SOCI 102 – Becoming a Member of Society – Flashcards

Humans cannot exist without society or develop without interaction with other humans. Society is good for people because it helps them feel connected to one another. Part of what makes us human is our interactions with and dependence one another. It is impossible to have humans without society because society is what makes us human. Society invented the concept of the individual.

Socialization is the lifelong process of learning our society’s norms, customs, and ideologies—provides us with the skills necessary for participating in society, thereby helping us both to fit into society and to develop a sense of identity and self.

FUNCTIONALIST- considers socialization to be extremely significant in society’s ability to function. Views socialization as a top-down process by which children internalize social rules and values and learn to conform to the roles/expectations of society (conformity = societal cohesion). The more thoroughly members of society accept and adopt the dominant rules and values, the more smoothly society will run

CONFLICT THEORY- Opposes the functionalist view of socialization. While both conflict theory and functionalism agree that socialization is A) a top down process and B) that it recreates the society as it is now. However, conflict theorists view this recreation as NEGATIVE. Socializing certain values could reinforce the pre-existing inequality between social classes.

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM- Unlike conflict theorists and functionalists who believe that we are merely receptacles of socialization, symbolic interactionists claim that we actively participate in our socialization. Symbolic interactionists are interested in how individuals develop a sense of self through socialization (presentation of self, looking glass self, stages of moral development). Sociologists believe that even something as personal as identity and sense of self comes from others

PRIMARY SOCIALIZATION:— earliest stage– we learn how to become a member of society by discovering the attitudes, values, and actions that are culturally and socially appropriate – the process by which individuals learn the unwritten rules of a society (occurs at a young age, and before secondary socialization)

SECONDARY SOCIALIZATION: where we learn the appropriate behaviors and attitudes of a sub culture within our larger society – we adapt our behavior to fit into new groups. As we age, we learn to play new roles (occurs early in life, following primary socialization)

GENDER SOCIALIZATION: the process of learning how to behave in a way that is consistent with the gender rules and norms in society—we are taught and retaught how to act according to our gender throughout our lives (occurs at birth, and is reinforced throughout the life course)

ANTICIPATORY SOCIALIZATION: the process in which individuals “rehearse” potential roles they may have to take on in the future (occurs later on in life)

RESOCIALIZATION: the process in which people take on new roles, and discard former behaviors, attitudes, and values—we do not just add a new role to all the other roles we play, we replace an old role with a new one. Sometimes a voluntary process, sometimes forced. Individuals move from being disillusioned with a particular identity to searching for alternative roles, experiencing a turning point that triggers their decision to exit a past role, and finally, creating an “ex” identity (Occurs later in life).

Social roles are the behaviors, beliefs, and norms performed in social situations. When children internalize social rules and values through socialization and learn to conform to the roles and expectations of society, they learn how to be a member of society. Adopting and adhering to these roles is a core part of the socialization process. Functionalists argue that the more thoroughly members of society accept and adopt the dominant rules and values, the more smoothly society will run.

As we age, we have to learn how to play new, more complex roles. Changing roles is a common experience in modern society. Role transitions involve moving from one role to another one (ex. new profession, entering university, parenthood). With these role transitions come new processes of socialization: anticipatory socialization (rehearsing a future role to prepare for it) and resocialization (abandoning former behaviors, attitudes, and values to take on new roles).

One’s experience of aging and moving through the life course depends on social factors such as changes in public policies/programs, overarching cultural values, and norms. Our understanding of the aging process, and its different stages, has changed over time.

CHILDHOOD- Prior to the 18th century, there was no idea of childhood as a separate period of life (children were just small adults). By the middle of the 18th century, childhood was increasingly viewed as a separate life stage that required special care and institutions to protect it (ex. child labor laws). By the 19th century, the growing acceptance of childhood as a life stage was evident among the middle-class (young people began living in their parents homes for longer and were expected to go to school, increase in consciousness regarding the emotional and psychological development of young people).

ADOLESCENCE- Concept began in the 20th century. A period between childhood and adulthood in which young people learn about themselves and form identities. Industrialization in the mid-19th century prompted the emergence of adolescence from childhood, where several social conditions required the prolongation of childhood. The industrialized society demanded new skills and larger numbers of workers, prompting a population shift to the cities. With large numbers of youth of the same age concentrated in urban settings, it became possible to have separate classes and schools for youths of different ages, and a noticeable new age group was born. Prolonged education was required in order to succeed as an adult in an industrialized society. Modern conception of adolescence is that is a period when young people are rebellious, prone to dramatic displays, and engage in violent and risky behavior. This conception has been challenged by researchers such as Margaret Mead, whose studies show that the experience of adolescence differs substantially among cultures.

TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD- Today, adulthood no longer begins with childhood ends (as was largely seen after WWII where people would assume adult responsibilities in their late teens/early twenties). A recent lifestage (early adulthood) has emerged in which youth linger in a state of in a state of semi-autonomy, waiting until they are sufficiently well off to marry, have children. and establish an independent household. Traditionally, the transition to adulthood involves establishing emotional and economic independence from parents- life events accompanied by a sense of commitment, purpose, and identity. In the past, men became adults when they had the means to marry and support a family. Women became adults when they married and become mothers. These views began to shift in the 1960s renderings the transition to adulthood more ambiguous. Adulthood today does not necessarily include parenthood or marriage- people view these as life choices, not necessities. Today, the most important adult milestones are completing school, establishing an independent household, and being employed fulltime. The road to adulthood has lengthened due to the increased amount of time women and men stay in school in hopes of competing in the job market. Educational and work investments are now required for women as well as men. As a result, child rearing and married is being put on hold until education and career goals are achieved.

