Socialization Lecture

Summary

This script delves into the concept of socialization, explaining how individuals learn societal norms and roles. It uses examples like 'man spreading' and 'prim and proper' sitting to illustrate learned behaviors. The role of family, peers, media, and institutions in shaping norms is discussed, along with the impact of positive and negative sanctions on behavior. The Looking Glass self theory is introduced, emphasizing how our self-image is influenced by perceived societal judgments.

Takeaways

• 😀 Socialization is the process by which individuals learn skills, values, motives, and roles appropriate to their position or group in society.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families play a significant role in our early socialization, teaching us how to behave and interact with others.
• 🌐 The world around us, including our peers and mass media, also contributes to our socialization, influencing our values and behaviors.
• 👩‍🏫 Social norms are the unwritten rules that govern our behavior, and they are learned through observing and following the actions of others.
• 🤔 The concept of 'man spreading' and the more reserved posture of women illustrate how gender roles are learned and reinforced through socialization.
• 🏫 Schools and workplaces act as agents of socialization, teaching us norms related to punctuality, hard work, and appropriate communication.
• 👥 Peer groups and mass media can sometimes teach conflicting norms, leading to a complex interplay of values and behaviors.
• 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 The Looking Glass self theory suggests that our self-image is formed by imagining what others think of us, highlighting the impact of social perceptions on self-esteem.
• 🤝 Positive and negative sanctions, such as compliments or social isolation, can reinforce or discourage certain behaviors based on social norms.
• 🧳 Social roles, such as being a parent, friend, or professional, involve different norms and expectations that we switch between in our daily lives.
• 🔍 Understanding and reflecting on the social norms and roles we follow can help us recognize and challenge any negative self-perceptions formed through the Looking Glass self.

Q & A

What is socialization?

Socialization is the process through which individuals learn skills, values, motives, and roles that are considered appropriate for their position or group in society.

How do we learn social norms?

We learn social norms by observing and following the behavior of others around us, such as family, peers, and society at large.

What is an example of how socialization affects the way women and men sit?

Women are often socialized to sit with their knees together and in a more demure manner, while men might be socialized to sit with their legs spread, taking up more space, a behavior sometimes referred to as 'man spreading'.

What are social norms?

Social norms are the usual, typical, standard group-held beliefs that govern our behavior. They are unwritten rules that dictate how we should act in various social situations.

Why is it uncomfortable when someone breaks a social norm?

Breaking a social norm can make people feel uncomfortable because it disrupts the expected behavior and challenges the unwritten rules that govern social interactions.

What is the role of sanctions in social norms?

Sanctions, both positive and negative, play a role in reinforcing social norms. Positive sanctions like approval and compliments encourage adherence to norms, while negative sanctions like disapproval or social isolation discourage norm-breaking behavior.

How do agents of socialization influence our behavior?

Agents of socialization, such as family, peers, school, religion, workplace, and mass media, teach us the norms and values that are expected in different social contexts.

What is a social role?

A social role refers to the specific set of behaviors, rights, and responsibilities that are associated with a particular social position or status, such as being a parent, a student, or an employee.

How does the Looking Glass self theory relate to socialization?

The Looking Glass self theory suggests that our self-image is formed by imagining what others think of us. This perception of others' judgments influences our behavior and self-concept, which is a key aspect of how social norms and roles shape our identity.

Why is it important to be aware of the social norms we follow?

Being aware of the social norms we follow helps us understand the expectations and behaviors that are considered appropriate in different social contexts, which can improve our interactions and relationships with others.

How can understanding social roles and norms empower individuals?

Understanding social roles and norms can empower individuals by helping them recognize the expectations placed on them and allowing them to make informed choices about how they want to behave and present themselves in society.

Outlines

00:00

🧑‍🏫 Socialization and Its Impact on Behavior

This paragraph discusses the concept of socialization, which is the process through which individuals learn the skills, values, motives, and roles appropriate for their position or group in society. The speaker uses the example of how women and men are socialized to sit differently, illustrating the values and roles learned from an early age. Social norms, which are the unwritten rules governing behavior, are also highlighted. The speaker shares an anecdote about starting a class by sitting silently in a student's desk to demonstrate the discomfort caused by breaking social norms. The paragraph concludes by discussing the positive and negative sanctions that can result from following or breaking social norms.

