The process of learning the characteristics and expectations of a culture or group.
The Role of SocializationSocialization prepares people for social life by teaching them a group's shared norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors. Show
Learning Objectives Describe the three goals of socialization and why each is important Key TakeawaysKey Points
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The role of socialization is to acquaint individuals with the norms of a given social group or society. It prepares individuals to participate in a group by illustrating the expectations of that group. Socialization in School: Schools, such as this kindergarten in Afghanistan, serve as primary sites of socialization. Three Goals of Socialization In his 1995 paper, "Broad and Narrow Socialization: The Family in the Context of a Cultural Theory," sociologist Jeffrey J. Arnett outlined
his interpretation of the three primary goals of socialization. First, socialization teaches impulse control and helps individuals develop a conscience. This first goal is accomplished naturally: as people grow up within a particular society, they pick up on the expectations of those around them and internalize these expectations to moderate their impulses and develop a conscience. Second, socialization teaches individuals how to prepare for and perform certain social roles—occupational roles,
gender roles, and the roles of institutions such as marriage and parenthood. Third, socialization cultivates shared sources of meaning and value. Through socialization, people learn to identify what is important and valued within a particular culture. Nature vs. Nurture: A False DebateIs nature (an individual's innate qualities) or nurture (personal experience) more important in determining physical and behavioral traits? Learning Objectives
Discuss both sides of the nature versus nurture debate, understanding the implications of each Key TakeawaysKey Points
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The nature versus nurture debate rages over whether an individual's innate qualities or personal experiences are more important in determining physical and behavioral traits. In the social and political sciences, the nature versus nurture debate may be compared with the structure versus agency debate, a similar discussion over whether social structure or individual agency (choice or free will) is more important for determining individual and social outcomes. Identical Twins: Because of their identical genetic makeup, twins are used in many studies to assess the nature versus nurture debate. Historically, the "nurture" in the nature versus nurture debate has referred to the care parents give to children.
But today, the concept of nurture has expanded to refer to any environmental factor - which may arise from prenatal, parental, extended family, or peer experiences, or even from media, marketing, and socioeconomic status. Environmental factors could begin to influence development even before it begins: a substantial amount of individual variation might be traced back to environmental influences that affect prenatal development. SociobiologySociobiology examines and explains social behavior based on biological evolution. Learning Objectives Discuss the concept of sociobiology in relation to natural selection and Charles Darwin, as well as genetics and instinctive behaviors Key TakeawaysKey Points
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Sociobiology is a field of scientific study which is based on the assumption that social behavior has resulted from evolution. It attempts to explain and examine social behavior within that context. Often considered a branch of biology and sociology, it also draws from ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, population genetics, and other disciplines. Within the study of human societies, sociobiology is very closely allied to the fields of Darwinian anthropology, human behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology. While the term "sociobiology" can be traced to the 1940s, the concept didn't gain major recognition until 1975 with the publication of Edward O. Wilson's book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. Edward O. Wilson: E. O. Wilson is a central figure in the history of sociobiology. Sociobiologists believe that human behavior, like nonhuman animal behavior, can be partly explained as the outcome of natural selection. They contend that in order to fully understand behavior, it must be
analyzed in terms of evolutionary considerations. Natural selection is fundamental to evolutionary theory. Variants of hereditary traits, which increase an organism's ability to survive and reproduce, are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations. Thus, inherited behavioral mechanisms that allowed an organism a greater chance of surviving and reproducing in the past are more likely to survive in present organisms. Deprivation and DevelopmentSocial deprivation, or prevention from culturally normal interaction with society, affects mental health and impairs child development. Learning Objectives Explain why social deprivation is problematic for a person (especially children) and the issues it can lead to Key TakeawaysKey Points
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Humans are social beings,
and social interaction is essential to normal human development. Social deprivation occurs when an individual is deprived of culturally normal interaction with the rest of society. Certain groups of people are more likely to experience social deprivation. For example, social deprivation often occurs along with a broad network of correlated factors that all contribute to social exclusion; these factors include mental illness, poverty, poor education, and low socioeconomic status. Attachment Theory: This film provides an explanation of John Bowlby's Attachment Theory. Maternal Deprivation: The idea that separation from the female caregiver has profound effects is one with considerable resonance outside the conventional study of child development. Maternal Deprivation: This clip is of footage from a 1952 study on maternal deprivation that found
babies suffer emotional damage when separated from their mothers Isolation and DevelopmentSocial isolation refers to a complete or near-complete lack of contact with society, which can affect all aspects of a person's life. Learning Objectives Interpret why social isolation can be problematic for a person in society and the importance of social connections Key TakeawaysKey Points
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Social isolation occurs when members of a social species (like humans) have complete or near-complete lack of contact with society. Social isolation is usually imposed involuntary, not chosen. Social isolation is not the same as loneliness rooted in temporary lack of contact with other humans, nor is it the same as isolating actions that might be consciously undertaken by an individual. A related phenomenon, emotional
isolation may occur when individuals are emotionally isolated, even though they may have well-functioning social networks.
