TECA1301: Family School and the Community
Professor C. Brooks
Chapter 2
Ecology of Socialization
Objectives
After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:
1. Describe Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development.
2. Compare and contrast patterns of influence for the major agents of socialization (parents, peers, etc.).
3. Describe differences between collectivistic and individualistic orientation styles.
4. Compare and contrast the major methods through which socialization occurs.
5. List and describe major outcomes of the socialization process.
Outline
I. Socialization Processes
A. Affected by biological, sociocultural, and interactive factors
1. Biological Factors
a. Experience-expectant
2. Sociocultural Factors
a. Experience-dependent
3. Interactive Factors
a. Life history and receptivity to change
II. Aims of Socialization
A. Develop Self-Concept
1. Self-concept is an individual’s perception of his or her identity as distinct from that of others.
2. Self-esteem is the value that one places on his/her identity.
3. Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
a. Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy)
b. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Early Childhood)
c. Initiative vs. Guilt (Play Age)
d. Industry vs. Inferiority (School Age)
e. Identity vs. Identity Diffusion (Adolescence)
f. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood)
g. Generativity vs. Self-Absorption (Adulthood)
h. Integrity vs. Despair (Senescence)
B. Enable Self-Regulation
1. Self-regulation involves the process of bringing one’s emotions, thoughts, and behavior
under control.
C. Empower Achievement
1. Socialization gives meaning or purpose to adulthood by furnishing goals.
D. Teach Appropriate Social Goals
1. To be part of a group, individuals must have a function that complements the group.
E. Implement Developmental Skills
1. A developmental task is a task that lies between an individual need and a societal demand.
2. Differs by culture and the society in which one lives
III. Agents of Socialization
A. The Family
B.
C.
D.
E.
1. The family is the child’s introduction to society and bears the major responsibility for
socializing the child.
2. The family is the first reference group for values, norms, and practices.
3. Families differ based on many variables, including cultural background
c. Orientation: Collectivistic-Individualistic
d. Coping style: Active-Passive
e. Attitude toward authority: Submissive-Egalitarian
f. Communication style: Open/Expressive-Restrained/Private
School and Child Care
1. School experiences influence development.
c. Educational philosophy
d. Classroom management
2. Child care has become an important socializing agent.
Peers
1. Peers provide information about the world and oneself from a perspective other than that of
the family.
2. Peers provide support for the expression of values and attitudes.
Mass Media
1. The mass media helps children cultivate their understanding of the world.
2. Different in that the interactions are not usually direct but instead more technical in nature
The Community
1. The community is a group of people sharing fellowship and common interests; a group of
people living in the same geographic area who are bound together politically and
economically.
2. The community provides a sense of belonging, friendship, and socialization of children.
III. Methods of Socialization
A. Affective Methods of Socialization
1. Refers to feelings or emotions
2. Attachment is an affectional tie that one person forms to another person, binding them
together in space and enduring over time.
B. Operant Methods of Socialization
1. Refers to producing an effect
2. Reinforcement refers to an object or event that is presented following a behavior and that
serves to increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.
a. Positive reinforcement refers to a reward, or pleasant consequence, given for
desired behavior.
b. Negative reinforcement refers to the termination of an unpleasant condition
following a desired response.
3. Extinction refers to the gradual disappearance of a learned behavior following the removal of
the reinforcement.
4. Punishment refers to physical or psychologically painful stimuli or the temporary withdrawal
of pleasant stimuli when undesirable behavior occurs.
5. Feedback refers to evaluative information, both positive and negative, about one’s behavior.
6. Learning by doing
C. Observational Methods of Socialization
1. A form of imitative learning
2. Modeling is a form of imitative learning that occurs by observing another person (the model)
perform a behavior and experience its consequence.
D. Cognitive Methods of Socialization
1. How an individual processes information, or abstracts meaning from experiences
2. Instruction
Instructor’s Manual
2-3
3. Setting Standards
4. Reasoning is giving explanations or causes for an act.
E. Sociocultural Methods of Socialization
1. Sociocultural expectations influence an individual’s behavior and ensures conformity to
established precedents
2. Group pressure
3. Tradition
4. Rituals and routines
5. Symbols
F. Apprenticeship Methods of Socialization
1. A process by which a novice is guided by an expert to participate in and master tasks
2. Structuring
3. Collaborating
4. Transferring
IV. Outcomes of Socialization
A. Values
1. Values are qualities or beliefs that are viewed as desirable or important.
B. Attitudes
1. An attitude is a tendency to respond positively (favorably) or negatively (unfavorably) to
certain persons, objects, or situations.
C. Motives and Attributions
1. Motives are needs or emotions that cause a person to act.
2. Attributions refer to explanations for one’s performance.
D. Self-esteem
1. Self-esteem is the value one places on his or her identity.
E. Self-Regulation/Behavior
1. Self-regulation refers to the process of brining emotions, thoughts, and/or behavior under
one’s control.
2. Behavior consists of what one does or how one acts in response to a stimulus.
F. Morals
1. Morals are an individual’s evaluation of what is right and wrong.
G. Gender Roles
1. Gender roles are qualities that an individual understands to characterize males and females in
his or her culture.
Agenda
1. Warm-Up: Create a personal inventory of your own socialization outcomes (to date). Include examples
or analysis of your values, attitudes, motives, attributions, self-esteem, self-regulation patterns, and
moral code. (Page 67)
2. Engage: Take notes on video as needed. Create a chart detailing each of Erikson’s stages. In the last
column of the chart, include a short description of an individual with whom you are familiar who is in
that particular stage. (Page 37-40)
3. Explore: Analyze “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood: Sharing Can Be Hard” for the kinds of models it
presents to children. Share your findings with the class.
4. Explain: In class: With your small group, create a skit illustrating the concept of group pressure.
Present your skit to the rest of the class.
5. Explain: In class: With your small group, generate real-life examples which illustrate the methods of
socialization found in your text (for example, reinforcement, modeling, reasoning, etc.). Use examples
from your own life or from other families with whom you are familiar. (Use chart paper to share out
ideas.)
6. Evaluate: Take Chapter 1 Quiz: Be sure to review all notes before taking quiz.
7. Extend: Interview a family that is new to the community, either in your home area or your college town.
Ask questions directed at discovering similarities/differences between their community of origin and the
new community. Summarize your findings and bring to share with the rest of the class. (10 Extra Credit
points)
Internet Resources
http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/research/theme.html?i=69
Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Provides links to abstracts and citation information for a variety of research articles on values, attitudes,
and beliefs around the world
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer
Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
Resources for professionals and parents on early development, including attachment
http://extension.psu.edu/base_fd&rm.htm
Pennsylvania State University Extension
Links to information and policy briefs on a variety of socialization issues