Socialization: From Infancy to Old Age

Socialization

• The lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a self identity and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for survival in society.

• The social experience by which people learn culture

• Socialization is the essential link between the individual and society.

Why Socialization Is Important

• Teaches us ways to think, talk and act that are necessary for social living.

• Ensures that members of society are socialized to support the existing social structure.

• Allows society to pass culture on to the next generation.

Human Development

Each of us is a product of two forces:

1. Heredity- “nature” • Determines our physical makeup.

2. Social environment -“nurture.”• Determines how we develop and

behave.

The Biological Sciences: The Role of Nature Charles Darwin

Human behavior was instinctive – our “nature”

U.S. economic system reflects “instinctive human competitiveness”

People are “born criminals”

Women are “naturally” emotional and men are “naturally” more rational

The Social Sciences: The Role of Nurture

John B. Watson (1878-1958) Behaviorism

Held that behavior is not instinctive but learned

People are equally human, just culturally different

Human behavior is rooted in nurture not nature

Social Isolation

Ethically, researchers cannot place humans in total isolation to study what happens

Harry & Margaret Harlow (1962) Studied rhesus monkeys Found that complete isolation for even six

months seriously disturbed development Unable to interact with others in a group Confirmed the importance of adults in

cradling infants Isolation caused irreversible emotional and

behavioral damage

Studies of Isolated Children

Anna Social isolation caused permanent

damage At age 8, mental development was less

than a 2-year-old Began to use words at age 10 Because mother was mentally retarded,

perhaps Anna was similarly challenged

California Case Childhood isolation resulting from parental

abuse At age 13, mental development of a 1-year-

old Became physically healthy with intensive

treatment Language ability remained that of a young

child

CRITICAL REVIEW

Evidence points to the crucial role of social experience in forming personality

Humans can sometimes recover from abuse and short-term isolation

There is a point at which isolation in infancy causes permanent developmental damage

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

• Human development occurs in three states that reflect different levels of personality:

– Id: Present at birth; Pleasure principle

– Ego: Develops over the first few years; Reality principle

– Superego: Develops in a preschool child; Morality principle

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Personality Development To the id, the world is a jumble of physical

sensations that bring pleasure or pain As the superego develops, moral concepts

of right and wrong are learned Id and superego remain in conflict Managed by the ego in a well-adjusted

person

Freud’s Theory of Personality

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)Cognitive Development

• Jean Piaget used five key concepts to explain how cognitive development occurs:– Schema– Assimilation– Accommodation– Equilibrium– Equilibration

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor stage (birth to age 2) - children understand the world through sensory contact and immediate action.

2. Preoperational stage (age 2 to 7) - children begin to use words as symbols and form mental images.

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

3. Concrete operational stage (7 to 11) - children think in terms of tangible objects and events.

4. Formal operational stage (12 and up) - adolescents begin to think about the future and evaluate different courses of action.

Conservation and Reversibility Problems

Conservation and Reversibility Problems

Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning

1. Preconventional level (7 to 10)Children’s perceptions are based on punishment and obedience.

2. Conventional level (10 to adult)People are concerned with how they are perceived by peers and how one conforms to rules.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning

3. Postconventional level (few adults reach this stage)People view morality in terms of individual rights; “moral conduct” is judged by principles based on human rights that transcend government and laws.

Carol Gilligan’s Stages of Female Moral Development

• Stage 1: A woman is motivated primarily by selfish concerns.

• Stage 2: She recognizes her responsibility to others.

• Stage 3: She makes a decision based on a desire to do the greatest good for self and for others.

The Looking-Glass Self

1. We imagine how we look to others.

2. We imagine how other people judge the appearance that we think we present.

3. If we think the evaluation is favorable our self-concept is enhanced.• If we think the evaluation is unfavorable,

our self-concept is diminished.

Mead and Role-taking

The self is divided into “I” and “Me”:

• “I” represents the unique traits of each person.

• “Me” is composed of the demands of others and the awareness of those demands.

• “I” develops first. “Me” is formed during first three stages of self development.

Mead’s Three Stages of Self-Development

1. Preparatory Stage (up to age 3)Children prepare for role-taking by imitating the people around them.

2. Play Stage (3 - 5)Children begin to see themselves in relation to others.

Mead’s Play Stage

Mead’s Three Stages of Self-Development

3. Game Stage (early school years)Children understand their social position and the positions of those around them.Children become concerned about the demands and expectations of others.

4. Generalized Other (Later school years) The concept of socially acceptable behavior is internalized.

Erik H. Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development

Stage 1 The challenge of trust versus mistrust

Birth to about 18 months Gain a sense of trust that the world is

safe

Stage 2 Toddlerhood – The challenge of

autonomy (versus doubt and shame) Up to age 3 Failure to gain self control leads to

doubt in abilities Stage 3

Preschool – The challenge of initiative (versus guilt) Four- and 5-year-olds Learn to engage their surroundings or

experience guilt at having failed to meet expectations

Stage 4 Preadolescence – The challenge of

industriousness (versus inferiority) Between ages 6 and 13 Feel proud of accomplishments or fear

they do not measure up Stage 5

Adolescence – The challenge of gaining identity (versus confusion) Teen years Struggle to establish identity Almost all teens suffer confusion in

establishing identity

Stage 6 Young adulthood – The challenge of intimacy

(versus isolation) Challenge of forming and keeping intimate

relationships Balancing the need to bond with the need to have

a separate identity

Stage 7 Middle adulthood – The challenge of

making a difference (versus self-absorption) Challenge of middle age is to contribute to the lives

of others Failing leads to self-centeredness or becoming

caught up in own limited concerns

Stage 8 Old age – The challenge of integrity

(versus despair) Near the end of life, people hope to

look back on accomplishments with a sense of integrity

For the self-absorbed, old age brings a sense of despair over missed opportunities

Agents of Socialization

• Family

• School

• Peer group

• Mass Media

Functionalist Perspective: Functions of Schools

• Teach students to be productive members of society.

• Transmit culture.

• Social control and personal development.

• Select, train, and place individuals on different rungs in society.

Conflict Perspective: Schools

• Experiences depend on social class, racial–ethnic background, gender, and other factors.

• Children learn to be neat, punctual, quiet, wait their turn, and remain attentive to their work.

• Schools socialize children for later roles in the work force.

Media As Socializing Agents

1. Inform us about events.

2. Introduce us to a variety of people.

3. Provide an array of viewpoints on current issues.

4. Make us aware of products that will supposedly help us.

5. Entertain us.