Category: Socialization

The acquisition of ones social skills in the present-day world is complicated by numerous stereotypes. From the perspective of symbolic interactionism, this process implies the creation of subjective meaning under the influence of media, which does not correspond to reality. This mechanism is illustrated by the film Tough Guise 2, in which any kind of virtue attributed to male citizens is replaced with perceived masculinity.

The interdependency of media and peoples views on men and women in socialization can also be described by functionalism. According to this doctrine, the stereotypes add to peoples desire to ensure the stability of their lives, whereas their credibility is disregarded. For example, the idea of youth, beauty, and sexuality ascribed solely to females undermines the efforts of their male counterparts to demonstrate these qualities.

In turn, this tendency is explained by ethnocentrism applicable to the differences between them emphasized by media. The support of this idea implies evaluating others through the lens of adopted misconceptions, and it helps understands the violence of men towards women. The former cannot form an adequate attitude towards the latter due to the learned stereotypes, and the only option for them is direct hostility.

The effects of media can also be seen in these events since they originate from the lack of resources as per the conflict theory. It is obvious that all people cannot have equal conditions, for example, at work. Meanwhile, spreading the information regarding the differences in the levels of pay contributes to the problem regarding the socialization of girls and boys growing up in this environment.

Finally, the issues emerging from the lack of understanding between men and women are worsened by the media through demonstrating the improper social norms which are adopted by them. As per the theory of sanctions, they evoke the desire in people to enforce compliance with these principles. The failure to do so is viewed as a threat, and male violence can be partially explained by this phenomenon.

People are highly social creatures who need to live in communities to survive and develop properly. Although genetic factors are critical, socialization is equally important and is defined in many ways. This process sets peoples social identity, teaches them to take roles, controls their behavior, and transmits culture, which is important for the development (and survival) of the group (Benokraitis, 2016). Nurturing is essential for building basic skills (such as breathing, eating, and others) necessary for existence, while socialization is vital for gaining skills to survive in human society. The vast majority of people want to fit in, so they follow the rules established in a group. Children adopt the culture and behavioral patterns they are exposed to and transmit these skills and knowledge to new generations.

I was raised in Ukraine, so I absorbed various patterns that are acceptable in that region. In that country, the level of gender equality is quite high, which is typical of any European country. Girls and boys are mainly socialized in mixed groups, but there are some rare cases of gender-segregated educational establishments. At the same time, girls are still expected to be more concentrated on household duties while boys are seen as major breadwinners. When I was in school, boys and girls had different DIY classes as boys mainly focused on such tasks as woodwork, and girls were trained to sew and complete tasks needed for bringing up children. Such differences in socializing are becoming less common, and society is gradually becoming more gender-neutral. It is necessary to add that this division is not sharp at present because females often take up leading roles in business and other social spheres. It does not seem inappropriate for a woman to focus on her career, although it is expected that she will have a child (or children) and play a significant part in their family life. Males are also expected to have families, and their role in household routine and child-rearing is increasing now.

References

Benokraitis, N. V. (2016). Soc: Introduction to sociology (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Most modern humans are raised in a society where they are taught to talk, interact, and develop different skills according to the norms of the people around them. Children are expected to walk upright, learn the language, and communicate with others by a certain age. It is possible because of numerous factors, such as genetics, family upbringing, and social contacts. Genie Wiley was a girl raised in almost complete isolation, which led her to significant physical and mental development delays.

Nature and Nurture

Anthropologists and psychologists have been studying human behavior for many years. However, they still cannot state clearly whether peoples abilities are defined mainly by nature or nurture factors. The former focuses on genetic inheritance, while the latter considers social communication to be more critical for the childs development (Nilsen, 2017). Both factors influence human behavior, but the absence of socialization may have significant negative consequences.

Early years in isolation deprive a human of normal development and prevent them from becoming a full-fledged member of society. Children like Oksana, Victor, and Genie from TLCs documentary about the feral children did not interact much with other people for several years of their lives. Once put back in the community, they could not speak, did not like to be touched, and experienced other forms of discomfort (Nilsen, 2017). Nature taught them to search for food and warmth, but not human language or empathy. Nurture and care are the only instruments that allow people to grow in a healthy environment.