05:02

👥 Agents of Socialization and Their Influence

The second paragraph delves into the agents of socialization, which are the sources from which individuals learn societal norms. These include family, peer groups, school, religion, workplace, and mass media. The speaker notes that these agents can sometimes teach conflicting norms, such as the differences between what family and peer groups might teach. The paragraph also touches on the idea of social roles, explaining how individuals play different roles in various social contexts, such as being a parent, a child, a friend, or a professional. The speaker uses personal examples to illustrate how these roles can influence behavior and expectations.

10:03

🏡 Navigating Social Roles and Their Intersections

In this paragraph, the speaker continues the discussion on social roles, emphasizing how individuals seamlessly transition between different roles in their lives. Examples include being a family member, a friend, a spouse, or a professional. The speaker also explores the intersection of social roles and norms, describing how the expectations and behaviors can change depending on the context. The Looking Glass self theory is introduced, explaining how individuals form their self-image based on their perceptions of what others think of them. The speaker encourages listeners to reflect on the impact of these perceptions on their self-confidence and to use this understanding to empower themselves.

15:04

📚 Reflecting on Socialization Through Assignments

The final paragraph is a brief mention of upcoming assignments, where the speaker hopes to engage students in further reflection on the concepts of socialization discussed in the video. This paragraph serves as a call to action, encouraging students to apply the theories and examples discussed to their own lives and experiences.

Keywords

💡Socialization

Socialization is the process through which individuals learn the skills, values, motives, and roles that are considered appropriate for their position or group in society. It is a central theme of the video, illustrating how people are influenced by their family, peers, and other societal forces from an early age. The video uses the example of how women and men are socialized to sit differently, highlighting the impact of social norms on behavior.

💡Social Norms

Social norms are the unwritten rules that govern behavior within a group or society. They are a key concept in the video, explaining how individuals conform to expected behaviors. The script uses the example of a teacher sitting silently in a classroom to demonstrate how breaking social norms can create discomfort, illustrating the power of these norms in shaping everyday interactions.

💡Man Spreading

Man spreading is a term used in the video to describe the socialized behavior of men taking up more space when sitting, as opposed to women who are often socialized to take up less space. This concept is used to highlight the gendered expectations and behaviors that are part of socialization processes.

💡Positive and Negative Sanctions

Positive and negative sanctions are the rewards and punishments, respectively, that individuals receive for conforming to or breaking social norms. In the video, positive sanctions might include compliments or laughter, while negative sanctions could involve being ignored or socially isolated. These sanctions play a role in reinforcing social norms and behaviors.

💡Agents of Socialization

Agents of socialization are the sources through which individuals learn societal norms and expectations. The video mentions family, peer groups, school, religion, workplace, and mass media as examples. These agents play a crucial role in shaping an individual's behavior and understanding of their role in society.

💡Social Roles

Social roles refer to the specific behaviors and expectations associated with an individual's position in society, such as being a parent, a child, a friend, or a professional. The video discusses how individuals navigate different social roles and how these roles can intersect and sometimes conflict, affecting behavior and self-perception.

💡Looking Glass Self

The Looking Glass Self is a concept introduced by Charles Horton Cooley, which posits that individuals form their self-image based on their imagined perceptions of how others view them. The video uses this concept to discuss how people's self-perceptions are influenced by societal feedback and expectations, emphasizing the importance of understanding and challenging these perceptions.

💡Self-Perception

Self-perception is how individuals view themselves, often influenced by socialization and the feedback they receive from others. The video emphasizes the impact of social norms and feedback on self-perception, suggesting that individuals often internalize societal expectations and judgments, which can affect their self-esteem and behavior.

💡Compliments

Compliments are a form of positive sanction mentioned in the video, used to reinforce social norms and boost self-esteem. The script discusses how compliments can be a way of affirming that someone is meeting societal expectations, such as dressing well or behaving appropriately.

💡Social Isolation

Social isolation is a negative sanction that can occur when individuals break social norms or do not conform to expected behaviors. The video describes how social isolation can be a painful experience, as it involves being ignored or excluded from social interactions, which can have a significant impact on an individual's well-being.

Highlights

Socialization is defined as the process through which individuals learn skills, values, motives, and roles appropriate to their position or group in society.

