Sociology Ch. 4: Socialization and the Life Course

Members of racial and ethnic minority groups, especially ______, are more likely to exit the paid labor force through disability than through retirement.

African Americans

The process of socialization is a(n)

a lifelong process

Starting around age 40, adults often experience a stressful period of self-evaluation, commonly known as

a midlife crisis

Which of the following best defines occupational socialization?

behavior that people learn where they work

In total institutions, people are subjected to humiliating rituals known as

degradation ceremonies

When sociologists use the term agents of socialization, what are they referring to?

different social forces that influence our lives and alter our self-images

As children grow older, the family's influence becomes ______ important to their social development.

less

a _______ crisis is often a stressful period of self-evaluation that is experienced by both men and women beginning around age forty.

midlife

What is the name given to the debate over how human development is shaped?

nature vs. nurture

What type of socialization is most intense during the transition from school to the workplace?

occupational

Which term refers to a person's typical patterns of attitudes, needs, characteristics, and behavior?

personality

the process of socialization

whereby people learn the attitudes, values, and actions appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture.

Which sociologist developed the theory of the self as a matter of learning to assume the perspective of others?

George Herbert Mead

significant others is

George Herbert Mead's term for those individuals who are most important in the development of the self.

Which of the following are true of the looking-glass self? 1. It involves imagining how other people view themselves. 2. It is subject to change. 3. It may be an inaccurate perception of how others view us. 4. It persists even if the environment changes.

It may be an inaccurate perception of how others view us. It is subject to change.

Jane has two young, active children. She is also the primary caregiver or her aging father, who still lives alone but needs help around the house and assistance in getting to doctors' appointments. Which of the following best describes Jane's situation?

Jane is a member of the sandwich generation

the self is the

a distinct identity that sets us apart from others

Which conflict theorists suggest that schools in the U.S. foster competition through built-in systems of rewards and punishments that can cause children to feel stupid and unsuccessful?

Samuel Bowels and Herbert Gintis

Which of the following statements about media is true?

The media are not always a negative socializing influence

What happens in the termination phase of retirement?

The retiree is unable to complete day-to-day chores and self-care.

Which of the following best defines Mead's theory of the self?

The self begins at a person's most self-centered point.

Which of the following best defines members of the sandwich generation?

They are adults who try to meet the competing needs of their parents and their children.

Family, schools, mass media, and the state are considered ______ socialization.

agents of

In the near phase of Robert Atchley's phases of retirement, retirees

establish a specific departure date from their jobs.

gender roles

expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females

true or false: Social isolation has a negligible impact on children's social and emotional development.

false

In George Herbert Mead's stages of the self, the ______ stage is when children begin to understand not only their own social positions but also those of others around them.

game

Early in life, a person learns to slant his or her presentation of the self in order to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences. This process is known as

impression management

Becky has a toy vacuum. She often pushes it around the living room. Becky is in the

preparatory stage

George Herbert Mead was the first sociologist to analyze the relationship of symbols to

socialization

Sara takes her four-year-old brother Matt to a carnival for the first time. They decide to ride the merry-go-round. Matt runs to the front of the line. His sister pulls him back and explains they have to stand in line. This is an example of

socialization

The term generalized other refers to

the idea that an individual acts are influenced by whole groups of people

What is one way in which religion and government both impact the life course?

By instituting important rites of passage

Children play a(n) ______ role in socialization because they influence and alter their family, school, and peers.

active

A person leaves a singles' bar alone and later tells a friend, "There wasn't anyone interesting in the entire crowd." This is an example of

anticipatory socialization

A young girl decides that she wants to become an Olympic swimmer. She takes swimming lessons, joins her school's swimming team, reads magazine articles about champion swimmers, and goes to swimming meets at a nearby college. This is an example of

anticipatory socialization

A young woman decides she wants to become a professional model, so she surfs the Internet for information and attends modeling classes. This is an example of

anticipatory socialization

The process of socialization in which a person rehearses for future positions and occupations is ______, and the process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones is ______.

anticipatory socialization; resocialization

What is the process in which an individual rejects former patterns of thought and/or behavior and accepts new ones?

resocialization

A retirement party, a high-school graduation party, and a confirmation party are all examples of

rites of passage

Organized religion and government have impacted the life course by re-instituting some of the ________ once observed in agricultural communities and early industrial societies.

rites of passage

rites of passages are

rituals marking the symbolic transition from one social position to another.

According to George Herbert Mead, which of the following is an important aspect of the play stage of the self?

role playing (also called role-taking)

The process of mentally assuming the perspective of another, thereby enabling one to respond from that imagined viewpoint, is known as

role taking

Your boss has just screamed at the work staff for poor sales growth and high absenteeism. Consequently, you decide that this would not be a good time to speak to the boss about a promotion. In this instance, you are effectively

role taking

Psychologist Sigmund Freud studied the relationship between ______ gratification and human development.

sexual

Harry Harlow's research with rhesus monkeys indicated that

social isolation has a real damaging effect on the monkeys

Retirees have learned to deal with life after retirement in a reasonable and comfortable fashion.

stability phse

According to Erving Goffman's dramaturgical approach, what do people's social interactions resemble?

stage performers in action

Which of the following types of mass media has had the most profound effect on childhood socialization in the United States?

television

Recent studies involving identical twins note that certain characteristics appeared to be strikingly similar even in twins reared apart. What were some of these characteristics?

