Chapter 5: Section 2: the Social Self

Chapter 5: Section 2: The Social Self http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AksQgAawrBA

SOCIALIZATION IS THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE LEARN THE BASIC SKILLS, VALUES, BELIEFS & BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF A SOCIETY. There are 3 theories as to how this occurs…

Theory Founder Concepts

This theory states that we are born as a clean slate & develop our personalities as a result of our social experiences – so – anyone can be molded into any Tabula Rasa John Locke type of character. Locke believed that people are born without a personality! This is an extreme view… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0

Cooley was an interactionist theorist– so he Looking Glass Charles Cooley focused a lot on how people interact with each Self other in society. The “Looking Glass Self” (we develop our self image based on how we imagine we appear to others) is his central idea. Cooley believed we reflect the image of ourselves that is based on other people’s reactions to our behavior. This is a 3 step process… STEP 1: Imagine how you appear to others; STEP 2: based on their reactions, determine if others view us as we view ourselves. STEP 3: use our perceptions of how others judge us to develop feelings about ourselves.

Cooley believed that this process begins early in life but that it continues throughout life as individuals constantly redefine their self-images as their interpretations of how others see them changes. Also an interactionist – he believed that we not only see ourselves as others see us (as Cooley said) George Herbert BUT we actually take on or pretend to take on the Role-Taking Mead role of others - called role-taking. 1. From birth to age 3 we mimic significant others (parents, siblings, etc) 2. As we grow older, the expectations & attitudes of society become more important. (referred to as the generalized other.) 3. *Interaction is key to children being able to do this. Mead also believed that under age 3 childen lack a sense of self & that at age 3 they begin to act out the roles of specific people. By school age, they are also anticipating the expectations of others. Through role taking Mead believed we develop our sense of self. Also – Mead said “self” consists of 2 parts - “ I” = your unsocialized, spontaneous personality; and “ME” your socialized self that’s aware of the expectations & attitudes of society. In childhood, the “I: is stronger than the “ME” but through socialization the “ME” gains power & the 2 work together to create functioning members of society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ptCOhdDCU Gender roles Section 3: Agents of Socialization

Agent Details

Most important agent. Intended vs Unintended socialization The Family Every family socializes differently. (race, ethnicity, religion, etc)

Become more influential the older a person gets. The Peer Shape themselves into people their peers will Group accept. Conflicts between values, goals, etc of peers and family/society.

Deliberate socialization – structured activities, schedules, etc. The School Attempt to prepare kids for the outside world. Much unintended socialization occurs. Peer groups, etc

Involves no face to face socialization. No interaction. Criticisms of the television The Mass - desensitize violence, death Media - fear the world - ethnocentricity (white, middle class) Positive – information, opens up the world to the viewer

Resocialization Complete isolation from the rest of society (prison, boot camp, etc) Goal is to change personalities and social behavior. Reprogram a person’s socialization.

TOTAL INSTITUTION: A setting that isolates people from the rest of society for a set period of time and are subject to tight control – so that resocialization may occur (this is the most extreme form of resocialization). Examples: prisons, military boot camp, monasteries, psychiatric hospitals (where the individual was involuntarily committed).