
What are the theories of socialization?
Theories of Socialization
- Theories of Socialization. Socialization is the means by which human infants begin to acquire the skills necessary to perform as functioning members of their society.
- Cooley. In 1902, Charles Horton Cooley created the concept of the looking-glass self, which explored how identity is formed.
- Mead. ...
- Freud. ...
- Piaget. ...
What are the concepts of socialization?
Understanding Socialization in Sociology
- The Purpose of Socialization. During socialization, a person learns to become a member of a group, community, or society. ...
- The Socialization Process in Three Parts. Socialization involves both social structure and interpersonal relations. ...
- Stages and Forms of Socialization. ...
- Criticism of Socialization. ...
What is the relationship between socialization and culture?
What is the relationship between socialization and culture? Socialization teaches us the cultural values and norms that provide the guidelines for our everyday life. Culture may be defined as the beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects shared by a particular group of people. Culture is a way of life that a number of people have in common.
What does socialization, as a sociological term, describe?
Socialization, as a sociological term, describes: 1. how people interact during social situations 2. how people learn societal norms, beliefs, and values 3. a person's internal mental state when in a group setting 4. the difference between introverts and extrovert

What is socialization in society?
The social processes through which new members of society develop awareness of social norms and values and help them achieve a distinct sense of self. It is the process which transforms a helpless infant into a self-aware, knowledgeable person who is skilled in the ways of a society’s culture. Socialization is normally discussed in terms ...
When does socialization take place?
Socialization is normally discussed in terms of primary socialization, which is particularly intense and takes place in the early years o life, and secondary socialization, which continues throughout the life course.
What are the criticisms of socialization?
Criticisms of the Concept. The main criticism of theories of socialization is that they tend to exaggerate its influence. This is particularly true of functionalism which tended to see individuals as cultural dopes, at the mercy of socializing agencies.
How does socialization continue in adulthood?
In adulthood, socialization continues as people learn how to behave in relation to new areas of social life, such as work environments and political beliefs. Mass media and the internet are also seen as playing an increasing role in socialization, helping to shape opinions, attitudes and behaviour.
What is the role of the family in socialization?
The family is the main agent during primary socialization, but increasingly children attend some kind of nursery schooling from a very young age. It is in the family that children learn the ‘basic norms’ of social interaction – in Britain such norms include learning how to walk, speak, dress in clothes, and a whole range of ‘social manners’, which a taught through the process of positive and negative sanctions, or rewarding good and punishing bad behaviour.
Is socialization a conflict?
Today, theories of society and cultural reproduction are much more likely to recognize that individuals are active players and that socialization is a conflict-ridden and emotionally charged affair, and the results of it are much less predictable than functionalist theories suggested in the 1950s.
Why is socialization important?
Because socialization is so important, scholars in various fields have tried to understand how and why it occurs, with different scholars looking at different aspects of the process. Their efforts mostly focus on infancy, childhood, and adolescence, which are the critical years for socialization, but some have also looked at how socialization ...
Which set of explanations is more psychological?
A second set of explanations is more psychological, as it focuses on the development of personality, cognitive ability, and morality.
Which two philosophers focused on the need to develop a proper balance among the id, ego, and?
Cooley and Mead explained how one’s self-concept and self-image develop. Freud focused on the need to develop a proper balance among the id, ego, and superego. Piaget wrote that cognitive development among children and adolescents occurs from four stages of social interaction.
Who was the first person to discuss the development of the self?
George Herbert Mead. Another scholar who discussed the development of the self was George Herbert Mead (1863–1931), a founder of the field of symbolic interactionism discussed in Chapter 1 “Sociology and the Sociological Perspective”. Mead’s (1934) main emphasis was on children’s playing, which he saw as central to their understanding ...
Who said we gain an impression of ourselves by interacting with other people?
Charles Horton Cooley wrote that we gain an impression of ourselves by interacting with other people. By doing so, we “see” ourselves as if we are looking in a mirror when we are with them. Cooley developed his famous concept of the looking-glass self to summarize this process.
What is socialization theory?
Theories of Socialization. From the point of view of society, socialization is the way through which society transmits its culture from generation to generation and maintains itself. From the point of view of the individual, socialization is the process by which the individual learns social behavior, develops his ‘self’.
Which theory of socialization is also known as psychosexual theory?
Personality Development Theory by Sigmund Freud (also known as ‘ psychosexual theory ‘) is also one of the important theories of socialization.
What is the social self?
