SOCIALIZATION individual selves are the products of social interaction and not

the logical or biological preconditions of that interaction.

Socialization- is the process by which people learn the
characteristics of their group- knowledge, skills, attitudes, Theory of Social Self
values and actions appropriate for them Three distinct stages of development of self:
1. Preparatory Stage/Language Stage Children
Anthony Giddens defines socialization as the process
merely imitate people around them.
whereby the helpless infant gradually becomes a self-aware,
2. Play Stage - During play, individuals take on the roles
knowledgeable person, skilled in the ways of the culture into
of other people and pretend to be those other people
which he is born.
in order to express the expectations of significant
Nature and nurture effect human development. others.
Language, social contact and interaction allow humans 3. Game Stage - The individual is required to internalize
develop in emotionally healthy human beings. This is the roles of all others who are involved with him or her
known as the social environment. in the game and must comprehend the rules of the
Societal interaction is a key to human development- game.
shown in studies of feral and isolated children.
Sigmund Freud Creates the Freudians Theory of
What would happen if a child was reared in total isolation from Personality, believed that basic biological instincts combine
other people? with societal factors to shape personalities. Freud posited that
the mind consists of three parts that must interact properly for a
Social scientists have investigated Feral, isolated and
person to function well in society.
institutional children.
Freudians Theory of Personality
Feral Children are assumed to be abandoned by their parents
Personality consists of three elements:
at an early age raised by animals.
1. The ID inherited drives for the self gratification.
- A human child who has lived without human contact from a 2. The Ego balances between the needs of the ID and
very young age, and has no experience of human care, of the demands of society.
loving or social behavior, or of language. 3. The Superego social conscience internalized from
social groups which encourages conformity to societal
Isolated Children show what humans might be like if norms and values.
secluded from society at an early age. They appeared severely
retarded, unable to develop into an intelligent human. Most do
not learn language and have trouble with basic motor skills.
Institutional Children such as those in orphanages, show
that human traits result from early close relations.
Contributors and their Theories
Charles H. Cooley his theory is the Looking glass self
theory. He coined term looking glass self to describe the
process whereby humans development is created by interaction
with others.
I am not who you think I am, I am not who I think I am, I am who
I think you think I am - Cooley
Processes of Looking Glass Self Theory Jean Piaget Studied childrens cognitive development and
1. We imagine how we look to others. defined four stages they go through in learning. According to
2. We interpret others reactions. Piaget, the way children think changes as they mature
3. We develop a self-concept. physically and interact with the world around them.

