Socialisation: process and

functions
 Reflection
• What does it mean to be human?
• What is the source of our “humanness”?
– Are we born with these human characteristics
– Or, do we develop them through our interactions
with others?
 Hypothesize
• If we are socialized by external forces (nurture), are
there any aspects of our social selves that might be
in-born (nature).
• Is our need for human affection a product of nature
or nurture?
• What can the monkeys tell us?
 Nature and Nurture
• Biological sciences–The role of nature
– Elements of society have a naturalistic root,
beyond people’ controls
• Social sciences–The role of nurture
– Most of who and what we are is learned and we
can control it
• Nature or nurture
– It is both, but from a sociological perspective,
nurture matters more.
 Socialization process
• Socialization is the process people transfer
values, norms and culture of a group or
society into their personal identities
• This process begins at birth and go on
throughout people’ lives as they learn how to
act rightly in the society
• Different from animals, human have
awareness of us as individuals
• This is lifelong process of social interaction
through which individuals acquire a self-
identity and the physical, mental, and social
skills needed for survival in society.
• This in mutual learning process
• Learning from actions is more effective rather
than from speeches
 Cooley: Looking-Glass Self
• Cooley
- Self-image is based on how we think others see
us.
• I and Me: The self has two parts.
• Active side of the self is “I”
• Objective side of the self is “me”
- To evaluate our behaviors we have to look at
people’ reaction
- Other people’ reaction also influence our
behavior as we try to adjust our behavior to
match their expectations
- When we adjust our behavior it means that we
change our conceptions
• Imagine how your
personality and
appearance looks to
other people
• How are they judging
you?
• Is your self-concept
favorable or
unfavorable?
Others influences
Other’s reactions

Person’s interpretations of
Person’s behavior other reactions

Person’s conceptions
G.Mead: Development of the Self
• The key to developing the
self is learning to take the
role of the other.
• Human interactions is
symbolic and interpretative
• Mead distinguish two parts
of the self: me and I. I is
subjective, internal and
unpredictable of the self,
while me is external,
objective and predictable
• We manipulate symbols and
interpret differently depend
on the situation
• Self-Development
– Imitation
• Infants mimic behavior without understanding
intentions.
– Play
• Through language and symbol learning, children take the
roles of significant others.
– Games
• With age, children take the roles of several others at
once in games.
 Erik Erikson
 He developed 8 stages of socialization
- Infancy: “Trust versus mistrust”. They establish sense of
security and trust that their world is a safe place. (0-18
months-old)
- Early childhood: autonomy versus shame or doubt. Sense of
confidence and independence. Learn skills to cope with the
world in a confident way. (2 to 3 years-old)
- Late childhood: initiative versus guilt. Making friends outside
the family and developing sense of initiative, purpose and
direction. Feel guilty if not meet parents’ expectations (up to
5 year-old)
- School age: mastery versus inferiority. New skills and
competition. Either proud or fear (6-13 year-old)
 Adolescence: identity versus role confusion. Transition from
childhood to adult world. Intimacy with peers. Challenge of
gaining identity
 Young adulthood: intimacy versus isolation. Pursue a carrier
and family. To form and maintain intimate relationship with
others (love, friendship). If not the feeling of isolation
 Adulthood into middle age: generativity versus stagnation.
Renewed efforts to contribute to community, contributing to
the lives of others (family, work…). Failing at this they
become self-centered
 Old age: integrity versus despair. A person looks back and
evaluates his/her whole life and feel proud or unimportant.
For those self-absorbed, old age brings sense of despair over
missed opportunities.
 Agents of Socialization
• The Family
• The School
• The peer group
• The mass media
 Agents of Socialization: The Family
• The family is the most
important socializing
agent
– Teaching children skills,
values, and beliefs
– Loving family makes
happy well-adjusted
child
• Through the family,
parents give a social
identity to children
– Racial identity, ethnicity
• Social position
– Religion, social class
Agents of Socialization: The School
• In school, children
– Experience diversity
– Follow hidden curriculum
– Experience first bureaucracy
– Begin gender socialization
– Accumulate cultural capital
 Agents of Socialization: Peer
Groups
• Peer groups are a social group whose members
have interests, social position, and age in
common.
– Allow escape from direct adult supervision
– Help development of sense of self that goes
beyond family
– Often govern short-term goals
– Are often influenced by anticipatory socialization
 Agents of Socialization: The Mass
Media and Television
• Mass media are the means for delivering
impersonal communications to a vast audience.
– Televisions in the U.S.
• Hours of viewing television
• Negative consequences
– Computers in the U.S.
• 76% of U.S. households have a personal computer.
• 72% of households are connected to the Internet.