Chapter 4:Chapter 4:

Socialization and DevelopmentSocialization and Development

What to Expect in This What to Expect in This Chapter...Chapter... What is Socialization?What is Socialization? Biology vs. Culture in SocializationBiology vs. Culture in Socialization The Concept of SelfThe Concept of Self Dimensions of Human DevelopmentDimensions of Human Development Theories of DevelopmentTheories of Development Early Socialization Influences in Early Socialization Influences in

American SocietyAmerican Society Adult SocializationAdult Socialization

What is Socialization?What is Socialization?

Socialization is Socialization is “...the “...the process of social process of social interaction that teaches interaction that teaches the child the intellectual, the child the intellectual, physical and social skills physical and social skills needed to function as a needed to function as a member of society.member of society.

Biology vs. Culture in Biology vs. Culture in SocializationSocialization

This is an age-old controversy, commonly This is an age-old controversy, commonly known as the known as the “nature-nurture debate.”“nature-nurture debate.”• Early social scientists minimized the role of Early social scientists minimized the role of

biology as a result of experiments by Pavlov, biology as a result of experiments by Pavlov, Watson and othersWatson and others

• The 1970’s witnessed a resurgence of interest The 1970’s witnessed a resurgence of interest in biology, known as in biology, known as sociobiology.sociobiology.

The Case for Culture: The Case for Culture: Deprivation and Deprivation and DevelopmentDevelopment

Several cases from the annals of social science Several cases from the annals of social science research demonstrate the importance of social research demonstrate the importance of social contact and cultural content in development:contact and cultural content in development:• Victor, The Wild Boy of AveyronVictor, The Wild Boy of Aveyron who had been living who had been living

alone in a forest for 5 or 6 yearsalone in a forest for 5 or 6 years• AnnaAnna, illegitimate daughter of a disapproving family who , illegitimate daughter of a disapproving family who

kept her isolatedkept her isolated• GenieGenie, daughter of a nearly blind mother who had been , daughter of a nearly blind mother who had been

kept harnessed to a potty seat for hours each daykept harnessed to a potty seat for hours each day

The Concept of SelfThe Concept of Self

Human beings have both Human beings have both social identitiessocial identities and and personal identitiespersonal identities

Social identities Social identities consist of all the statuses, or consist of all the statuses, or positions, that we occupy in society.positions, that we occupy in society.

Personal identitiesPersonal identities consist of the self- consist of the self-reflections and self-images that are based at reflections and self-images that are based at least in part on our social identitiesleast in part on our social identities

Our personal identity is also referred to as Our personal identity is also referred to as our our selfself..

Dimensions of Human Dimensions of Human Development: Cognitive Development: Cognitive DevelopmentDevelopment

Psychologist Jean Piaget alerted us to Psychologist Jean Piaget alerted us to the fact that children progress through the fact that children progress through clear stages in their ability to thinkclear stages in their ability to think• Sensorimotor StageSensorimotor Stage (birth-2)—reliance on (birth-2)—reliance on

touch for information about the worldtouch for information about the world• Pre-Operational StagePre-Operational Stage (2-7)—ability to think (2-7)—ability to think

symbolically but cannot see world from symbolically but cannot see world from another person’s point of viewanother person’s point of view

• Operational StageOperational Stage (7-12)—can begin to think (7-12)—can begin to think logicallylogically

• Formal-Logical Stage Formal-Logical Stage (12 on)—capable of (12 on)—capable of abstract, logical thoughtabstract, logical thought

Dimensions of Human Dimensions of Human Development: Moral Development: Moral DevelopmentDevelopment

Lawrence Kohlberg alerted us to the Lawrence Kohlberg alerted us to the fact that individuals go through stages fact that individuals go through stages of of moral developmentmoral development as well: as well:• Moral orientation toward punishmentMoral orientation toward punishment• Moral orientation toward rewardMoral orientation toward reward• Moral orientation toward disapproval by Moral orientation toward disapproval by

othersothers• Moral orientation toward formal lawsMoral orientation toward formal laws• Moral orientation toward peer values and Moral orientation toward peer values and

democracydemocracy• Moral orientation toward one’s own set of Moral orientation toward one’s own set of

valuesvalues

Lawrence Kohlberg

Dimensions of Human Dimensions of Human Development: Gender Development: Gender IdentityIdentity

Gender identity is one of the Gender identity is one of the most important elements of our most important elements of our sense of selfsense of self

Some aspects of gender identity Some aspects of gender identity are rooted in biology, such as are rooted in biology, such as physical strength, pregnancy physical strength, pregnancy and nursing, etc.and nursing, etc.

Most of our gender identity, Most of our gender identity, however, is culturally definedhowever, is culturally defined

Theories of Development: Theories of Development: Charles Horton Cooley Charles Horton Cooley

Cooley maintains that the self Cooley maintains that the self develops in a three stage develops in a three stage process he calls the process he calls the looking looking glass selfglass self• We imagine how our actions We imagine how our actions

appear to othersappear to others• We imagine how other people We imagine how other people

judge these actionsjudge these actions• We evaluate ourselves based on We evaluate ourselves based on

presumed judgments of otherspresumed judgments of others

Theories of Development: Theories of Development: George Herbert Mead George Herbert Mead

Mead suggests that the self is composed Mead suggests that the self is composed of two parts:of two parts:

““I”—I”—active and spontaneous part of selfactive and spontaneous part of self““Me”Me”—comprised of responses of others —comprised of responses of others which are internalizedwhich are internalized

Identifies three stages of development:Identifies three stages of development:• Preparatory StagePreparatory Stage—imitation of others—imitation of others• Play StagePlay Stage—child formulates role —child formulates role

expectations of one other person at a timeexpectations of one other person at a time• Game StageGame Stage—child can incorporate —child can incorporate

expectations of “others” generally, or the expectations of “others” generally, or the generalized othergeneralized other

