Socialization
and
Development
Chapter 4
Nature or Nurture?
 Nature

Inherited characteristics
 Nurture

Socialization experiences
Becoming a Person: Biology and
Culture
 Every
human being is born with a set of
genes, inherited units of biological
material.
Where do these
inherit traits
come from?
The Process of Socialization
Socialization
 The process of social interaction that
teaches the child the intellectual, physical,
and social skills needed to function as a
member of society
 What kinds of things do humans learn
through socialization?


Their culture
Acquire a personality
Deprivation and Development
Human infants must:
 Develop social attachments
 learn to have meaningful interactions and
affectionate bonds with others.
 So what happens when we do develop
social attachments and meaningful,
affectionate bonds?
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sixlets69#p/u/10/STn3bpTTU6c
How does the self develop?
 When the individual becomes aware of his
or her feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as
separate and distinct from those of other
people.
Dimensions of Human
Development
Cognitive
Moral
Gender
Agents of Socialization
 The


Family
Primary means of socialization in most
societies
Varies according to geography, subculture,
class, religion, ethnicity and different lifestyles
of parents
 How
important are schools to the
process of socialization?
Agents of Socialization
 The



School
Early interaction with others
Building social and inter-personal skills
Early experience in institutional environments
Agents of Socialization
 Peer



Groups
Great influence in lifestyle issues
Social support
Social pressure to conform
 What
is “acting white?”
Diverse Society
Do you think television, movies, and video
games affect individuals’ behavior or
ideology?
Can we blame T.V., movies and video
games for the effect?
Why or why not?
The Mass Media

98.2% of all households in the U.S. have
television sets, with an average of 2 sets per
home.
 Schoolchildren watch an average 2 1/2 hours of
television on school days and 4 hours and 20
minutes on weekends.
 By the time most people reach the age of 18,
they will have spent more waking time watching
television than doing anything else.