1What makes us human?

Socialization

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

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Nature or Nurture?

• Feral children

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Is social experience crucial in forming personality?

• Anna & Isabelle• Effect of minimal human contact• Without social experience, a child is incapable of thought

or meaningful action

• Institutionalized patient

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What about isolation in other species?

• Harlow monkey studies• Isolation produced permanent developmental

damage in both humans and monkeys

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Do you remember?

• What did feral children show us?• What did Anna and Isabelle show us?• What did the Harlow monkey studies show us?

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What are the results of socialization?

• Personality• Thought• The social self

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How did I develop my personality?

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Ask yourself…

Personality

• Sigmund Freud• Id = Basic drives• Sex & violence

• Ego = Balance• Balances demands of society and

pleasure-seeking drives

• Superego = Conscience• Culture

• Humans internalize social norms

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How did you learn to think and reason?

• Jean Piaget• Cognition (thinking)

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What are Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?

• Sensorimotor stage (0-2)• Object permanence

• Preoperational stage (2-7)• Use of language• Egocentric

• Concrete operations stage (7-12)• Logic develops• Conservation of matter

• Formal operations• Abstract thought - imagine alternatives

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Who do you think you are?

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What is your social self?

• George H. Mead’s idea• The “self” comes from social experience• Self-awareness and self image

• Generalized other• Cultural norms & values we use as a reference in

evaluating ourselves.

• “Taking the role of the other”• Imaging the situation from another person’s point of view

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How do you develop the “Generalized Other”?

• Imitation

• Play

• Game

• Generalized other

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What is another idea about your social self?

• Charles H. Cooley’s idea• The Looking-glass Self• People see themselves the way they think

others see them.

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Do you remember?

• What are Freud’s three parts of the personality? What does each do?• How did Mead think you developed your self

image?• How did Cooley think you developed your self

image?

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What do you think is good – bad – right – wrong?

• How did you develop your morality?

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What are the stages in Kolberg’s moral reasoning?

• Pre-Conventional (0-9 yrs)• Self interest• Avoid punishment

• Conventional (To adolescence)• Upholding laws

• Post-conventional (Adult)• “What is right”• Ethical principles

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Can you be re-socialized?

• Re-socialization• Goffman = Re-socialization is breaking down an old

identity, then building a new identity

• Total institutions• Used to radically changing a personality• Cult• Military boot camp• Prison

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Do you remember?

• What are the stages in Kolberg’s development of moral reasoning?• Why do people do what they think is right in each

of these stages?• What is the process of re-socialization?

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