Social Isolation: Older adults are particularly susceptible to social isolation. Feral ChildrenA feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. Learning Objectives Analyze the differences
between the fictional and real-life depictions of feral children Key TakeawaysKey Points
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A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no (or little) experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language. Some feral children have been confined in isolation by other people, usually their own parents. In some cases, this child abandonment was due to the parents rejecting a child's severe intellectual or physical impairment. Feral children may have experienced severe child abuse or trauma before being abandoned or running away. Depictions of Feral ChildrenMyths, legends, and fictional stories have depicted feral children reared by wild animals such as wolves and bears. Legendary and fictional feral children are often depicted as growing up with relatively normal human intelligence and skills and an innate sense of culture or civilization, coupled with a healthy dose of survival instincts. Their integration into human society is also made to seem relatively easy. These mythical children are often depicted as having superior strength, intelligence, and morals compared to "normal" humans. The implication is that because of their upbringing they represent humanity in a pure and uncorrupted state, similar to the noble savage. Feral Children in RealityIn reality, feral children lack the basic social skills that are normally learned in the process of enculturation. For example, they may be unable to learn to use a toilet, have trouble learning to walk upright, and display a complete lack of interest in the human activity around them. They often seem mentally impaired and have almost insurmountable trouble learning human language. The impaired ability to learn language after having been isolated for so many years is often attributed to the existence of a critical period for language learning at an early age, and is taken as evidence in favor of the critical period hypothesis. It is theorized that if language is not developed, at least to a degree, during this critical period, a child can never reach his or her full language potential. The fact that feral children lack these abilities pinpoints the role of socialization in human development. Examples of Feral Children Famous examples of feral children include Ibn Tufail's Hayy, Ibn al-Nafis' Kamil, Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, and the legends of Atalanta, Enkidu and Romulus and Remus. Tragically, feral children are not just fictional. Several cases have been discovered in which caretakers
brutally isolated their children and in doing so prevented normal development. Peter Pan: Peter Pan is an example of a fictional feral child. Institutionalized ChildrenInstitutionalized children may develop institutional syndrome, which refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills. Learning Objectives Discuss both the processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization, as they relate to issues juveniles may have Key TakeawaysKey Points
Key Terms
In clinical and abnormal psychology, institutional syndrome refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a long period living in mental hospitals, prisons, or other remote institutions. In other words, individuals in institutions may be deprived of independence and of responsibility, to the point that once they return to "outside life" they are often unable
to manage many of its demands. It has also been argued that institutionalized individuals become psychologically more prone to mental health problems. Psychiatric Wards: Many state hospitals have mental health branches, such as the Northern Michigan Asylum. Deinstitutionalization is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health service for those diagnosed with a mental disorder
or developmental disability. Deinstitutionalization can have multiple definitions; the first focuses on reducing the population size of mental institutions. This can be accomplished by releasing individuals from institutions, shortening the length of stays, and reducing both admissions and readmission. The second definition refers to reforming mental hospitals' institutional processes so as to reduce or eliminate reinforcement of dependency, hopelessness, learned helplessness, and other
maladaptive behaviors. Licenses and AttributionsCC licensed content, Shared previously
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What is the process of learning a culture called?Enculturation is the process through which an individual learns about their culture.
What are the characteristics of learning culture?Learning culture, or culture of learning, describes an organizational environment characterized by values, processes, and practices that encourage and support continuous learning and development, growth mindsets, knowledge-sharing, and improved performance for individuals and the enterprise.
What is the process of learning the culture of one's society?The general process of acquiring culture is referred to as socialization . During socialization, we learn the language of the culture we are born into as well as the roles we are to play in life.
What is the process of socialization?In sociology, socialization or socialisation (see spelling differences) is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. Socialization encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus "the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained".
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