Socialization is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout the rest of our lives. From the perspective of society, we are "barbarians" when we are born. As we come into contact with other individuals and groups we learn various rules of behavior--norms--and we learn conform to particular roles. This process is referred to as socialization and it helps us to define who we are and how we are expected to behave in social situations. This exercise explores several fundamentals of the socialization process and variations in socialization patterns between groups and societies.
Beginning in infancy we develop social relationships with others, in particular, with those who are ourprimary care-takers (e.g., mother and father). Through these primary relationships we learn how to interact with others. If our primary relationships are neglected or severely disrupted, social development is impaired. An important study conducted by Harry Harlow and his associates examined the importance of social interaction between infant rhesus monkeys and the effect of being reared apart from other monkeys. Click here [http://www.users.interport.net/~napier/cwm/experim.html] for a brief summary of the study.
1. The text and the accompanying graph show that over time, the infant monkeys came to spend more time with the Wire surrogate mother that fed Cuddly surrogate mother that did not feed 2. How did the surrogate-raised monkeys react to their children? Lovingly and gentle abusive and indifferent frightened and cautious
1. The text and the accompanying graph show that over time, the infant monkeys came to spend more time with the Wire surrogate mother that fed Cuddly surrogate mother that did not feed
2. How did the surrogate-raised monkeys react to their children? Lovingly and gentle abusive and indifferent frightened and cautious
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As infants mature, they develop motor abilities that allow them to communicate with individuals in their social environment through vocalizations and gestures. Additionally, children begin to develop higher cognitive processes that allow them to think about the social interactions that they engage in. Jean Piaget’s work on cognitive development [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dh23pi.html] led him to identify a series of stages that virtually all children must go through in order to go on to higher-level cognitive skills. Read through this brief introduction and answer the following question.
3. At what age do children begin to acquire the ability to think about abstract concepts like justice? 18 months 7 years 12 years 18 years
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While there is substantial variation in the personalities found in all cultures, the "culture and personality" school of anthropology emphasized how each culture produced certain fundamental personality traits in most of its members. Ruth Benedict is famous for her view of the "isomorphism" of culture and personality expressed in the famous statement: "Culture is personality writ large." Read through this brief biographical sketch [http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/ruthbenedict.html] and answer the following question:
4. On the basis of what studies in the 1920s did she develop her theory that "culture is personality writ large"? her wartime analysis of Japan her observations about U.S. culture her studies of Pueblo and Plains Indians her studies of Samoan young women 5. The fact that Ruth Benedict leaned towards "cultural determinism" means that she tended to explain human behavior in terms of biological makeup of individuals genetic differences between groups cultural socialization
4. On the basis of what studies in the 1920s did she develop her theory that "culture is personality writ large"? her wartime analysis of Japan her observations about U.S. culture her studies of Pueblo and Plains Indians her studies of Samoan young women
5. The fact that Ruth Benedict leaned towards "cultural determinism" means that she tended to explain human behavior in terms of biological makeup of individuals genetic differences between groups cultural socialization
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Take this personality test: [http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/web/personalityB.htm] and see how well it describes your personal traits.
6. Do you feel that the analysis of your personality that this test provides you with is accurate? Discuss briefly in the text box below. 7. One of the basic themes in sociology is the importance of socialization--as a broadly social process--in shaping who we are. Try to think of how aspects of your socialization that were rooted in your social and cultural background shaped some of your traits described in this personality test. Discuss one or two of the most important aspects in the text box below.
6. Do you feel that the analysis of your personality that this test provides you with is accurate? Discuss briefly in the text box below.
7. One of the basic themes in sociology is the importance of socialization--as a broadly social process--in shaping who we are. Try to think of how aspects of your socialization that were rooted in your social and cultural background shaped some of your traits described in this personality test. Discuss one or two of the most important aspects in the text box below.
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The United Nations Children's Fund [http://www.unicef.org/] is a major advocate for the rights of children, rights that have to do with conditions necessary for a healthy socialization process. Click on What We Do and explore the page on UNICEF priorities. In the text boxes below, list separately five current priorities of UNICEF: 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Now click on Info By Country, then West and Central Africa. Choose a country and read "the big picture" and examine the data presented on the side.
13. What country did you choose? 14. What do the text and statistics tell us about the likely life prospects for a child in this country? How might his or her socialization and life chances be affected by the realities behind these numbers? Close the UNICEF window and return to the Socialization Virtual Exploration.
14. What do the text and statistics tell us about the likely life prospects for a child in this country? How might his or her socialization and life chances be affected by the realities behind these numbers?
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One form of communications that is changing socialization and social interaction is the internet. The Pew Internet and American Life project [http://www.pewinternet.org/] has undertaken a continuing series of studies of many aspects of the internet's effects. Click on Reports and choose a topic under the Report Topics heading. Survey the titles. Choose one study that deals with some aspect of social interaction and click on Read the Report to read the summary at the beginning.
15. What was the title of the report that you chose? 16. What kind of social interaction did the report study? 17. What conclusions did the report draw about the impact of the internet? 18. Do the report's conclusions fit with your own experiences or observations about how the internet has affected the lives of yourself and others around you?
16. What kind of social interaction did the report study?
17. What conclusions did the report draw about the impact of the internet?
18. Do the report's conclusions fit with your own experiences or observations about how the internet has affected the lives of yourself and others around you?
Increasingly around the world, the mass media play a central role in the socialization process. The Media Education Foundation [http://www.mediaed.org/videos/index_html], founded by University of Massachusetts media scholar Sut Jhally, is a source of a number of videos critically examining the role of media in the shaping of identities and perceptions. For most of its videos listed on this page, both a brief summary and a video clip introduction are available. Choose one of the dozen or so videos in the first section, Media, Gender and Diversity. Click on Preview & Info. Read the Summary and then click on Play Video. (The videos generally run 5-8 minutes or so.)
19. In the textbox below, summarize the main issue and point of view about the media and socialization put forward in the video clip that you chose. 20. Do you agree that this is an important issue and do you agree with the general point of view expressed in the video clip? Discuss briefly in the textbox below.
20. Do you agree that this is an important issue and do you agree with the general point of view expressed in the video clip? Discuss briefly in the textbox below.
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In this Virtual Exploration, we have used web resources to review the famous Harlow experiments with monkeys, Piaget's influential work on cognitive development, and Benedict's theory of culture and personality. You have taken an online personality test and thought about both its validity and the ways your personality traits have been shaped by your social background. We have looked at the activities and priorities of UNICEF and considered how social conditions shape life chances for children in central Africa. We have examined research and data on the power of the internet and the mass media in shaping social interaction in U.S. society.
You have completed the Socialization Virtual Exploration! If you had any problems, or if you would like to make any comments, please use the text box below.
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