Chapter 3 Socialization: At-a-Glance
I.
What Is Human Nature?
A. Isolated children show what? P. 60
1. The case study of Isabelle shows what?
2. End result for Isabelle?
B. Institutionalized children show that traits such as intelligence, cooperative
behavior, and friendliness are the result of what? P. 62
1. What were the findings involving the infants in orphanages who received little adult
interaction?
II
2. What happened to the control group of infants who remained in the orphanage?
3. What did we learn from Genie?
C. Studies of monkeys P. 63
1. What is the result of longer and more severe the isolation?
2. Harry and Margaret Harlow demonstrated what?
Socialization into the Self, Mind, and Emotions
A. Socialization is the process by which we ___?
1. Charles H. Cooley (1864-1929) concluded what?
2. What is this called"?
3. According to Cooley, this process contains what 3 steps? P. 64
4. A favorable or negative reflection in the "social mirror" leads to what?
5. If we misjudge others' reactions, these become part of our self-concept.
B. This development process is long or short term?.
C. George H. Mead (1863-1931) agreed with Cooley, but added that what is critical
to the development of a self?
1. In play, we learn to take the role of others:
2. Mead concluded that children are first able to take only the role of whom?
3. As the self develops, children internalize the expectations of whom?
4. What was Mead’s generalized othe?
5. According to Mead. the development of the self goes through what 3 stages?
6. Mead distinguished the "I" from the "me" in development of the self.
Explain. P. 65
7. Mead concluded that not only the self is a social product, but also the mind.
We cannot think without symbols, and it is society that gives us our symbols
by giving us our language.
D.
After years of research, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) concluded that there are
four stages in the development of cognitive skills. Name each, identify the ages
and describe each. P. 66
E. While it appears that the looking glass self, role taking, and the social mind are
universal phenomena, there is not a consensus about the universality of Piaget's
four stages of cognitive development.
1. Some adults never appear to reach which stage, whether due to particular
social experiences or to biology.
2. The content of what we learn varies from one culture to another; with very
different experiences and the thinking processes that revolve around these
experiences, we can not assume that the developmental sequences will be the
same for everyone.
F.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed that personality consists of what 3
elements? Describe each. P. 67
III.
IV.
1. Sociologists object to Freud's view that inborn and unconscious motivations
are the primary reasons for human behavior. Why?
G. Emotions are not simply the result of biology; they also depend on what?
1. Everyone experiences what 6 basic emotions:
2. The expression of emotions varies according to what factors? P. 68
3. Socialization not only leads to different ways of expressing emotions, what
else?
H. Most socialization is meant to turn us into what? P. 69
1. Why do we do some things and not others?
2. How does society sets up controls on our behavior?
Socialization into Gender
A. How does society nudge boys and girls in separate directions?
1. How do parents begin the process? P. 70
B. How does the media reinforce society's expectations of gender? P. 71
Agents of Socialization
A. Our experiences in the family have a life-long impact on us, laying down a basic
sense of self, motivation, values, and beliefs.
1. How do parents do this?
2. Research by Melvin Kohn suggests that there are social class and
occupational differences in child-rearing.
3. What is the main concern of working-class parents regarding their children?
Middle class?
4. How can the type of job held by the parent be a factor?
B. Does the neighborhood have an impact on children’s development?
Explain P. 73
C. How does religion play a major role in the socialization of most Americans?
Must they are not raised in a religious family?
D. Why has day care become a significant agent of socialization?
1. Researchers have found that the effects of day care depend on what?
2. Overall, research findings suggest that which children benefit from day
care?
3. Children in better-quality day care interact better with other children and
have fewer behavioral problems.
4. One national study of young children found that the more hours per week
that children were in day care, the weaker the bond between mother and
child and the more negative their interactions. While the findings of this
study are indisputable, the explanation for them is another matter.
E. Schools serve many manifest (intended) functions for society, including what?
1. Schools also have several latent (unintended) functions.
2. How does the school present universality?
3. How do schools also have a hidden curriculum?
F. One of the most significant aspects of education is that it exposes children to peer
groups.
1. What is a peer group? How does its influence compare with that of the
family?
2. What did research by Patricia and Peter Adler document?
3. Why is it almost impossible to go against a peer group? P. 75
G. How are sports also a powerful socializing agents?
H. How is the workplace a major agent of socialization for adults? What is
anticipatory socialization?
Resocialization
A. What is Resocialization?
1. When does resocialization usually occur?
2. Resocialization can be an intense experience, although it does not have to
be.
B. Erving Goffman coined the term total institution.
1. What is a total institution?
2. What are examples of total institutions?
3. What is a degradation ceremony and what is its purpose?
4. How would you rate the effectiveness and why?
VI.
Socialization Through the Life Course P. 77
A. Socialization occurs throughout a person's entire lifetime and can be broken up
into different stages.
B. Childhood (birth to 12). Compare and contrast attitudes toward the child through
history. P. 78
C. Adolescence (13-17)
1. What effect did the Industrial Revolution have on teenagers? How did
attitudes toward education change?
2. Why would adolescents suffer inner turmoil? Describe some of their created
standards.
D. Young Adulthood (18-29) P. 79
1. How are adult responsibilities postponed?
V.
2. Describe this period?
E. The Middle Years (30-65) This can be separated into what 2 periods.
VII.
F. Older years (66 and beyond): This can also be separated into what 2 periods.
G. The social significance of the life course is how it is shaped by what social
factors?
Are We Prisoners of Socialization? P. 80
A. Do sociologists think of people as little robots who simply are the results of their
exposure to socializing agents? Explain.
B. Are we actively involved even in the social construction of the Self? How?
Key Terms
agents of socialization:
anticipatory socialization: (p. 75) degradation ceremony: (p. 75)
ego: (p. 66) gender socialization: (p. 69)
generalized other: (p. 64)
I: (p. 64)
id: (p. 66)
life course: (p. 77)
looking-glass self: (p. 63)
mass media: (p. 70)
resocialization: (p. 75)
self: (p. 63) significant other: (p. 64) social environment: (p. 60)
social inequality: (p.71)
socialization: (p. 63)
superego: (p. 66)
take the role of the other: (p. 64)
total institution: (p. 75)
transitional adulthood: (p.79)
KEY PEOPLE
Patricia and Peter Adler:
Sigmund Freud:
Harry and Margaret Harlow:
Philippe Ariés:
Erving Goffman:
Kenneth Keniston:
George Herbert Mead:
Jean Piaget:
Charles H. Cooley:
Susan Goldberg and Michael Lewis:
Melvin Kohn:
H.M. Skeels and H.B. Dye:
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1.
Explain what is necessary in order for us to develop into full human beings.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why do sociologists argue that socialization is a process and not a product?
Having read about how the family, the media, and peers all influence our gender socialization,
discuss why gender roles tend to remain unchanged from one generation to the next.
As the text points out, the stages of the life course are influenced by the biological clock, but they
also reflect broader social factors. Identify the stages of the life course and indicate how social
factors have contributed to the definition of each of these stages.
How would you answer the question, "Are We Prisoners of Socialization?"
According to the video, “Socialization,” which of the following arguments is more powerful:
nature or nurture?
Key Terms and Theorists
 Nature: refers to characteristics passed through
heredity.
 Nurture: refers to the social environment, contact
with others.
 Harry and Margaret Harlow: conducted
experiments with baby monkeys to demonstrate the
relationship between infant-mother bonding and
“intimate physical contact.”
Socialization Into the Self and Mind
 Looking Glass Self: our sense of self develops from
 Cooley and the “Looking Glass Self.”
interaction with others.
 Mead’s three stage process of socialization.
 Charles Horton Cooley: developed the concept of “Looking
Glass Self.”
 Mead’s concepts of the “I” and “Me”.
 George Herbert Mead: developed a three stage process to
 Piaget’s theory of how children learn to reason.
explain socialization including the Imitation, Play, and Games
 Freud’s theory of personality development.
stages.
 Figure 3.1 How We Learn to Take the Role of the
 Jean Piaget: Swiss psychologist who developed a theory on
Other p.65
developing the ability to reason.
 Sigmund Freud: developed psychoanalysis, a technique for
treating emotional problems.
Learning Personality and Emotions
 Psychoanalysis: a technique for treating emotional
 Freud and the development of emotions.
problems through long-term, intensive exploration of
the subconscious mind.
 Emotions as social control.
 Ego: the balancing force between the id and
 Cultural Diversity Around the World Do You See What
demands of society.
I See?: Eastern and Western Ways of Perceiving and
Thinking p.68
 Superego: the conscience.
Socialization Into Gender
 Gender Socialization: expecting different attitudes
 Gender socialization begins at birth.
and behaviors from a person because they are either
male or female.
 The mass media has a significant influence on gender
socialization.
 Mass Media: forms of communication directed at
large audiences, such as radio, television, and
movies.
Agents of Socialization
 Agents of Socialization: people and groups that
 Family
influence our orientation towards life, our self
concept, emotions, attitudes, and behavior.
 Neighborhood
 Peer Group: individuals of roughly the same age
 Religion
who are linked by common interests.
 Day Care