Individuals are socialized from their earliest moments by their families and the world around them.

An example of socialization is the different ways women and men are taught to sit, reflecting societal norms and expectations.

Social norms are the unwritten rules that govern our behavior, often learned through observation and imitation.

Breaking social norms can lead to awkwardness or discomfort, as demonstrated by the classroom example where the teacher sits silently to challenge norms.

Positive sanctions, such as compliments, reinforce adherence to social norms, while negative sanctions can lead to social isolation.

Agents of socialization include family, peer groups, school, religion, workplace, and mass media, each teaching different norms.

Social roles are the different identities individuals play in various contexts, such as being a parent, friend, or employee.

The intersection of social roles can create conflict, as norms and expectations differ between roles.

The Looking Glass self theory posits that individuals form their self-image based on their imagined perceptions of others.

The three elements of the Looking Glass self are imagining how we appear to others, interpreting their judgment, and forming our self-concept based on these perceptions.

Negative self-talk often stems from imagined judgments, which can be challenged by questioning the basis of these perceptions.

Positive reinforcement from others can boost self-confidence and reinforce a positive self-image.

Socialization agents can sometimes teach conflicting norms, leading to internal conflict and the need to navigate different expectations.

The classroom example illustrates the power of social norms and the discomfort that arises when they are violated.

The Looking Glass self theory emphasizes the importance of self-perception and how it can be influenced by imagined social feedback.

Understanding socialization and its impact on behavior can help individuals navigate social roles and expectations more effectively.