When feral children are returned to society, some of the negative effects from their early ages could be reversed. The longer they stayed isolated, the smaller were the chances of partial recovery. For example, after Edik spent two years among the stray dogs, the empathy and communication skills were restored enough for him to be slightly disoriented but close to the average child. Oksana lived in a dog kennel for six years, and despite her eagerness to learn, could only speak in simple sentences at the age of nineteen. As for Genie Wiley, neglected and malnourished for over a decade, her progress was so rapid that scientists were hoping for a case of complete recovery. Unfortunately, foster families abuse led to a quick regression of many of the skills she had learned (Nilsen, 2017). Careful nurture can help recover or obtain some of the skills undeveloped due to isolation, but not to the full extent.

Language Development

Children do not learn languages based on their genetic legacy. They copy the sounds from their surroundings while analyzing the environment. When a child grows in a family where relatives speak a particular language, they start mimicking the sounds and connecting them to the meaning accordingly. Having close contact with a chimpanzee or a dog in childhood may lead to copying ape sounds or barking instead of human speech development (Nilsen, 2017). Human language is a product of nurturing, although learning abilities may be partially genetic.

Peoples brains are biologically designed to develop grammar comprehension before the teenage years. Some separate words may be taught later in life if the person is intelligent enough, as it happened to Genie. However, connecting complicated sentences is nearly impossible to learn after the age of ten. The brain structures responsible for developing the language communication system deteriorate over the years of non-usage (Nilsen, 2017). Feral children can develop empathy, basic conversation skills, and even ethical behavior, but their ability to speak is likely to reach a plateau at a small childs level.

Learning Theories

One of the concepts used in educating Genie was Banduras social-cognitive learning theory. According to it, a person develops new skills by observing others around them (Horsburgh & Ippolito, 2018). Genie watched the doctors and scientists and progressed rapidly as she was mimicking their behavior. Exposure to vocabulary resources and a supportive atmosphere stimulated the feral childs brain to learn new skills. Genie also confirmed Lennebergs theory of a critical period, which supports the difficulty of language skills development after puberty age (Goodluck, 2020). Although the girl had progressed significantly until foster care abuse started, she still experienced more difficulties than a small child would. Besides, Genie could not master grammar concepts or complex linguistic structures.

Stages of Development

Genie did not have an opportunity to develop similar to regular children, and the numerous tests showed her retardation. According to Piagets development theory, she had reached either Preoperational or Concrete Operational stage. The former occurs typically between the ages of two and seven, focusing on the childs desires and physical observations, while the latter is usual for primary school students. The Concrete Operational stage allows showing initiative and creativity in actions and shifts the attention to other peoples needs (Marcin, 2018). Genie showed some empathy and initiative but was mainly focused on studying the world and society around her.

The child has reached the level at which she could try new behavioral strategies and play with her surroundings. According to Erikson, that corresponds to the Initiative vs. Guilt psychosocial crisis (Sutton, 2020). Genie started to explore her possibilities of finding new solutions around the age of fourteen, which is about nine years later than a typical child would. Her fear of being punished for talking, induced by the father years before, was fading.

Genie became genuinely open to people who showed her care and support. Following Kohlbergs theory of moral reasoning, she had likely surpassed the Self-Interest stage of aiming for rewards and reached the Conformity and Interpersonal Accord level, typical for pre-school children (Sprouts, 2019). Genie wanted to be a good girl and searched for approval while fulfilling the linguistic tasks and performing daily activities. The moral development level allowed her to empathize with the mentors and be upset when she could no longer see them.

Ethical Guidelines

Several of the aspects of Genies treatment would not be considered ethical today. For instance, according to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2017), the professional cannot be in multiple relationships with the client (section 3). In Genies case, Susan Curtiss was both her linguistic coach and personal mentor (Nilsen, 2017). The professional became emotionally attached to her client, which would not be allowed by the ethics code today. Another violation was allowing the conflict of interests as the desire to protect the girl could prevent Curtiss from following the recommended procedure guidelines (APA, 2017, Section 3). Mixing motherly instincts, career goals, and professional research could lead to inaccurate results.

Another issue with Genies treatment would be her rights to privacy and confidentiality. APA (2017) does not allow making the research case public and revealing the identities of the patient and their family (section 4). Genie was a teenager with development problems and a history of physical and psychological abuse. Making her case public and allowing open discussions with real names would not be considered ethical today.

