Chapter 4: Socialization:
Becoming Human and Humane
Soc 100
Dr. Santos
Introduction
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Socialization- the lifelong process of learning
to become a member of the social world
Interaction - the basic processes of
socialization through which a child is shaped
into a human being, learns its culture, and
becomes a member of a society
Social self - the changing perceptions we
have of who we are as a result of ongoing
socialization, from birth to death.
The Nature vs. Nurture Debate
The debate over whether biology (genes,
evolution) or socialization explains the self
and all human behaviors
 Sociobiology (evolutionary psychology)- is
a bio-determinist theory that claims our
genetic make-up “wires” us for certain social
behaviors
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– Not well accepted by most sociologists > 1920s
– Greatly abused in from 1850 (Social Darwinism)
all the way to 1945 (Fascism)
The importance of socialization
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Children need human contact, affection,
and interaction in order to fully develop
– E.g., Anna, Isabelle, neglected orphan
children, the latter with deaf-mute mother
– Because these children were not socialized at
the proper time, their developmental
disorders persisted after attempts to integrate
them into society, Anna much worse than
Isabelle
Socialization and the social world
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Most of our experiences are a part of our
socialization experience
– Micro-level- e.g., parents, friends
– Meso-level- e.g., schools and religion
– Macro-level- e.g., national advertisements
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Organizations and institutions are
dependent upon socialized people to help
them persist: school, boot camp,
internship, church school, etc.
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The Structural-functionalist perspective -
different socializing agents support one
another --> social harmony --> social order
 The Conflict perspective - different
socializing agents have conflicting goals -->
social conflict --> social change
– Those who have power use socialization to
manipulate others into supporting the power
structure that benefits the elite --> “false
consciousness” among subordinate social strata
– Most individuals have very little power to decide
or control their futures (not so if organized &
mobilized for collective action - “consciousness”)
Development of the self
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Self - the perceptions we have of who
we are which are developed from our
perceptions of the way others respond
to us in our myriad interactions
The development of the self begins at
birth and through infancy
Biology and sociology both contribute to
the development of the self
The looking glass self (Cooley)
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We imagine how we appear to others
We interpret how others judge that
appearance and then respond to that
interpretation through behavior
We experience feelings of pride or
shame based on this imagined
appearance and judgment by others
We respond based on our interpretation
Role-taking (Mead)
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We imagine ourselves from the point of view of
others and assume the role we think we are
When humans can symbolically recognize
objects, they can then view the self as an object
This process begins with having a name, which
differentiates the self from other objects
Only humans use symbols
We imagine ourselves being others: role-playing
Symbolic interaction theory
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We take the actions of ourselves and
others into account and take mental
notes accordingly
The self can be passive (developed by
the way that others see us) and active
(an initiator of action - an agent)
Parts of the self (Mead)
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The “I”- spontaneous, unpredictable,
impulsive; acts without considering
social consequences
The “me”- knows the rules of society
and attempts to channel the impulses of
the “I” into socially acceptable behavior
that still meets the “I’s” needs
The “me” requires the ability to take the
role of the other
Stages in the development
of the self (Mead)
Play - children actually take on the role of
particular others, but do not understand
complex relationships
Game- children can take the role of multiple
others at once and understand the generalized
other
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Generalized other- a composite of societal
expectations
Can now play complex games (e.g., baseball)
The connections of the self
to the meso-level
Iowa school
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Our sense of self is defined by our social
positions within organizations and
institutions in society
The self is relatively stable because a core
self develops
Because those organizations are so
important to our core self, we have a vested
interest in their preservation
Socialization throughout
the life cycle
Rites of passage occur at most stages
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Important because they impact how others
perceive the individual, how the individual
perceives herself, and what is expected of
the individual
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Infant
- Childhood
- Adolescence
Adulthood
- Middle Adulthood
Retired and the Elderly
- Death and Dying
The process of resocialization
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Resocialization- the process of
abandoning one or more social positions in
favor of others that are more suitable for a
newly acquired status
Can be voluntary or non-voluntary
Agents of socialization
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Agents are the mechanism through
which the self learns the beliefs, values,
and behaviors of the culture
The importance of various agents
change over the life course
Agents can be formal or informal
Socialization differs by parenting style,
social class, race, sex, etc.
Families as agents of socialization
Families use positive and negative
sanctions to help teach right from wrong
 The amount and type of sanctions differ
by family
 Family socialization differs by culture
 The number of children in a household
and birth order can influence individual
socializations
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Social class and socialization
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Social class- the wealth, power, and
prestige rankings individuals hold in
society
Parents socialize their children to enter
into adult roles common to other
members of their social class
The unequal distribution of resources in
society have an impact on who we
become
Electronic media: Meso-level agents
within the home
Children in the U.S. spend more time
watching television than any other waking
activity
 What messages do these agents of
socialization send to children?
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