Transcripts

socialization is one of my very favorite

topics to cover an introduction to

sociology so I want to give you a

definition socialization is the way in

which individuals can learn skills

values motives and roles appropriate to

their position or group in society so

we're all being socialized from our

earliest moments as a person our

families are socializing us our world

around us is socializing us and we learn

how we are supposed to act so here's my

little example of how we're supposed to

act two women sitting next to each other

sitting very very differently one woman

is sitting up straight with your knees

together and just kind of that idea of

prim and proper a lot of times the way

that women are socialized to be so cross

your legs cross your ankles but to sit

you know very carefully whereas the

other woman is sitting with their legs

spread and taking up a lot of room

that's actually now there's a term for

this in relation to men sitting this way

it's called man spreading the idea is

that men are socialized could you know

take up more room where women are

socialized to kind of make themselves

smaller so these are kind of the values

and even in some cases skills that we

learn the roles that we learn that are

appropriate for who we are as either

women or men as one example so the way

that this socialization process works is

that we learn how to do this by

following along with everyone else and

so part of it is a huge part of it is

social norms and social norms are the

usual typical standard group held

beliefs that govern our behavior so it's

all the stuff that we should be doing

and the most important one to remember

the one that I always refer to is that

it's unwritten rules we don't get a

handbook on how to act as a student we

don't well maybe we do as far as like

the rules but you know that you don't

just blurt out stuff in class or you

don't start hugging strangers like on

the first day of class when that would

be really breaking some social norms if

you just came in you're like hi I'm here

hugs for everyone right so those

unwritten rules and a lot of

times you don't realize how many rules

how many norms you're following until

somebody breaks them so here's what I do

if we were in an in-person class on like

the second or third day because

socialization is covered early what I

would do is as class started and I like

the class start class right on time as

opposed to starting to talk to them and

being up front like a teacher I actually

go sit down in one of the desks or in a

chair by all the students and I do

nothing I just sit there I stare

straight ahead

I don't speak and I sit there for as

long as it takes

until somebody calls me on it and so

students kind of look at each other

quietly like what is she doing they kind

of ruffle around with all their papers

and everything like that really tries to

kind of stay busy then few more minutes

go by they're kind of laughing a little

awkwardly but nobody will ask me like

what the heck I'm doing if they ask me

are you okay I'll usually just say yeah

and then just keep going back to doing

nothing which unnerve them even more and

so it's not until somebody says is this

part of class why are you doing this

that kind of like really calls me on it

do I actually break and come back I have

sat in a class a kid you know for 15

minutes while they let me just sit there

doing nothing and the room got more and

more and more awkward mostly for me and

so the idea is the reason I wait until

somebody really calls me on it is

because quite awful when you think about

it that's also breaking a social norm

you don't call people on their peculiar

behavior so when somebody's breaking a

norm you don't say oh my gosh you're

being so weird maybe you would with a

family member a friend because that's

within the norm you can say that to

people you would not necessarily say

that to a teacher and so I want you to

kind of keep in mind what are the things

that you're doing constantly that if you

started doing something differently you

would make people feel really

uncomfortable chances are that's

actually a social norm so when you're

following and not following social norms

you can end up with

and negative sanctions which is approval

and disapproval so um a lot of times

approval let's see would look like if I

don't know every you know once a

semester maybe a student will be like oh

my gosh your glasses are so cute or look

at you know your skirt patterns really

cute something like that

and so that makes me feel good like oh

okay

so I'm like an old sappy factor that

frumpy professor kind of person but okay

I can dress a little bit cuter your hair

looks nice today um one of the biggest

sanctions like positive sanctions that I

can get as a teacher is if you're

laughing I mean granted laughing because

you think I'm funny not just laughing at

me because you think I'm weird but if I

say something in class that you know the

whole class laughs at that's pretty

awesome because when I feel like I'm a

stand-up comedian happens every once in

a while sometimes I say things I think

are funny and they're not so funny the

class is just kind of like yeah that

wasn't that wasn't good so that idea of

being told being getting positive

reinforcement like you're doing it right

that's a positive function negative

sanctions again remember because it

would be to break a norm to call someone

on their out of character behavior

a lot of times I think negative

sanctions are actually just people

ignoring you so and you've got to think

some people do not understand norms as

readily as others and so they probably

end up with a fair amount of it being

ignored and a fair amount of social

isolation which can be exceptionally

painful so if you were to think about a

student in elementary school or high

school that maybe wasn't necessarily

fitting in with all the social norms a

lot of times just everybody kind of

turns away from that person and so you

know we can make light of positive norms

but really honestly negative positive

sanctions rather but negative sanctions

I think can be excruciating ly painful

because you can really end up with a lot

of people turning away from you because

they're not going to say anything to you

and so instead they're just going to try

to avoid so the way that we learn all of

these norms comes from the agents of

socialization and I've already mentioned

a couple so that we have our family our

peer group which means our friends

school religion workplace and then mass

media

so our family and peer groups oftentimes

might teach us different things so peer

groups might teach us what's really cool

and when you think about it mass media

especially internet social media usage

probably going to teach us what's you

know really cool and trendy and the

things that we're supposed to want to be

family and religion a lot of times

socialize in the same manner that we

have morals we have things that we do to

fit the roles that we feel we need to

fit and then finally school in the

workplace you can actually end up being

agents of socialization that are very

similar that you know need to be on time

you need to be hard-working you need to

be quiet when you need to be quiet you

need to be able to speak when you need

to speak so agents of socialization

teach us the norms and we're going to

learn all different kinds of norms in

some cases like I just kind of linked

