socialization initial personality development the social self agents of socialization

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Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

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Page 1: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

SocializationInitial personality developmentThe social selfAgents of socialization

Page 2: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Personality DevelopmentNature vs. Nurture

◦Nature – much of human behavior & personality is instinctive & caused by heredity Twin studies, parent-child bonds, sociobiologists

◦Nurture – behavior & personality dictated by social environment & experience Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura

4 main factors influence personality development: heredity, birth order, parents, and cultural environment

Page 3: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Heredity◦Physical characteristics (hair & eye color)◦Aptitudes – capacity to learn & gain skills

Birth Order◦First-borns tend to be achievement-

oriented; more conservative◦Later-borns tend to be stronger socially

(friendly & affectionate); more risk-taking Parental Characteristics

◦Age, education level, religion, economic status, job

◦Different expectations & ways of relating to their children

Page 4: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Cultural Environment◦Determines basic types of

personalities that will exist in that society (through models) Common U.S. traits = competitiveness,

assertiveness, individualism Iks of Uganda (pg. 101)

◦How we experience that culture affects our personalities Gender, SES, ethnic background

Page 5: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Agents of SocializationAgents of socialization –

individuals, groups & institutions that shape our socialization

4 main agents in our society: ◦Family, peers, school, mass media

Total institutions & resocialization

Page 6: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Family◦Most important socialization at young age◦Deliberate (teaching kids to say “please” &

“thank you”) or unintended (kids watching what their parents DO)

◦Traits of family affects socialization of children Number of family members, SES, religion, etc.

Peers◦Peer group – primary group of people of

similar age & social characteristics◦Most important socialization in late

childhood & adolescence Conform to group values & standards to win

acceptance

Page 7: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

School◦Important throughout childhood (large

amount of time spent there)◦Involves socialization from peers & adults◦Deliberate (teach information, skills, &

larger cultural values) & unintended (look to teachers’ or peers’ behavior as a model)

Mass Media◦Mass media – instruments of

communication that reach large audiences w/o personal contact Books, movies, TV, internet

◦TV & internet = most influential

Page 8: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Resocialization in total institutions◦Total institution – one that isolates

people from the rest of society & controls behavior Prisons, monasteries, boot camp, psych.

hospitals

◦Socialization is different in these settings Resocialization – breaking with past

experiences & learning new values & norms

Strip away old identity & replace with new one

Uniforms, controlled behavior patterns, standard hair cuts, etc.

Page 9: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

The Social SelfSocialization – interactive

process through which people learn skills, values, & behavior patterns of society

Different theories on how we experience a sense of “self”◦Locke: The Tabula Rasa◦Cooley: The Looking-Glass Self

Page 10: Socialization Initial personality development The social self Agents of socialization

Tabula Rasa = Clean Slate◦No personality at birth – we acquire it

through social experience◦Extreme view, but many sociologists agree

people absorb elements of themselves from their social surroundings

The Looking-Glass Self: others help us see ourselves ◦ interactive process by which we develop an

image of ourselves based on how we image other people view us

◦3 step process:1. Imagine how we appear to others2. Imagine & analyze their reaction to us3. Develop feelings about ourselves