Conclusion

Genies case is unique and resourceful for the researchers to learn more about early childhood development and social adaptation. The specialists studied the effects of many years of isolation on a childs cognitive and linguistic abilities, as well as the possibility of reversing the negative effects. However, Genies case is also a personal tragedy, and it would be unethical by modern standards to invade the teenagers privacy for scientific reasons.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. 

Goodluck, H. (2020). Language acquisition by children: A linguistic introduction. Edinburgh University Press.

Horsburgh, J., & Ippolito, K. (2018). A skill to be worked at: Using social learning theory to explore the process of learning from role models in clinical settings. BMC Medical Education, 18, 156.

Marcin, A. (2018). What are Piagets stages of development and how are they used? Healthline.

Nilsen, K. (2017). Genie Wiley  TLC documentary (2003) [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Sprouts. (2019). Kohlbergs 6 stages of moral development. [Video]. YouTube.

Sutton, J. (2020). Erik Eriksons stages of psychosocial development explained. Positive Psychology.

Introduction

Since human beings are largely social creatures, it is important to study interpersonal interactions and relationships in order to learn about the culture of groups and communities. Ethnography is the research method that allows for these observations and conclusions to be made, ultimately contributing to anthropological studies of the world. This study focuses on the informal socialization of employees after work hours, using the famous local Chinese restaurant, Great Wall of China, as the target location. The primary purpose of this study is to understand the make-up of the people, the type of personality, how often they converge, and what attracts them to this local restaurant.

Choice of Scenario

The choice of after-work meetings of employees as the scenario for this study was made due to several reasons. The setting of the scenario is public and informal, and numerous conclusions about the company culture can be made depending on the observations made. Depending on the customs of the particular groups of employees, they might have more or less of an outside-of-work relationship. In the former case, employees might dedicate some nights to socializing together outside work, often in a neutral environment such as a local bar or, in the case of this study, a local restaurant. This observational space is easily accessible for the researcher, as the location is not exclusive. Therefore, it can be easy for an observer to dedicate some time to study the subjects in a relaxed environment and grasp the relationships between them. In particular, the interactions between same-sex employees versus those of the opposite sexes, the general mood of the employees, and other behavior. The observations took place Tuesdays and Friday evenings since these are the most likely days for people to leave the office and hang out at the local bar or restaurant.

Literature Review

Although there is no data available for the specific scenario of this study, there are numerous ethnographies freely available on the Internet for the researcher to consider. The motivation for this ethnography lies in the significance of informal corporate culture, especially during the global pandemic. As Church & Conger (2018) noticed, in-person meetings are the most effective way to influence people and their decisions in some organizations. According to Harvard Business Review, Covid-19 has affected corporate culture as many companies opt for a hybrid environment (Hinds & Elliot, 2021). Therefore, it is even more fascinating and valuable to watch the interactions of employees outside work since many of them would be working from home. Regardless, there are links that have been established between informal cultural structures and corporate social responsibility, highlighting the importance of informal meetings even in the middle of a pandemic (Aderum and Bejnarowicz, 2018). There are likely other important connections between informal corporate culture and business, which can be deducted from the observations of this study.

Observations

The observational part of the study was aimed at answering a number of questions that were set in the preparatory stage. Some of the specific issues that were addressed included, but were not limited to:

• Do the employees arrive in singles, pairs, or groups?
• Do males talk to just male counterparts only?
• Do female employees talk to just their female counterparts?
• Are there mixed up of interactions among both male and female employees?
• Do these employees feel relaxed?
• Would they sit or stand as they mingle?
• Do they just come in to socialize, order meals, and beverages?
• Do they leave the restaurant at the end of the evening individually, in groups, or all at once?

In the process of the observation, detailed notes were taken, showing the differences between different days and different companies employees.

As mentioned in the previous sections, the observations were made on two days during the week  Tuesdays and Fridays. On those days, anywhere from 3 to 6 different groups of employees were observed in the restaurant, staying for the duration of an hour to three hours on average. For the sake of consistency, the researcher focused primarily on three groups of employees that were coming to the restaurant every Friday and every other Tuesday. While other groups were also noted, fewer details were recorded.

