SOCIALIZATION

Chapter 3 – Mrs. Madison

What Is Human Nature?

How much of a person’s characteristics come from nature (heredity) and how much from nurture (the social environment)?

Social Environment: The entire human environment, including direct contact with others.

What Is Human Nature?

Socialization: The process by which people learn the characteristics of their group- the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and actions thought appropriate for them.

What Is Human Nature?

Heredity or Environment? The Case of Oskar and Jack, Identical

Twins

What Is Human Nature?

It seems fair to conclude that the limits of certain physical and mental abilities are established by heredity (such as sports and mathematical ability), while attitudes are the result of environment.

What Is Human Nature?

Feral Children Children assumed to have been raised by

animals, in the wilderness, isolated from other humans.

Ex: The Wild Boy of Aveyron

Unable to study feral children, sociologists study children raised in isolation.

What Is Human Nature?

Isolated Children Because isolated children are unable to

speak, sociologists have concluded that humans have no natural language.

Without language… People have no way to develop and

communicate thought People live in isolation, without shared ideas or

connection to others There can be no culture

What Is Human Nature?

Institutionalized Children Skeels Study: Children Raised in

Orphanages (1930s) Conclusion: High-intelligence depends on early

close relations with other humans. A recent similar experience in India confirmed

Skeels study.

What Is Human Nature?

Secrets of a Wild Child: Genie (1970) California

authorities found a 13 year old girl who had been locked in a small room and tied to a chair since she had been 20 months old.

What Is Human Nature?

Deprived Animals- The Harlow Study

What Is Human Nature?

Harlow Study Conclusions Conclusion: Infant-mother bonding is not

the result of feeding, but is the result of intimate physical contact (cuddling).

The monkeys raised in isolation were never able to adapt to the monkey world.

What Is Human Nature?

Summary: Babies do not develop naturally into human

adults. If children are reared in isolation, they

become little more than large animals. Without language, these children can’t

experience or understand relationships between people

Without warm and friendly interaction, they don’t become friendly or cooperate with others.