Transcript Socialization and Agents of Socialization
SOCIALIZATION AND AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
How does your appearance/height influence your personality and socialization?
Pretty girls are popular
Short guys have a harder time getting dates and promotions
Strong /athletic people are more confident
WHAT DETERMINES INTELLIGENCE? SUCCESS? MORALS? INTERESTS?
Are we born a “blank slate” or “tabula rasa” or do we start with some sort of genetic plan to our behaviors and personality?
HOW MUCH CHOICE AND IMPACT DO WE AND OUR PARENTS HAVE? OR ARE OUR WHOLE LIVES DETERMINED BY GENETICS?
a.
b.
Psychologist Donald Hebb is said to have once answered a journalist's question of "which, nature or nurture, contributes more to personality?" by asking in response, "which contributes more to the area of a rectangle, its length or its width?“ “Without language, there can be no culture—no shared way of life—and culture is the key to what people become.” We inherit many things biologically, but we cannot inherit culture.
ACCORDING TO SOCIOLOGISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS: A MIX: SOME HEREDITARY, SOME ENVIRONMENTAL.
Although "nurture" has historically been referred to as the care given to children by the parents, with the mother playing a role of particular importance, this term is now regarded by some as any environmental (not genetic) factor in the contemporary nature versus nurture debate. Thus the definition of "nurture" has been expanded in order to include the influences on development arising from prenatal, parental, extended family and peer experiences, extending to influences such as media, marketing, and socio-economic status. Indeed, a substantial source of environmental input to human nature may arise from randomly determined variations in prenatal development.
"Social environment" - the entire human environment, including direct contact.
A fancy term for the people we interact with (directly or indirectly) Why is this social environment important to our discussion of childhood development?
Because it socializes us - teaches us the culture of our society
TODAY WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE "NURTURE" SIDE OF THE LEDGER - HOW THE PEOPLE AROUND US HELPED US DEVELOP.
The process by which we learn the culture of our society
Now everyone in a society has some influence on you (the cabby that gives you a ride from the airport might teach you first cussword in Farsi; or that jerk who cuts you off in traffic might teach you to drive more aggressively on Route 80, or your parents might teach you how to speak, dress yourself, and use a toilet)
These influencers (big and small) are known as "agents of socialization"
SOCIALIZATION: THE PROCESS BY WHICH PEOPLE LEARN THE CHARACTERISTICS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTITUDES, VALUES, NORMS) OF THEIR GROUP
What influences have affected you in your life, and made you into the person you are today?
(values or norms, or different ways to act or do things, things that made you who you are)
Parents/family Friends/peers Teachers/School
Clergy the Media Role Models of all sorts
Celebrities, sports stars, etc. If you have strong family/friends as role models and agents of socialization, the other effects will be more minimal.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE "AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION"?
Share some stories of your own
Why do I love history? A couple of reasons- my grandmother’s stories of living in France during World War II; I had great history teachers all throughout grammar and high school
Why am I a romantic?
I have no idea WHAT ARE THINGS THAT YOUR SCHOOL TEACHES YOU BESIDES THE THREE R'S?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aKldqcC35o
Even if you think that violence and sex on TV doesn't affect you, it might be subconsciously. It only makes sense. We act like those we see (The Elevator Experiment) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSzCBv1-qA Why does this happen? Its human nature to a large extent - though also a societies' dedication to individualism and autonomy makes a difference as well.
MASS MEDIA: AGENT OF SOCIALIZATION
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Debate at end (if necessary for time) a.
With the effects (or potential effects) that celebrities and public figures have on children, should they make an extra effort to watch their behavior (or be fined excessively if they don't?) b.
i.
Schools socialize us in all sorts of ways ii.
Teaching us conformity, to follow rules (raising hands) Teaching American values and patriotism (pledge of allegiance, American heroes and stories and myths) iii.
Teaching us right and wrong (bullying, multiculturalism) Is this right? Or should schools focus ONLY on skills and academics?