HSP3M – More on Sociology

HSP3M Grade 11 Anthropology – More on Sociology Socialization and Social Development What Is Social Behaviour? ● behavior is the observable responses to external and internal stimuli ○ each individual in society responds to these stimuli simultaneously ● social behavior is the interaction among members of the same group responding to the internal and external stimuli ○ internal cues: You pick up restaurant manners by listening to your parents or watching how other people eat on television. ○ external stimuli: you watch others in the restaurant, and follow how others behave What Influences Behaviour? ● social influence is the effect of other people on a person’s thoughts and actions ○ It may have an immediate effect (you decide to go to a sushi restaurant even though you would prefer a burger) or a long-term one (you decide not to date someone because of how you think your parents will react) A Force Shaping Behavior: Family ● the biggest force that shapes behavior ● individuals learn values and acceptable behaviors from their family, and often use these learned values in social settings ● a person’s first social interaction is typically with their family and caregivers ● families are our primary caregivers, and they teach us how to behave in their absence ● our social behavior is reflected by the actions, customs, and rituals observed in the home A Force Shaping Behavior: Gender ● our biological sex is if we’re male or female at birth ● how we behave as either a male/female is determined by the role given to our gender by society ○ in our society, we value strength in men and sensitivity in females; you are likely to internalize the qualities attributed to your gender (your expected to demonstrate those qualities, and you expect others to also) ● gender also influences your views and behaviors as you interact with others in society ● biological sex isn’t the same as gender—sex is what you’re born with, gender is how you act ● we often see sex and gender as either male or female ○ intersex people are born with both male and female characteristics ○ When a person does not identify as wholly male or entirely female, they are said to be of the third gender (gender identity differs from their assigned biological sex) A Force Shaping Behavior: Culture ● everyone is raised in a specific culture with its own characteristics and traditions ● a culture influences us, and we view the rest of the world through our own cultural perspective ● people can be influenced by more than one culture—immigrants (native culture and Canadian culture) A Force Shaping Behavior: Media ● media influences social behavior ● example: Facebook friendships are proven to improve real friendships research shows ● new forms of communication are being shaped through media (socialize with people all over the world) Socialization ● individuals learn to think and act as others do in their society—they learn what is acceptable and unacceptable in their society ● the process by which the individual learns the behavioral patterns, skills, and values of his/her social world is socialization ● socialization begins at birth and continue through life—it allows values and norms to be internalized ● through socialization, individuals learn: ○ basic skills (how to take care of themselves) ○ socially accepted goals (marriage, employment etc.) ○ roles and behaviors (how to act in certain situations) Categories of Socialization ● the process of socialization is divided into 4 distinct categories: ○ primary socialization is learning the basic skills needed to survive in society ○ secondary socialization is the process of learning how to behave appropriately in group situations (school) ○ Learning to anticipate how to behave in new scenarios is known as anticipatory socialization. Using prior knowledge of specific social contexts, you should be able to anticipate how to dress, behave, and speak in these situations. ○ resocialization is the process by which negative behavior is transformed into positive behavior (jail) Socialization and Gender ● boys and girls tend to display differences in behaviors, attitudes, interests, and abilities ● children are encouraged to play with gender specific toys (boys—trucks; girls— dolls) ● children show that gender is culturally constructed—a young sensitive boy may become more tough and rude because that's how males are portrayed in society (gender roles are internalized at a very young age) Abnormal Socialization ● ideally, children should be raised in a nurturing environment, and need attention and encouragement during their development, in order to become positive members of society ● in some cases, children are raised in unfortunate circumstances where they`re neglected, or abandoned ○ this means that crucial socialization that occurs in the first years of life is missing, resulting in rather disastrous consequences for the children ● children raised in homes of abuse don't learn normal and healthy behaviors (abuse could be physical, emotional, sexual or neglect) ● feral children are unwanted kids deserted at a young age and raised by animals ○ ferals have the behaviors of the species that raised them and can perfectly imitate their gestures and sounds ○ Oxana Malaya was found exhibiting dog features after being neglected by her parents, and therefore spent much time with dogs in their backyard ● isolates are children raised in near isolation within a human household ○ Genie lived most of her 13 years in isolation, strapped to a potty chair with minimal human contact ■ she couldn't speak and could barely walk or eat ○ Danielle was found to have laid on a mattress has body covered with feces, insect bites, rashes, and sores ■ only had on a soiled diaper Agents of Socialization ● agents of socialization are the people and institutions that shape an individual's social development ● throughout your life, you`ll encounter situations where you will rely heavily on individuals and groups to help shape your behavior and beliefs ○ these groups teach you how to participate in society; they play a huge role in your social, emotional, and physical development ● different agents of socialization have different levels of influences on you (depending on age and stage of life) ○ as a child, your parents influenced you greatly; as a teen, your friends influence you more The Primary Agent of Socialization: FAMILY ● the family is responsible for meeting an individual's most basic needs and providing the beliefs needed to survive ● it is in the family that you are first introduced to right/wrong, proper/improper ● families are the first to teach individual’s social behavior ● family is the primary agent, because it shapes behavior throughout life, starting from birth (including those crucial early years of development) ● today, families are more diverse, but all families are equally important ○ types of families: nuclear, extended, lone-parent, blended, samesex Secondary Agents of Socialization ● the non-family people and institutions that teach an individual social behavior and norms ● typically secondary agents of socialization begin to influence a child once they begin school Secondary Agent of Socialization: SCHOOL ● schools socialize students through a hidden curriculum—it models a certain set of beliefs and attitudes that endorse specific behavior in different situations ● The hidden curriculum includes skills like teamwork, self-reliance, punctuality, obedience etc. ○ these skills are aimed to be internalized by the student Secondary Agent of Socialization: PEER GROUPS ● peers are people of the same age ● peer groups influence an individual the most during adolescence ● the adolescence peer group allows teens to learn social skills like communication, collaboration, and compromise (the social curriculum of schools) ● peers teach each other gender and culture, relationships, and multiculturalism ● the most important lesson peers teach each other are sexual relationships ○ some cases, the peer influence of sex contradicts the values of the family ● adolescent peer group is highly susceptible to the media influence Secondary Agent of Socialization: THE WORKPLACE ● the workplace for adults is similar to the influence of schools on kids ● children first learn about work at home—chores, play, and observing parents ○ parents and adults influence the values and attitudes children have on work ● students take part in “Take Your Kids to Work Day” and co-op placements, and part time jobs Secondary Agent of Socialization: MEDIA ● includes TV, radio, movies, books, and Internet ● media can influence a child’s socialization—children become addicted to TV, thus limiting their socialization with their friends ● media also has pervasive messages on what to wear, how to act, and what to aspire to ● media can give children different values, beliefs and behaviors (these can contradict those of the family) ● violence of video games MAY cause children to be more violent ○ media normalizes violence ○ media tells males violence is okay—on TV males are violent; advertisers use violence to sell products to men (especially video games) ● technology can be positive: exposes kids to new cultures worldwide, an outlet for creativity, and offers new ways to connect with people worldwide (Facebook, Skype etc.) Secondary Agent of Socialization: RELIGION ● religion is an important agent, even though people are becoming less involved in it ● most religions have moral codes and set standards of behavior that they expect their members to follow ● religion also instills values like responsibility, charity, and volunteering