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.