Dramaturgy is a sociological perspective commonly used in microsociological accounts of social interaction in everyday life. 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. We enact our roles in the company of others, who are in turn enacting their roles in interaction with us. He believed that whatever we do, we are playing out some role on the stage of life. Goffman distinguished between front stages and back stages. During our everyday life, we spend most of our lives on the front stage, where we get to deliver our lines and perform. Almost any place where we act in front of others is a front stage. Sometimes we are allowed to retreat to the back stages of life. In these private areas, we don’t have to act. We can be our real selves. We can also practice and prepare for our return to the front stage.

Goffman coined the term impression management to refer to our desire to manipulate others’ impressions of us on the front stage. According to Goffman, we use various mechanisms, called sign vehicles, to present ourselves to others. The most commonly employed sign vehicles are the following: Social setting, Appearance, Manner of interacting

Durkheim argues that society is a COMPLEX SYSTEM. While it is made up of individuals, it is MORE THAN JUST THE PEOPLE WHO COMPOSE IT. Just like individuals, society has an INTEREST IN MAINTAINING ITSELF OVER TIME. One way it does this is through MAINTAINING SOCIAL ORDER. When individuals engage in deviant activities, society can continue on because it is more than just the collection of individuals.

CHANGING GOVERNMENT POLICIES (AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUBSIDIES AND EDUCATION FUNDING SUBSIDIES OFFERED EARLIER IN TIME NO LONGER EXIST IN MOST WESTERN SOCIETIES), INCREASED COST OF EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS, RISING PRICE OF HOUSING, MORE EDUCATION REQUIRED TO ENTER WORK FORCE.

The more difficult transition to adulthood in the current period is, at least in part, the result of changing government policies. There have been many social policies that assisted with the transition to adulthood, which are no longer the norm in many Western societies. For example, after World War II, in both Canada and the United States, there were policies that helped young people attend college or university. There were also government subsidies for affordable housing, which enabled individuals to start families earlier. These subsidies are no longer available. Other social changes, such as the increased cost of education, rising cost of housing, and economic downturns have made it more difficult for young people to move into the workforce and find well-paying jobs. It also, in general, takes longer to find a good well-paying job and more education is required for entry-level jobs today.

The expressions GIVEN are CONSCIOUS and INTENTIONAL forms of expression, usually VERBAL communication. The expressions GIVEN OFF are NON-VERBAL and are often UNINTENTIONAL ACTS that communicate, CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY, things about the individual to other people. Expressions given off can be unconscious and unintentional. It is possible to control both the expressions one gives (words) and the expressions one gives off (body language). However, body language might be more difficult to control.

For example, if you are talking to someone and they say that they are very happy to see you, but they look away and are yawning, you might be skeptical of what they say. The expression they are giving is that they are happy to see you; however the expression they are giving off (with the yawns and looking away) indicates that they are not very interested in seeing you.

In the first stage, the PREPARATORY STAGE, a child learns to use language and other symbols and to IMITATE significant others in their lives.

The second stage involves PRETENDING to be other people and is focused on ROLE-TAKING.

The third stage, the GAME STAGE, is focused on children engaging in games with complex rules and requires children to take the role of many other people simultaneously.

Finally, TAKING THE ROLE OF THE GENERALIZED OTHER requires children to think about how they generally appear to other people (instead of how they appear to one specific person).

The various societal groups that help us learn to become members of society (family, peer groups, the education system, the mass media, and religion)

The process of individuals rehearsing roles that they may have to perform in the future.

The idea that human behavior and social relations result from the underlying conflicts that arise from the power differences between competing groups in society

Goffman’s theory that social life is like a stage and individuals are actors on it, performing roles for others

The process of learning how to behave consistently with society’s gender rules and norms

Cooley’s theory that we refine our sense of self over time in light of how others reactions to us (as we understand them).

steps:
1) we imagine how others see us
2) we imagine how others judge our appearance
3) we refine this appearance based on how we interpret such judgments

The earliest stage of socialization, in which we learn how to be a member of society and what attitudes, values, and actions are culturally and socially appropriate. The process by which individuals learn the written and unwritten rules of society.

Family members are very important in this stage of socialization as they are the first people we encounter. Much of what we learn at this stage isn’t taught. It is learned through observation and imitation.

The process in which individuals take on new roles and discard former behaviors, attitudes, and values. Sometimes involuntary, sometimes forced.

The associated behaviors, beliefs, and norms that individuals perform and/or display in social situations

The second stage of socialization, in which people learn the appropriate behaviors and attitudes of a smaller group (a subculture) within larger society

Key individuals, such as parents, whom young children imitate and model themselves after in the process of socialization.

The lifelong process of developing a sense of self and identity, as well as of inheriting and transmitting norms, customs, and ideologies that provide the skills and habits required to participate in society.

Outlined by George Herbert Mead, the four stages that occur in socialization and teach people to take the role of the other. The stages are: preparatory, role-taking (play), game, and taking the perspective of the generalized other.

A theory that focuses on explaining how society functions effectively by looking at how societal structures or institutions work together to create consensus and social cohesion. .

A theory that argues that meanings do not naturally attach to things- we derive meaning from and come to understand our society and our role in it through interacting with other people.

Contains three basic premises:
1) humans act toward things based on the meanings they assign to them
2) the meaning of things arises from social interactions between people
3) individuals use an interpretive process to understand and modify meanings