together some similarities but a lot of

times we've got all of this information

coming at us and when you think about it

you're a very different person with all

of these different groups not

necessarily to the point where you're

the entirely you know different

personality but there's little

intricacies there's little different

ways that you're going to have the norms

around your family versus your norms

with your friends or at school at work

and so this is called social roles and

so I want to take you through my social

roles and the only reason I'm doing it

it's that you can think of yours as I

kind of present to you the social roles

that I have going in life so I'm a

daughter and a sister so I'm the oldest

of three and I'm an adult with parents

who are aging and I am a big sister so

to pegan Rory my brother and sister and

so that kind of relationship can

sometimes be very different than Who I

am in other places because a lot of

times with your family you can kind of

revert back to you know the things that

you did as kids like oh well you'll

maybe appreciate this they all used to

call me princess putrid which

occasionally they still bring up and so

that idea of like rolling your eyes and

I'm too cool for school kind of stuff

like that's how I was growing up really

pleasant I'm sure I earned that nickname

Prince of putrid but that idea is you

can fall back into kind of some of those

snotty bickering behaviors if you have

them in your family no matter how old

you are so I am a mom I'm a mom to a

young adult at this point and so Who I

am as a mom can be very different than

Who I am as a daughter and sister I am a

wife I've been married for to think

about it for a second

thank 17 years or so and so Who I am as

a mom and wife is also going to

sometimes be similar sometimes be

different but there are different roles

I'm playing all these different roles

I'm a friend I think I'm a good friend

my friends seem to like me

I'm a caring friend I love my friends

and so I mean I love my family and I

love my son and my husband too but

there's something extra extra fun about

getting to be with your good friends the

laughter and the inside jokes and all

these things but yes you can have with

everybody else to you but I I'm a friend

a lot of times I'm a lot more relaxed

right think about that but you don't

have expectations in your friends that

you might in your parents or your

children or in somebody that you're in a

long-term relationship with and then

finally I'm a college instructor so I am

going to be a very different person in

some ways as a college instructor than I

am as a daughter or that I am as a

friend I certainly try to be outgoing

and friendly with my students I adore

them most of the time and love getting

the chance to talk to them but the power

dynamic is different and I have to of

course act in a professional manner and

so think about who you are at work

versus who you are at home versus who

you are with your significant other and

so these are social roles and you go

through them impeccably you go from one

to the next without even necessarily

thinking about it but here's a place

where social roles and norms can

intersect think about this so have you

ever been maybe as depending on how old

you are but maybe at a point when you

were a teenager something in your with

your friends right and so you're with

friend friends are so cool you're so

cool you're that age at that age where

everybody's cool and then all of a

sudden like your little brother or

sister comes in or your mom is bugging

you're like mom for that like moment an

intersection of your social role as a

family member versus a friend kind of

like the norms are different who you are

in what the unwritten rules are can be

different and so you can have those

kinds of lines across if you have you

know some kind of boyfriend or

girlfriend a significant other versus

being a student you know and you've got

to think about how the fact you have

different norms you have different rules

and you switch back and forth to them a

lot so the other thing I want to present

to you is just one more theory called

the Looking Glass self and so the

Looking Glass self is the self image in

individual forms by imagining what

others think of his or her behavior in

appearance this was written by Charles

Horton Cooley at some point I don't

remember the year and when it's a while

ago because the looking-glass what he's

referring to who is referring to is a

mirror so the looking-glass was what and

was a mirror at some days gone by and so

what Cooley is saying is we form what we

think of ourselves based on what we

think other people think you following

that so here's the three elements of a

Looking Glass self we imagine how we

must appear to others so I just said I

think it tripped over it too and made up

a new word like frappe or something do

you know I think I'm old and fat and

frumpy and all the disparaging terrible

things that we say to ourselves but you

know I'm going to think this because I'm

going to imagine that's what people

think when I see me right nobody has

ever come and said oh wow you know

you're really old fat frumpy because

that would certainly be breaking a

social norm right but we do this to

ourselves where we look at the world

around us and we use it as a mirror

that's why it's called the Looking Glass

self we use the world as a mirror to

measure ourselves and so we interpret

the judgment of others even if they're

not necessarily giving us active

feedback we're going to think that we

know

they're sinking and then we use these

perceptions that we have to lead us to

our sense of self so it could either be

that we feel good about ourselves or

that we're really struggling with

ourselves and so that's what I really

want to concentrate on it's the fact

that really when you look at the Looking

Glass self as a theory and you utilize

it to understand your own behaviors

here's the deal you have been telling

yourself I mean I just shared like

disparaging insulting things we tell our

selfies when we really have no basis to

tell our self these things now granted

we can flip it - and maybe you tell

yourself all the time I'm amazing I'm as

smart as I'm the most beautiful and I

mean that's much more productive because

you're going to feel like a much better

person a lot of times but again maybe

you're hearing that because when you

think about it hearing oh my gosh you're

so smart oh my goodness your hair is

gorgeous when you hear those things

that's something that is a norm in our

society to compliment people to tell

them what you like and so we don't

necessarily insult people certainly

certainly certainly to their face and so

think about all the things that you

think people are thinking about you that

really impact your self-confidence and

kind of just get rid of it because you

have to remind yourself wait a second

where am I getting these ideas has

anybody ever actually given me feedback

that makes me think I should think this

fast about myself and so use it as a

tool to empower yourself to realize that

with your social role your impeccable

following of norms and everything else

that you're an awesome person so thanks

for listening to all of this about

socialization and hopefully you can see

where this is really coming alive in

your life and I'm eager to hear more of

your thoughts on it in your upcoming

assignments