Edna Adan University

Freshman year 1 semester 3

Introduction to Sociology
Lecture 5
CHAPTER THREE:SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
SOCIALIZATION
what is socialization?
Socialization is a process of making somebody social and fully human
Socialization is the process whereby the culture, skills, norms, traditions,
customs, etc., are transmitted from generation to generation or from one
society to another.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Human development is based on two assumptions:
 The newborn having the capacity to become a member of human
society. The infant has the capacity to learn human social behavior. This
capacity is provided by nature to every normal child.
The newborn child cannot become social being unless there is interaction
with other human beings
NATURE VERSUS NURTURE
Nature implies the contribution of heredity to the human being, which may
include physical- characteristics and what is inside the human body.
Presumably physical and psychological characteristics can be transmitted
through heredity. Whatever is being transmitted through heredity may be
considered as human potential given by nature.
Nurture was assumed that much of the human behavior was not instinctive;
rather it was learned. Thus, people everywhere were equally human, differing
only in their learned cultural patterns, which highlighted the role of nurture.
nurture has become our nature
If the society does not provide learning opportunities, the human potentials
given by nature may be lost.
Social Isolation
Catastrophic cases of children isolated by abusive family members show the
damage caused by depriving human beings of social experience. Three such
are of:
 Anna – discovered at age 6 years.
Isabelle – discovered at age 6 years.
 Genie – discovered at age 13 years.
All the evidence points to the crucial role of social experience to human
development.
Human beings can recover from abuse and short-term isolation. But there is a
point at which isolation in infancy causes permanent development damage.
THEORIES OF SELF DEVELOPMENT
When we are born, we have a genetic makeup and biological traits. However,
who we are as human beings develops through social interaction?. Many
scholars, both in the fields of psychology and in sociology, have described the
process of self-development as a precursor to understanding how that “self”
becomes socialized.
Psychological Perspectives on Self-Development
 Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): He posited that people’s self
development is closely linked to early stages of development, like
breastfeeding, toilet training, and reproduction awareness.
Psychologist Erik Erikson (1902–1994):
Erikson believed the personality continued to change over time and was
never truly finished. Erikson’s view of self-development gave credit to more
social aspects, like the way we negotiate between our own base desires and
what is socially accepted.
Jean Piaget (1896–1980): he was a psychologist who specialized in child
development, focusing specifically on the role of social interactions in their
development.
He recognized that the development of self-evolved through a negotiation
between the world as it exists in one’s mind and the world that exists as it is
experienced socially.
Sociological Theories of Self Development
Charles Cooley (1864–1929). He asserted that people’s self-understanding is constructed,
in part, by their perception of how others view them; a process termed “the looking glass
self”. What we think of ourselves, then, depends on what we think others think of us. For
example, if we think others see us as clever, we will think ourselves in the same way.
Cooley used the phrase looking glass self to mean a self-image based on how we think
others see us.
The looking glass self contains three elements:
We imagine how we appear to those around us. For example, we may think that others see
us witty or dull.
We interpret others’ reactions. We come to conclusions about how others
evaluate us. Do they like us being witty? Do they dislike us for being dull?
We develop a self-concept. Based on our interpretations of the reactions of
others, we develop feelings and ideas about ourselves. A favorable reflection
in this “social mirror” leads to a positive self- concept, a negative reflection to
a negative self-concept.
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development:
 Moral development is an important part of the socialization process. The
term refers to the way people learn what society considered to be “good” and
“bad,” which is important for a smoothly functioning society. Moral
development prevents people from acting on unchecked urges, instead
considering what is right for society and good for others.
WHY SOCIALIZATION MATTERS?
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
Socialization helps people learn to function successfully in their social worlds.
This learning takes place through interaction with various agents of
socialization, like peer groups and families, plus both formal and informal social
institutions.
SOCIAL GROUP AGENTS
Family
Family is the first agent of socialization. Mothers and fathers, siblings and
grandparents, plus members of an extended family, all teach a child what he or she
needs to know. For example, they show the child how to use objects (such as
clothes, eating utensils, books, bikes); how to relate to others (some as “family,”
others as “friends,” still others as “strangers” or “teachers” or “neighbors”); and
how the world works (what is “real” and what is “imagined”).
Sociologists recognize that race, social class, religion, and other societal factors
play an important role in socialization. For example, poor families usually
emphasize obedience and conformity when raising their children, while wealthy
families emphasize judgment and creativity.
Peer Groups
A peer group is made up of people who are similar in age and social status and
who share interests.
 Peer group socialization begins in the earliest years, such as when kids on a
playground teach younger children the norms about taking turns or the rules of a
game or how to shoot a basket.
Peer groups are important to adolescents in a new way, as they begin to
develop
an identity separate from their parents and exert independence.
Peer groups provide their own opportunities for socialization since kids usually
engage in different types of activities with their peers than they do with their
families.
 Peer groups provide adolescents’ first major socialization experience outside the
realm of their families
INSTITUTIONAL AGENTS
The social institutions of our culture also inform our socialization. Formal
institutions: like schools, workplaces, and the religion teach people how to
behave in and navigate these systems.
Informal institutions, like the media, contribute to socialization by telling
us
with messages about norms and expectations, clan politics and corruption.
Thank you