temperaments, voice patterns, and nervous habits

Which of the following is responsible for propelling mothers of young children into the working world?

the need for additional family income

Maria is married and has two children who live at home. Her aging parents have serious health problems and demand a considerable amount of time and money from Maria. This situation describes

the sandwich generation

Compared with older Whites, why are other racial and ethnic groups more often forced to work intermittently after retirement? 1. They are likely to have a shorter near phase. 2. They are likely to hold higher occupational status. 3. They are likely to have smaller savings. 4. They are likely to have lower incomes.

they are likely to have smaller savings and they are likely to have lower incomes

Moral development becomes an important part of socialization as children develop the ability to

think more abstractly

Which of the following statements reflect the importance of human contact in the socialization process? 1. Toddlers' social interaction with peers is critical for emotional growth. 2. Human beings develop just fine with or without normal social interaction. 3. Human relationships are shaped through socialization. 4. Social isolation affects children's ability to communicate effectively.

toddlers social interaction with peers is critical for emotional growth, human relationships are shaped through socialization, and social isolation affects children's ability to communicate effectively.

As children develop skills in communicating through symbols and begin to pretend to be other people, they gradually become more aware of social relationships.

true

true or false: As we grow up and grow older, our peers increasingly assume the role of Mead's significant others.

true

Rank the steps of the process of developing a self-identity according to Cooley's concept of looking-glass self, with the first step at the top.

we imagine how we present ourselves to others, we imagine how others evaluate us, and we develop feelings about ourselves as a result of various impressions

Which of the following require resocialization? 1. becoming a parent 2. getting a divorce 3. moving to another state 4. going on a vacation

becoming a parent, getting a divorce, and moving to another state

The process of socialization begins when children are

born

According to recent studies involving identical twins, what heavily influences human development?

both genetic factors and socialization experiences

Psychologist Jean Piaget observed the stages of ______ development from birth to adolescence.

cognitive

Life course theorists suggest socialization

continues through all stages of the life cycle

What do sociologists examine when considering gender roles in our society?

culturally defined behaviors and attitudes of men and women

What do children begin to do during the game stage? 1. grasp their own social positions as well as those of other 2. think of their own wants and needs in a new way 3. consider the effect their behavior has on others 4. consider several tasks and relationships simultaneously

grasp their own social positions as well as those of other, consider the effect their behavior has on others, and consider several tasks and relationships simutaneously

Retirees pursue activities that they never had time for before.

honeymoon phase

According to Jean Piaget, what do children pay more attention to as they grow older? 1. themselves more than others 2. how other people think 3. why people act in particular ways

how other people think, and why people act in particular ways

Susan is texting on her cell phone while taking an exam. When her professor walks toward her desk, she hides the phone so she appears to be focused on the exam. Susan is engaging in

impression management

Which term did Erving Goffman use to describe how individuals alter their appearance and behavior for the sake of particular audiences?

impression management

most adolescents seek jobs in order to

make spending money

Areas where older Americans congregate and that gradually become informal centers for senior citizens are known as

naturally occurring retirement communities

The relative importance of cultural and biological factors in the socialization process is referred to as the debate over ________

nature versus nurture

The phrase "looking-glass self" refers to our view of ourselves that comes from 1. television, radio, and other media sources. 2. our impressions of how others perceive us. 3. imagining how we present ourselves to others. 4. contemplation of our personal qualities.

our impressions of how others perceive us, imagining how we present ourselves to others, and contemplation of our personal qualities

Which agents of socialization play the most critical role in guiding children into gender role expectations?

parents

Which of the following are agents of socialization that play the primary role in guiding children toward acceptable gender roles in society?

parents and family

Transitions that bring about changes in one's life are called rites of ________

passage

the looking glass-self is the

phrase used by Charles Horton Cooley to emphasize that the self is the product of our social interactions with others

According to George Herbert Mead, children mimic or imitate others during the ______ stage of development. At this stage the children are not pretending to be someone else; they are only doing what they see others doing.

preparatory

According to George Herbert Mead, the self is developed through what three stages?

preparatory, game, and play

According to George Herbert Mead, when children enter the play stage of development they begin to

pretend to actually BE other people and engage in role-playing.

anticipatory socialization refers to

processes of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future positions, occupations, and social relationships.

According to sociologists, both government and ______ shape the socialization process by regulating the life course and influencing behavior at particular ages.

religion

Which of the following statements is true about how social scientists view human development today?

Social scientists believe that the interaction of heredity and the environment shapes human development.

Which social scientist believed that people are in constant conflict between their natural impulsive instincts and societal constraints?

Sigmund Freud

According to the concept of the looking-glass self, development of one's self-identity based on misperceptions may lead to

a negative self-identity

Which of the following is the best example of a significant other?

a parent

Sociologists consider the transition from student to graduate an example of

a rite of passage

Retirees feel a sense of letdown or depression.

disenchantment

According to Goffman, we use the ______ to understand the behavior of a young man who says he really had no interest in a woman who has just rejected him.

dramaturgical approach

In his stages of the self, George Herbert Mead noted that children eventually develop what he called generalized other, which applies to the attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole that children take into account in their behavior. This concept is applied as part of the

game stage

The child of about eight or nine years of age begins to consider several tasks and relationships simultaneously. At this point in development, children grasp not only their own social positions, but also those of others around them. Mead calls this stage the

game stage

Socially defined expectations of male and female behaviors, attitudes, and activities are called ______ roles.

gender