Mead also theorized that the ‘social self consists of two aspects: “I”: the acting, subjective part of the self (a self-awareness) “Me”: the conventional, objective part of the self (a self-image) Remember: Mead’s ‘theory of the self, is based upon his belief that socialization is a life-long journey.
Which two scholars emphasized that socialization is heavily centered upon the development of the concept of self?
Interestingly, two other scholars, Cooley and Mead emphasized that socialization is heavily centered upon the development of the concept of self. So, accordingly, they proposed the following “theory of socialization ” also known as “theory of personality development”;
Who came up with the theory of personality?
Sigmund Freud (1856 -1939) came up with the “psychoanalytic theory of personality” development. Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory explains that childhood events and unconscious mind/motivations determine the personality of a person. According to this theory, children progress through 5 psychosexual stages during psychosexual development.
Who founded the theory of self?
Mead founded ‘theory of the self’ believed that in the beginning, we see ourselves as to how others see us and eventually we not only see ourselves as to how others see us but actually take on or pretend to take the roles of others, allowing us to anticipate what others expect of us, thus learning through the eyes of others.
Who came up with the idea of socialization?
John Locke, Charles Horton Cooley, and George Herbert Mead came up with separate theories of Socialization. All these theories are somewhat similar but yet different in some ways as follows:
What is the purpose of socialization?
The Purpose of Socialization. During socialization, a person learns to become a member of a group, community, or society. This process not only accustoms people to social groups but also results in such groups sustaining themselves. For example, a new sorority member gets an insider's look at the customs and traditions of a Greek organization.
Why is socialization important?
Socialization has numerous goals for youth and adults alike. It teaches children to control their biological impulses, such as using a toilet instead of wetting their pants or bed . The socialization process also helps individuals develop a conscience aligned with social norms and prepares them to perform various roles.
What is socialization in a macro level?
On a macro level, socialization ensures that we have a process through which the norms and customs of society are transmitted. Socialization teaches people what is expected of them in a particular group or situation; it is a form of social control .
What is socialization 2020?
Updated January 30, 2020. Socialization is a process that introduces people to social norms and customs. This process helps individuals function well in society, and, in turn, helps society run smoothly. Family members, teachers, religious leaders, and peers all play roles in a person's socialization. This process typically occurs in two stages: ...
How does group socialization affect children?
During childhood and adolescence, this tends to break down along gender lines. It is common to see groups of children of either gender wearing the same hair and clothing styles.
Why do organizations socialize?
Organizational socialization occurs within an institution or organization to familiarize a person with its norms, values, and practices. This process often unfolds in nonprofits and companies.
How do gender stereotypes affect socialization?
Gender stereotypes also exert a strong influence on socialization processes. Cultural expectations for gender roles and gendered behavior are imparted to children through color-coded clothes and types of play. Girls usually receive toys that emphasize physical appearance and domesticity such as dolls or dollhouses, while boys receive playthings that involve thinking skills or call to mind traditionally male professions such as Legos, toy soldiers, or race cars. Additionally, research has shown that girls with brothers are socialized to understand that household labor is expected of them but not of their male siblings. Driving the message home is that girls tend not to receive pay for doing chores, while their brothers do .
What is the view of socialization?
This view claims that socialization is the interactional process between characteristics of the environment and the individual characteristics. Therefore, socialization is not just the transmission of culture but the study of process of “becoming human”.
What is socialization in biology?
Socialization has Traditionally been the study of the process by which a human organism becomes a social being concerned with the rights and duties of self and others, with ethical and unethical behaviour, and so on.
How does socialization affect personality development?
This approach to socialization presents the view that the quality of the parent/child relationship is the central element in personality development. It delineates several psychosexual stages of development, and the processes of interaction during these stages occurring in the family are seen as basic to the child’s becoming socialized. These familiar interaction patterns are analyzed according to the quality of the emotional relationship, thus, the way the mother interacts with the child while toilet training, feeding, and so on, are seen as the social foundation out of which grow different personality characteristics. The formulation of the initial nature of the human organism as it moves through the stages of development places considerable emphasis upon the source of energy, namely the Id which is present at birth. The id needs immediate gratification; therefore, the id is the strongest at the earlier stages. As the child develops other dimensions of the intellectual processes, namely the ego and the superego functions, begin to appear. The primary function of the ego is reality formation and a channeling f the energies of the id into ways that will reduce tension, built upon the nature of reality (both social and physical). The child learns that it is more realistic to postpone immediate gratification and wait until the dinner is ready, because the organism will be better off in the long run i.e. the full meal will be prepared and hence the reward much better than a hastily prepared piece of bread demanded immediately.
