Lauren Hedrick September 12 2013 Importance of Socialization Socialization Socialization A lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a self identity and the physical mental and social skills needed for survival Feral Children Children were isolated from human contact o Anna Hidden in closet until age 6 knew no language or how to walk Physically and mentally o Isabelle Hidden in a closet until the age of 6 At the age of 10 she was able to catch up with the other children her age o Genie Found at age 13 strapped to a chair knew no language but had the maturity of a one year old Half the size physically of other children her age Still alive but spends her life in adult care and cannot take care of herself At the individual level Interacting with people not only develops our idea of self but also the At the societal level Members of a society must be interacting in order to stay stable and able to rely on one another maintain social order and social structure for the entire society Animal Research o Harry Harlow experiments on monkeys to see mental deprivation infants without their mothers 3 different situations C1 in total isolation fed mechanically C2 in isolation with mother C3 raised with other infants but no adults C1 and C2 monkeys are extremely abnormal C3 monkeys are normal for the most part but never completely adjusted o Which monkey mother is preferred The metal one that can feed them Or the one that is soft to the touch but cannot feed them Most of the baby monkeys went to the one that was soft to the touch when they were frightened This only further proves that infants require love and affection in order to fully develop This is also evidence of emotional bonding Symbolic Interaction on Socialization Foundations of Socialization o Theories of Socialization Emphasizes social structure learning and social interaction Macro Level Functionalism and Conflict Theory view socialization as a process with important consequences for society Micro Level Cognitive Developmental Theory Piaget s Stages of Development and Symbolic Interaction Cognitive Developmental Theory Stages of Development 1 Sensorimotor Stage Birth 18 months Lauren Hedrick September 12 2013 2 Preoperational Stage 18 months 7 years 3 Concrete Operational Stage ages 7 12 4 Formal Operational Stage ages 12 Symbolic Interaction George Herbert Mead People use symbols to communicate and it is the meaning that we attach to these symbols that allows us to communicate with one another The meaning attached to these symbols is what separates the difference of humans and other Question How is society internalized o Answer Through the idea of self Question How does the self emerge o Answer Through how others see us and interaction with other people We have a perception of ourselves that comes directly from the way that others view us Self I and Me o I The part of us who feels hunger thirst and desire without the use of language Does not take into account the way that others may view us o Me The part of ourselves that allows us to view ourselves how others view us Everything is controlled by the I since the Me is merely how others view us Without socialization there is no Me only an I Stages of Socialization o Preparatory Stage ages 1 3 Children had very little interaction with people outside their families do not take into account at all how other people may view them o Play Stage ages 3 5 Begin to take on roles with others but do not completely understand their role in society and do not have their socialization skills completely developed yet o Game Stage generalized other ages 7 Children begin to be able to act in society as if it was an organized game and understands what each person s role is Their interaction is influenced by how other people are playing Agents of Socialization Family Primary agent of socialization especially when a child is in their early years because that is their primary form of social interaction School Becoming of increasing importance because of the amount of time that people are beginning to spend here School teaches not only mental Lauren Hedrick September 12 2013 skills but also they instill values in a student such as patriotism Builds a foundation of the roles in society such as what it means to be gifted or dumb Peer Group The group of people who are linked by a common interest and are of a similar age We learn how to dress act and how to be a part of this group Socialization can go both ways parents to children and from children to parents Reinforces who we are Mass Media TV is one of the most important types of mass media a close second is social media There are a lot of critics who are concerned about what we see through these forms of media especially when it comes to violence and anger o Observational Learning Theory Negative view on seeing violence on TV This theory argues that people learn from what they are seeing through the media and that people in society are copying what they see through the media o Catharsis Theory Positive view on seeing violence through media This theory argues that the violence we see in the media reflects what is going on in society and that media provides an outlet for our own anger and violence and just copies what we already see in society Socialization Across the Life Course Socialization is a continuous lifelong process Life Course Begins with conception and ends with death Modern societies formally structure people s preparation for new roles through education rehabilitation and re socialization o Childhood o Adolescence o Young Middle and Later Adulthood o Death Gender Socialization Penetrates every aspect of social interaction from family school peer groups and the mass media Historically women have always been viewed differently than men usually they have been viewed of lesser value