George Mead The man behind the Theory of Social Self,

which is based on the central argument that the self is a social
emergent. The social conception of the self entails that
Cognitive Theory of Development
Piaget identified four periods of development:
1. Sensorimotor (birth - 2) -During this stage, children
learn by using their senses and moving around.
2. Pre Operational Stage (3 7) - During this period,
children keep getting better at symbolic thought, but
they cant yet reason. According to Piaget, children
arent capable of conservation during this stage.
3. Concrete Operational Stage (8 - 11) - During this
period, children start to become capable of performing
mental operations or working problems and ideas
through in their minds.
4. Formal Operational Stage (12 adulthood) - During
this period, children become capable of applying
mental operations to abstract concepts. They can
imagine and reason about hypothetical situations.
Lawrence Kohlberg - was interested in moral reasoning, or
why people think the way they do about whats right and wrong.
Influenced by Piaget, who believed that the way people think
about morality depends on where they are in terms of cognitive
development
Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development
Level 1(Pre-Conventional)
Stage #1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation (age 2
5)
Morality is based upon the physical punishment that follows an
action, rather than right or wrong. The concern is for self - "Will
I get into trouble for doing (or not doing) it?" Good behavior is
associated with avoiding punishment.
EX: The child wont grab the candy at the supermarket for fear
of being spanked.
Stage #2: Relativist Orientation (age 5 7)
The concern is "What's in it for me?" Action is judged right if it
helps in satisfying one's needs or involves a fair exchange.
EX: A mother tells her child: If you are quiet at the mall, I will
buy you an ice cream.
Level 2 (Conventional)
Stage #3: Good Boy/Nice Girl Orientation (age 7 12)
People should live up to the expectations of the family and
community and behave in "good" ways. Good behavior means
having good motives and interpersonal feelings such as love,
empathy, trust, and concern for others.
EX: Volunteering at a nursing home is the right thing to do.
Stage #4: Law and Order Orientation (age 12 15)
While stage three actions are more concerned with pleasing
your family, stage four is associated with following society as a
whole. Emphasis is spent on obeying laws to maintain social
order.
EX: If you drink and drive your endangering the lives of others
on the road, not just yourself.
Level 3 (Post-Conventional) (15 onwards)
Stage #5: Social Contract Orientation
At stage 5, people begin to ask, "What makes for a good
society?" They begin to think about society considering the
rights and values that a society ought to uphold.
EX: It is important for the world to stop the killing in Darfur
because we are morally obligated to stop genocide.
Stage #6: Universal Ethical Principal Orientation
(adulthood)
As human beings we are obligated to live by the principal that
all men are created equal regardless of race, religion, sexual
orientation, or political belief. Justice is universal, so unjust laws
must be broken.
EX: Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of the bus because it
was an unjust law discriminating against African Americans.
Erving Goffman - Goffman also developed the concept
of dramaturgy, the idea that life is like a never-ending play in
which people are actors. Goffman believed that when we are
born, we are thrust onto a stage called everyday life, and that
our socialization consists of learning how to play our assigned
roles from other people. He developed the theories of
Impression management, Face work and Dramaturgical
Approach
Theory of Dramaturgical Approach
A view of social interaction in which people are seen
as theatrical performers.
All social relationships are drama; people are masks in
their relations to other.
Each person has a role in the society. Our life is simply
a series of performances.
Dramaturgy is a way of understanding social
encounters using the analogy of stage, or theatrical
performance.
Erik Erikson The man behind Psychological Development.
Eriksons work is based on five assumptions: People, in general
have the same basic needs, Personal development occurs in
response to these needs, Development proceeds in stages,
Movement through the stages reflects changes in an individuals
motivation, Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial
challenge that presents opportunities for development.
Psychosocial Development
The eight periods are the following:
1. Infancy trust vs. mistrust; (Birth 2 years old)
Children are completely dependent on others
Trust: Established when babies given adequate
warmth, touching, love, and physical care
Mistrust: Caused by inadequate or unpredictable
care and by cold, indifferent, and rejecting
parents.
2. Early childhood autonomy vs. shame and
doubt; (age of 2 3)
Autonomy: Doing things for themselves
Overprotective or ridiculing parents may cause
children to doubt abilities and feel shameful about
their actions
3. Play stage initiative vs. guilt; (3 5 years old)
Initiative: Parents reinforce via giving children
freedom to play, use imagination, and ask
questions
Guilt: May occur if parents criticize, prevent play,
or discourage a childs questions.
4. School age industry vs. inferiority; (6 11 years
old)
Industry: Occurs when child is praised for
productive activities, such as painting and building
Inferiority: Occurs if childs efforts are regarded