Psychological Theories of Psychological Theories of Development: Freud and Development: Freud and EriksonErikson

Freud suggested that the personality is Freud suggested that the personality is made up of three parts which are made up of three parts which are inherently conflicting:inherently conflicting:

id–id– drives and instincts drives and instinctssuperego—superego—represents society’s norms and represents society’s norms and expectationsexpectationsegoego—mediates conflict between id and —mediates conflict between id and superegosuperego

Erikson identified eight stages of human Erikson identified eight stages of human development, each which pose development, each which pose challenges and hazardschallenges and hazards

Erik Erikson

Sigmund Freud

Recent Developmental Recent Developmental Theory: Daniel LevinsonTheory: Daniel Levinson

Levinson blends sociology and psychology in his Levinson blends sociology and psychology in his developmental theory of developmental theory of adult adult socializationsocialization

Suggests that adults go through eight stages:Suggests that adults go through eight stages:• Early Adult Period—17-22Early Adult Period—17-22• Entering the Adult World—22-28Entering the Adult World—22-28• Age 30 Transitional Period—28-33Age 30 Transitional Period—28-33• Settling Down—33-40Settling Down—33-40• Mid-Life Transition—40-45Mid-Life Transition—40-45• Beginning Middle Adulthood—45-50Beginning Middle Adulthood—45-50• Age 50 Transition—50-55Age 50 Transition—50-55• Culmination of Middle Adulthood—55-60Culmination of Middle Adulthood—55-60• Late Adult Transition—60-65Late Adult Transition—60-65

Early Socialization Early Socialization Influences in American Influences in American SocietySociety

The FamilyThe Family

The family is the primary socializing The family is the primary socializing agent for the first few years of lifeagent for the first few years of life

Socialization in the family varies Socialization in the family varies greatly by social class and ethnicitygreatly by social class and ethnicity

Structural changes in the family have Structural changes in the family have resulted in formal child care resulted in formal child care providers having a greater role in providers having a greater role in childhood socializationchildhood socialization

The SchoolThe School

The school is a formal agent of The school is a formal agent of socialization that seeks to socialize socialization that seeks to socialize children in selected skills and knowledgechildren in selected skills and knowledge

Numerous issues face the school as a Numerous issues face the school as a socializing agent as a result of conflict socializing agent as a result of conflict between local values and state/federal between local values and state/federal demands:demands:• PrayerPrayer• AIDS and sex educationAIDS and sex education• EvolutionEvolution

The Peer GroupThe Peer Group

Peer group is a socializing agent Peer group is a socializing agent that involves equalsthat involves equals

While parents provide basic While parents provide basic values, peer groups have values, peer groups have greater influence in lifestyle greater influence in lifestyle issuesissues

Peer group socialization often Peer group socialization often contradicts that of the family and contradicts that of the family and the schoolthe school

The Mass MediaThe Mass Media The mass media have become a The mass media have become a

dominant agent of socialization with dominant agent of socialization with the advent of televisionthe advent of television

98.2% of American households have 98.2% of American households have at least one television set at least one television setAmerican children watch an average American children watch an average of 2 hours of TV per day during the of 2 hours of TV per day during the week and more than 4 hours on weekends week and more than 4 hours on weekends

Many scholars believe that television is Many scholars believe that television is the cause of increased violence in the cause of increased violence in American societyAmerican society

Adult SocializationAdult Socialization

Adult socializationAdult socialization is the process by is the process by which adults internalize new role which adults internalize new role expectationexpectation

An important feature of adult socialization An important feature of adult socialization is is resocializationresocialization, exposure to radically , exposure to radically different expectations than one has different expectations than one has previously encounteredpreviously encountered• Often resocialization takes place within Often resocialization takes place within total total

institutionsinstitutions such as prisons, mental hospitals, such as prisons, mental hospitals, or religious cultsor religious cults

Adult Socialization: Adult Socialization: MarriageMarriage

Marriage is a significant marker of a Marriage is a significant marker of a transition from adolescence to transition from adolescence to adulthoodadulthood

Married couples must learn to Married couples must learn to define their relationship with define their relationship with each other and, as a couple, each other and, as a couple, with societywith society

This is more difficult today than This is more difficult today than in earlier times because in earlier times because traditional role expectations are being traditional role expectations are being called into questioncalled into question

Adult Socialization: Adult Socialization: ParenthoodParenthood

Having children introduces Having children introduces great complexity into a great complexity into a marriage relationshipmarriage relationship• Schedules must be alteredSchedules must be altered

• Finances are usually tighterFinances are usually tighter

• Often, unexpected feelings Often, unexpected feelings emergeemerge

The work world involves new The work world involves new demands that can be stressfuldemands that can be stressful

Career socialization is Career socialization is accomplished in a number of accomplished in a number of ways, including both ways, including both professional schools and on-professional schools and on-the-job training the-job training

Adult Socialization: Adult Socialization: Career DevelopmentCareer Development

Adult Socialization: AgingAdult Socialization: Aging

In many societies, such as Japan and In many societies, such as Japan and China, age brings increased prestigeChina, age brings increased prestige

In American society, older people are In American society, older people are usually regarded as less valuableusually regarded as less valuable

they are asked to retire at a certain agethey are asked to retire at a certain agethey may be put in nursing homes if they they may be put in nursing homes if they are unable to care for themselvesare unable to care for themselves

This creates great concerns for the This creates great concerns for the elderly, wondering where they are going elderly, wondering where they are going to live, who will care for them when they to live, who will care for them when they get sick, etc.get sick, etc.