Sociology - Chapter 5: Socialization
Looking-Glass Self
Charles Cooley. The notion that the self develops through our perception of others' evaluations and appraisals of us.
Thomas Theorem
Classic formulation of the way individuals define situations whereby "if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences"
Expressions given
Expressions that are intentional and usually verbal, such ass utterances
Psychosexual stages of development
Four distinct stages of the development of the self between birth and adulthood, according to Freud.
Definition of the situation
Goffman. An agreement with others about "what is going on" in a given circumstance. This consensus allows us to coordinate our actions with those of others and realize goals.
Dramaturgy
Goffman. An approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life in analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance.
Cooling the mark out
Goffman. Behaviors that help others to save face or avoid embarrassment, often referred to as civility or tact
Autoethnography
Goffman. Ethnographic description that focuses on the feelings and reactions of the ethnographer
Region
Goffman. In the dramaturgical perspective, the context or setting in which the performance takes place.
Backstage
Goffman. Places in which we rehears and prepare for our performances
Expressions of behavior
Goffman. Small actions such as an eye roll or head nod, which serve as an interactional tool to help project our definition of the situation to others
Impression management
Goffman. The effort to control the impressions we make on others so that they form a desired view of us and the situation; the use of self-presentation and performance tactics.
Social construction
Goffman. The process by which a concept or practice is created and maintained by participants who collectively agree that it exists.
Frontstage
Goffman. The region in which we deliver our public performances
Front
Goffman. The setting of scene of performances that helps establish the definition of the situation
Stereotyping
Judging others based on preconceived generealizations about groups or categories of people
Dual nature of the self
Mead. The belief that we experience the self as both subject and object, the "I" and the "me"`
Preparatory Stage
Mead. The first stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children mimic or imitate others.
Play Stage
Mead. The second stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children pretent to play the role of the particular or significant other
Game stage
Mead. The third stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children play organized games and take on the perspective of the generalized other
Expressions give off
Observable expressions that can be either intended or unintended and are usually nonverbal
Agents of socialization
Social groups, insititutions and individuals (especiall the family, schools, peers and the mass media) that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place.
Feeling rules
Socially constructed norms regarding the expression and display of emotions, expectations about the acceptable or desirable feelings in a given situation.
Personal Front
The expressive equipment we consciously or unconsciously use as we present ourself to others, including appearance and manner; they help establish the definition of the situation
Self
The individual's conscious, reflexive experience of a personal identity separate and distinct from other individuals.
"me"
The object component - the experience of a norm-abiding, conforming part of ourselves, more socialized and therefore reliant on others.
Nature vs. nurture debate
The ongoing discussion of the respective roles of genetics and socialization in determining individual behaviors and traits
Generalized other
The perspectives and expectations of a network of others that a child learns and then takes into account when shaping his or her own behavior.
Particular or significant other
The perspectives and expectations of a particular role that a child learns and internalizes.
Resocialization
The process of replacing previously learned norms and vales with new ones as a part of a transition in life
ego
The realistic aspect of the mind that balances the forces of the id and the superego
Role strain
The tension experienced when there are contradictory expectations within one role
Socialization
Thee process of learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social groups, by which we become functioning members or society.
superego
Two components: the conscience and the ego-ideal. Represents the internalized demands of society. The conscience serves to keep us from engaging in socially undesirable behavior and the ego-ideal upholds our vision of who we believe we should ideally be.
Hidden curriculum
Values or behaviors that students learn indirectly over the course of their schooling because of the structure of the educational system and the teaching methods used
Achieved status
a status earned through individual effort or imposed by others
Embodies status
a status generated by physical characteristics
Master status
a status that is always relevant and affects all other statuses we posses
Role-taking emotions
emotions like sympathy, embarrassment, or shame that require that we assume the perspective of another person or many other people and respond from that person or group's point of view
Role conflict
experienced when we occupy two or more roles with contradictory expectations
Copresence
face-to-face interaction or being in the presence of others
Agency
the ability of the individual to act freely and independently
Emotion work (emotional labor)
the process of evoking, suppressing or otherwise managing feelings to create a publicly observable display of emotion
Role exit
the process of leaving a role that we will no longer occupy
"I"
Subject component - the experience of a sponatneous, active and creative part of ourself, somewhat less socialized.
Role
the set of behaviors expected of someone because of his or her status
Status
A position in a social hierarchy that carries a particular set of expectations
Ascribed status
An inborn status, usually difficult or impossible to change
Total institution
An insititution in which individuals are cut off from the rest of society so that their lives can be controlled and regulated for the purpose of systematically stripping away previous roles and identities in order to create new ones
id
Basic inborn drives that are the source of instinctive psychic energy. Its main goal is to achieve pleasure and to avoid paid.