Anticipatory Socialization: learning to play a role
 School and Peers
before entering it.
 The Workplace
 Mass Media in Social Life Lara Croft, Tomb Raider p 72
 Cultural Diversity in the U. S. Caught Between Two
Worlds p 74
Resocialization
 Resocialization: learning of new norms, values, and
 Total Institutions
behaviors to match new situations in life.
 Degradation Ceremonies
 Total Institution: a place cut off from the rest of
Detailed Outline
What is Human Nature?
 The “Nature vs. Nurture” argument.
 Studies of isolated and institutionalized children.
 The Harlow Experiments.
 “Society makes us human.”
 Down-to-Earth Sociology Heredity or Environment?
p.61
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

Loss of the Personal Identity Kit
The Results of Being in a Total Institution Boot Camp As
A Total Institution p 76
ABC Video Erasing Race
Socialization Through the Life Course
 Childhood (birth-12)
 Adolescence (13-17)
 Young Adulthood (18-29)
 The Middle Years (30-65)
 The Older Years (65+
 ABC Video Faceless, Nameless, Fathers
 ABC Video Asian Americans
 Figure 3.2 Transitional Adulthood





society where officials control almost every aspect of
its operation.
Erving Goffman: coined the term Total Institution.
Degradation Ceremony: stripping away an
individual’s current identity.
Life Course: the biological and social stages a
person passes through from birth to death.
Adolescence: a stage in life between childhood and
adulthood,
Sandwich Generation: People usually in the later
middle years (50-65).