deviant
behavior with certain groups in society
or subcultures.
DEVIANCE
3. Labeling theory
– believes that there is actually no deviance in society; deviance only
emerges when society begins labeling certain actions as “deviant” or
“undesirable”.

4. Conflict perspective
– analyzes deviance in the framework of competing interests between
social groups and the maintenance of power among the elites.

5. Broken window theory

– suggests a direct relationship between social disorder and deviance,
and that maintaining even an appearance of order is sufficient to
discourage deviance.
SOCIAL CONTROL AND SANCTIONS
 Social control is defined as
any systematic means and
practices used to maintain
norms, rules, and laws;
regulate conflict; and
discourage deviant behavior.

 Sanctions are the most

common means of social
control, and are often
employed to address conflicts
and violations of social
norms.
SOCIAL CONTROL AND SANCTIONS
1. Formal sanctions
– are those provided for by laws and other regulations in
society.

2. Informal sanctions
– are most commonly imposed by smaller societies,
communities, or groups.
HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS
 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 protections
by virtue of his or her
human dignity.
1. Natural rights
– are those that are expected to be enjoyed by all
individuals, regardless of citizenship.

2. Legal rights
– are those that are awarded to an individual by the state as
part of its culture, traditions, and norms.