as messy or inadequate.
5. Adolescence identity vs. role confusion;(12 18
years)
Identity: For adolescents; problems answering,
Who am I?
Role Confusion: Occurs when adolescents are
unsure of where they are going and who they are
6. Young adulthood intimacy vs. isolation; (19 40
years)
Intimacy: Ability to care about others and to share
experiences with them
Isolation: Feeling alone and uncared for in life.
7. Middle adulthood generativity vs. stagnation; (40
65 years old)
Generativity: Interest in guiding the next
generation
Stagnation: When one is only concerned with
ones own needs and comforts.
8. Old age integrity vs. despair. (65 Death)
Integrity: Self-respect; developed when people
have lived richly and responsibly
Despair: Occurs when previous life events are
viewed with regret; experiences heartache and
remorse
Agents of Socialization
1. Family the most important agent of socialization.
2. Schools the schools as agent of socialization fulfill
the function of teaching children the values and
customs of the larger society.
3. Religion Religion influences moralities and
manners.
4. Peer Group is a group of persons of roughly the
same age who are linked by common interests.
5. Mass Media and Technology Mass media such as
TV, newspaper and magazine shape our attitudes,
values and other basic orientation to life.
6. Workplace it is a major agent for adults; from jobs,
we learn not only skills but also matching attitudes and
values.
Types of Socialization
Primary Socialization is mainly influenced by the
immediate family and friends.
Secondary Socialization - refers to the process of
learning what is the appropriate behavior as a member
of a smaller group within the larger society.
Anticipatory Socialization - refers to the processes
of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future
positions, occupations, and social relationships.
Re-Socialization - refers to the process of discarding
former behavior patterns and reflexes, accepting new
ones as part of a transition in one's life.
Organizational Socialization - is the process
whereby an employee learns the knowledge and skills
necessary to assume his or her organizational role.
Group Socialization - is the theory that an individual's
peer groups, rather than parental figures, influences
his or her personality and behavior in adulthood.
Gender Socialization - refers to the learning of
behavior and attitudes considered appropriate for a
given sex.
Racial Socialization - defined as "the developmental
processes by which children acquire the behaviors,
perceptions, values, and attitudes of an ethnic group,
and come to see themselves and others as members
of the group".
Planned Socialization - occurs when other people
take actions designed to teach or train othersfrom
infancy on.
Natural Socialization - occurs when infants and
youngsters explore, play and discover the social world
around them.
 Positive Socialization - is the type of social learning
that is based on pleasurable and exciting experiences.
Negative Socialization - occurs when others use
punishment, harsh criticisms or anger to try to "teach
us a lesson;" and often we come to dislike both
negative socialization and the people who impose it on
us.
Socialization through Life Course
Socialization occurs throughout life. An individuals life
course is influenced by history, social position and
culture.
Life Stages
1. Children (Birth -12) - formerly were considered
miniature adults.
2. Adolescence (13 17) is a recent social invention
resulting economic changes which left youth outside
the labor force while demanding higher levels of
education.
3. Early Adulthood (18 29) which post-adolescents
continue to postpone adult responsibilities through
extended education.
4. Middle Adulthood (30 65) are much surer of
themselves and their goals in life.
5. Old Age (66 Death) may result in winding up, in
which there is often opportunity to participate in
activities that replace previous involvement.
There are at least four important determinants of
personality:
1. Biological Inheritance
2. Geographic environment
3. Social Environment
4. Cultural Environment
Re-Socialization - Refers to learning new norms, values,
attitudes and behaviors, voluntarily or involuntarily.
1. Voluntary re socialization is learning something
contrary to prior to experiences, such as may be
involved in taking a new job
2. Involuntary re socialization is learning
something, not the way you want to socialize.
Total Institutions - A place in which people are cut off from the
rest of society and are almost controlled by the officials who run
the place.
Characteristics of Total Institutions
1. All aspects of life are conducted in the same place and
under the same single authority.
2. Each phase of a members daily activity is carried out
in the immediate company of others.
3. Daily activities are tightly scheduled.

Selfhood as a Product of Socialization

It has been said that the clearest distinction between
humans and lower forms of life is the inclusion of
selfhood in the former.
The selfhood is often described the identity.
Self emerges out of social interaction.
The self is social.
The self requires a society for its full explanation.
Individual consciousness of self arises from interaction
with others.

Personality: A Product of Socialization

Personality - the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional,
and social characteristics of an individual.
- as a product of socialization, arises from the result of
the interplay of various variables, e.g. heredity,
environment geographical, social, economic, and
cultural.