Socialization and the Construction of Reality Chapter 4 Lecture PowerPoint © W. W. Norton &...

Socialization and the

Construction of Reality

Chapter 4

Lecture PowerPoint

© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

Socialization: The Concept

You May Ask YourselfCopyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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Socialization is the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as a member of that society.

Limits of Socialization


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The concept of socialization is useful for understanding how people become functioning members of society.

However, it cannot explain everything about a person’s development and personality.

Biology is also a very important component. It is a combination of biology and social interactions

that makes us who we are.

Theories of Socialization


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Charles Horton Cooley theorized that the “self” emerges from our ability to assume the point of view of others and imagine how those others see us.



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George Herbert Mead Developed a theory about how the social self develops

over the course of childhood Infants know only the “I,” but through social interaction

they learn about “me” and the “other” They develop a concept of the “generalized other,”

which allows them to apply norms and behaviors learned in specific situations to new situations



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Mead stressed the importance of imitation, play, and games in helping children recognize one another, distinguish between self and other, and grasp the idea that others can have multiple roles.



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Eric Erikson Established a theory of psychosocial development

that identifies eight stages that span a person’s lifetime

Each stage involves a specific conflict that a person must resolve in order to move on to the next stage

Agents of Socialization


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Families, school, peers, the media, and total institutions are all important socializing agents or environments.

A total institution is an institution in which one is totally

immersed that controls all the basics

of day-to-day life.

Social Interaction


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Robert Merton’s role theory provides a way to describe social interaction

Status Roles

Role Strain Role Conflict

Status Set Ascribed Status

Achieved Status Master Status

Social Interaction


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Gender roles Set of behavioral norms associated primarily with males or

females in a given social group or system. Gender theorists argue that gender roles can be more

powerful and influential than other roles that people fill.

The Social Construction of Reality


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Socially construction People give meaning or value to ideas or objects

through social interactions. Ongoing process that is embedded in our everyday

interactions.



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Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory based on the idea that people act in accordance with shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions.

Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory views social life as a theatrical performance in which we are all actors on metaphysical stages with roles, scripts, costumes, and sets.



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Ethnomethodology is an approach to studying human interaction that focuses on the ways in which we make sense of our world, convey this understanding to others, and produce a mutually shared social order.



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Harold Garfinkel developed a method for studying social interactions, called “breaching experiments,” which involved having collaborators exhibit “abnormal” or “atypical” behaviors in social interactions in order to see how people would react.



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The Internet has created new types of social interaction that don’t incorporate verbal and visual cues people are accustomed to relying on. It has also changed society by creating new types of crimes and new ways of communicating.



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Because our reality is socially constructed, an unexpected change in that reality can be upsetting, frustrating, or just plain incomprehensible.

We all have a stake in maintaining consensus on shared meanings so that our society can continue to function smoothly.

Concept Quiz

1. In social development theory, the “self” can be defined as _______.

a) the individual identity of a person as perceived by that same person

b) one’s sense of agency, action, or power

c) the identity of a person as perceived by others

d) All of the above


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Concept Quiz

2. According to George Herbert Mead’s stages of development, children learn to recognize an “other” through _____.

a) formal games

b) imitation

c) playing informally with other children

d) None of the above


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Concept Quiz

3. ______ are common agents of socialization.

a) Siblings

b) Teachers

c) Television programs

d) All of the above

e) None of the above


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Concept Quiz

4. Which of the following is an example of a total institution?

a) An elementary school

b) A sports team

c) A convent

d) A political party


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Concept Quiz

5. Which of the following theories argues that people’s choices about how to act are based on shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions?

a) Symbolic interactionism

b) Functionalism

c) Dramaturgical theory

d) Postmodernism


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Concept Quiz

6. Harold Garfinkel is well known for _______.

a) developing the theory of impression management

b) creating breaching experiments

c) investigating the armed forces as a total institution

d) his analysis of socialization agents


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Figure 4.1 | Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Personality Development (pt. 1)

Figure 4.1 | Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Personality Development (pt. 2)

Table 4.1 | Mead’s Stages of Social Development

Socialization and the Construction of Reality Chapter 4 Lecture PowerPoint © W. W. Norton &...

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