Throughout the study, it was noticed that the Friday groups tended to stay for longer, feel more relaxed with each other, order more alcohol and food, and stay for longer. On the other hand, the Tuesday groups were more likely to stay for less time and order less food and beverages. It was also noted that the groups that had more communication between the mixed-sex employees appeared to be more relaxed and stayed for longer. On the other hand, the groups that were separated into male and female interactions often had the female employees leave the restaurant earlier than their male counterparts. The groups that stayed for longer tended to sit down around a table, while the shorter interactions were often conducted standing around the bar. The groups that appeared more comfortable with each other appeared to leave in groups or pairs, and mostly at roughly the same time as everyone else in the group.

The following coding has been developed as a result of the observations and patterns within the conversations:

Gender Patterns:

• MMC  Male-Male Conversation
• FFC  Female-Female Conversation
• MFC  Male-Female Conversations
• Behavioral Patterns During Conversations:
• RLXCNV  Relaxed Conversation (Easy-going and friendly conversations)
• AGTTCNV  Agitated Conversation (Employees argue or act anxious)
• MNTCNV  Monotonous Conversation (Employees appear tired, bored, or uninterested)

The coding is inductive since the aim was to examine the behavioral patterns, and the subsequent outcomes have been derived and identified during the analysis. This has allowed for a more open-minded approach to the observation and a less restricted overview of the possible behavioral characteristics identified in employees spending time in an informal environment. Since repeated incidents have occurred and were identified, inductive coding was introduced for easier data collection.

Analysis

While the main purpose of the study was an observation rather than analysis, some deductions could be made according to the interactions of the employees. According to Bruskin (2018), the interactions between different people can signify whether the individuals are perceived as insiders or outsiders. Inclusion of the different employees in the informal social setting is important to the confidence of the individual and increases the satisfaction with the company overall, increasing motivation. Therefore, organized and non-organized meetings outside work contribute to the general corporate culture and add to the loyalty of the employees to the company. While there is no information available to the researcher about the formal corporate culture of the employees, the commitment to meet after hours is likely to signify company loyalty.

As mentioned in the previous section, there were some patterns that were noticed during the observations. For example, the length of the meetings often depended on the day of the observation. Furthermore, the openness and fluidity of conversation added to the comfortable environment, at least from the third-person perspective. While during this study, in particular, the researcher merely observed the subjects, without direct communication, this would be an interesting addition to further research.

Conclusion

Further research, expanding the demographic and increasing the length of the study, is required for generalized conclusions about what informal corporate culture means for the business. However, numerous deductions can and have been made based on the observations made. Therefore, the purpose of this study, as stated in the introduction, has been achieved, and the observations can be used in the broader field of anthropology.

References

Bejnarowicz, A., & Aderum, T. (2018). Employees participation in a companys CSR: How do formal and informal cultural systems affect employees participation in a companys CSR activities. JIBS.

Bruskin, S. (2019). Insider or outsider? Exploring the fluidity of the roles through social identity theory. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 8(2).

Church, A. H. & Conger J. A. (2018). When you start a new job, pay attention to these 5 aspects of company culture. Harvard Business Review. Web.

Hinds, P. & Elliot, B. (2021). WFH doesnt have to dilute your corporate culture. Harvard Business Review. Web.

Lubet, S. (2018). Interrogating ethnography: Why evidence matters. Oxford University Press.

Socialization is a process of becoming a member of a social group that accompanies a person throughout their entire life. One acquires the necessary roles, values, and standards as a result. People and institutes that facilitate the process are the agents of socialization, although some, particularly from the former group, may not realize their importance. This paper will discuss each agent and the respective role in-depth.

Socialization logically starts in the family, where a person spends the most time during the early years. Children acquire basic cultural knowledge, acceptable behaviors, and various social skills (Laible et al. 35). The important aspects of early socialization are its quality, characterized by warmth, security, and reciprocity, and relational processes, which directly affect ones behavior (Laible et al. 52). It is not uncommon for relatives to focus on one of those and ignore the other, but it can be detrimental to a childs later development (Laible et al. 35). As for me, the family was responsible for developing my moral qualities and values, and while I rarely received a punishment, I knew what was right or wrong based on my parents reactions and words.

The second agent of socialization moving forward is school, where a person can spend a considerable amount of time if higher education is included. Educations role in the process is to transmit societys cultural legacy and tools, including knowledge and skills, to a new generation (Branco 31). It is done for an individuals development and, ideally, for students to actively participate in the social landscape and shape it (Branco 31). Due to the established goals, school may seem like a conservative institute, but it is not always true (Branco 31). To successfully prepare future citizens, schools should combine traditional and progressive elements, as values may remain static, but knowledge is relatively dynamic (Branco 31). I would say that compared to my family, school as an institute was mostly responsible for developing patriotic feelings and respect for science. It was not always a pleasant experience, as a teachers personality could affect my interest in a subject or an idea, but it also taught me how to communicate with people in a superior position.