What is social learning?
Social-learning sees the child as learning what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in any social setting because he or she is rewarded for some behaviour and not rewarded of others. Because of the child’s basic nature, he or she tends to repeat rewarded behaviours and does not repeat non-rewarded behaviours. Thus, rather than learning” general traits, the child learns which response is tied to a given stimuli. Learning, then, is seen basically as establishing links between stimuli and reinforcers. Reward and punishment are central in the stamping in or seaming out processes of connecting specific stimuli with specific reinforcers.
Why is socialization important?
Socialization is the essential link between the individual and society- a link so vital that neither individual nor society could survive without it. It enables the individual to learn the norms, values, language, skills, beliefs, and other patterns of thought and action that are essential for social living.
What is the most important outcome of socialization?
One of the most important outcomes of socialization is individual personality . In ordinary speech we use the word “personality” rather loosely to a person’s character or temperament, but sociological use of the term is both more broad and more precise. Personality refers to the fairly stable patterns of thought, feeling , and action that are typical of an individual.
Who is responsible for socialization outcomes?
Who or what is responsible for socialization outcomes? Tabula Rasa view concludes that whatever differences occur are largely the result of environmental influences and the social order is ultimately responsible for the outcomes. On the other hand nearly all judicial systems are based upon the view that the individual is at least partly responsible for his/her own behaviour. Otherwise, justice rewards and punishments would be irrational.
What is socialisation heavily centred upon?
ADVERTISEMENTS: Socialisation is heavily centred upon the development of the concept of self. How a sense of self emerges—the awareness that the individual has a distinct identity, separate from other? This problem of the emergence of self is a much-debated one.
Who challenged Mead and Cooley's theory of socialisation?
Distinguished sociologist T. Parsons has also adopted Freud ’s account of personality development to provide the psychological underpinnings of his theory of socialisation. Freud challenged Mead and Cooley’s concept of socialised self who saw no separate identity of self and society.
How does a person arrive at a notion of the kind of person he is?
How does a person arrive at a notion of the kind of person he is? According to Charles Horton Cooley (1902), this concept of self develops through a gradual and complicated process which continues throughout life . He pointed out that when we refer to the self, when we use the word T (the social self is referred to by such words as I, me, mine and myself; the individual distinguishes his ‘self from that of others), we usually not referring to our physical body.
Which theory is opposite to the views of Cooley and Mead?
This theory (development of self) is opposite to the views of Cooley and Mead. Cooley and Mead have demonstrated that the very emergence of the self is a social process and not a psychological process as contended by Freud.
Who is the founder of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud, the Austrian psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis, was not directly concerned with the problem of the individual’s socialisation (he has not used the word ‘socialisation’ anywhere in his writings), he nevertheless contributed amply toward the clarification of the process of personality development.
Why are children not organised wholes in the play stage?
In the play stage, children are not organised wholes because they play at a series of discrete roles. In Mead’s view they lack definite personalities. However, in the game stage, such organisation begins and a definite personality starts to emerge.
What is sociology theory?
Sociobiology is the application of evolutionary theory to social behavior. It is based on the premise that some behaviors are at least partly inherited and can be affected by natural selection.
What is social learning theory?
Westend61/Getty Images. Social learning theory is a theory that attempts to explain socialization and its effect on the development of the self. It looks at the individual learning process, the formation of self, and the influence of society in socializing individuals.
What do sociologists know about society?
Much of what we know about societies, relationships, and social behavior has emerged thanks to various sociology theories. Sociology students typically spend a great deal of time studying these different theories. Some theories have fallen out of favor, while others remain widely accepted, but all have contributed tremendously to our understanding of society, relationships, and social behavior. By learning more about these theories, you can gain a deeper and richer understanding of sociology's past, present, and future.
What is social phenomenology?
Social phenomenology is an approach within the field of sociology that aims to reveal what role human awareness plays in the production of social action, social situations and social worlds. In essence, phenomenology is the belief that society is a human construction.
What is functionalist theory?
Functionalist Theory. The functionalist perspective, also called functionalism, is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. It has its origins in the works of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how social order is possible and how society remains relatively stable.
What is chaos theory?
Chaos Theory. Takahiro Yamamoto / Getty Images. Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, however, it has applications in several disciplines, including sociology and other social sciences. In the social sciences, chaos theory is the study of complex nonlinear systems of social complexity.
What is critical theory?
Critical Theory is a type of theory that aims to critique society, social structures, and systems of power, and to foster egalitarian social change. 06.