Once a person starts interacting with people of their age outside of the family, peer socialization begins. Its intensity and relevance depend on the developmental stage, as communication in kindergarten is vastly different from being involved with teenage peers (Bukowski et al. 263). With the former, the familys influence is still strong, so it does not produce much effect, but in the latter case, a person finds people of the same age more relevant (Bukowski et al. 263). Thus, they acquire new values, emotions, patterns, potentially overriding those that existed formerly (Bukowski et al. 264). While a groups influence can vary, being rejected particularly affects socialization and leads to externalized behavioral issues (Bukowski et al. 238). Out of all agents, peer groups are, perhaps, most unpredictable and dynamic (Bukowski et al. 245). One can go through many peers by changing schools, jobs, or maturing, but they can still leave a lingering impact (Bukowski et al. 245). While I cannot say that any peer group managed to make me a new person, they taught me such concepts and emotions as love, friendship, betrayal, and others.

Religion is another important socialization agent, although it may not be equally relevant for everyone. It is an important source of values, morals, and life orienteers for those who are religious (Pratt and Hardy 665). Sacred texts serve as their source and provide knowledge relevant to the community and unobtainable through other means (Rogoff et al. 483). While my family attended church on Sundays and adhered to the Ten Commandments, they were not overly religious. Regardless, I absorbed those Christian values as a child, and they are an integral part of my moral compass.

During and after school, ones workplace, be it part-time or full-time, becomes an important agent. While starting a new job, people acquire new knowledge, roles, make new connections, and adapt to the so-called organizational culture (Ellis et al. 301). The process is important to make all employees share a common goal and a sense of belonging to the organization while providing the necessary information to make them successful (Ellis et al. 302). As ones identity is more or less formed by working-age age, a person may choose an occupation that facilitates their existing identity (Ellis et al. 303). However, some are not so fortunate and have to do a job that conflicts with theirs, which hinders occupational socialization and adaptation (Ellis et al. 303). I have limited experience working part-time, and my organization taught me nothing except discipline, but in the future, a full-time job will surely influence me.

In conclusion, agents of socialization accompany a person throughout their life and help one acquire the values, skills, roles, and knowledge necessary to exist within a social group. The process starts in the family, which provides the foundation, and continues in school and at work while being surrounded by peers, who either facilitate or complicate socialization. Religion can also be an important agent, even if a person is not very religious. In the end, all of them leave their trace and make someone both a unique personality and a member of society.

References

Branco, Angela Uchoa. Values, Education and Human Development: The Major Role of Social Interactions Quality Within Classroom Cultural Contexts. Alterity, Values, and Socialization: Human Development Within Educational Contexts, edited by Angela Uchoa Branco and Maria Cláudia Lopes-de-Oliveira, Springer International Publishing, 2018, pp. 31-50.

Bukowski, William M., et al. Socialization and Experiences with Peers. Grusec and Hastings, pp. 228-250.

Grusec, Joan E., and Paul D. Hastings, editors. Handbook of Socialization: Theory and Research. New York, The Guilford Press, 2015.

Laible, Deborah, et al. Early Socialization: The Influence of Close Relationships. Grusec and Hastings, pp. 35-59.

Pratt, Michael W., and Sam A. Hardy. Cultivating the Moral Personality: Socialization in the Family and Beyond. Grusec and Hastings, pp. 661-687.

Rogoff, Barbara, et al. Children Develop Cultural Repertoires through Engaging in Everyday Routines and Practices. Grusec and Hastings, pp. 472-498.

Socialization is how individuals, beginning at an early age and continuing throughout their lives, learn about societal norms, values, and beliefs (Luther et al., 2018, p. 16). It serves as an instrument of accord and unity among the members of society to ensure its survival. An agent of socialization is someone or something that serves as a source for what is being learned (DeLamater et al., 2015, p. 71). The agents of socialization include family, peers, school, and mass media. I believe that family and peers have had the greatest impact on me. My parents taught me how to treat others with respect, show compassion, and help people in need. By interacting with peers and friends, I understood the importance of values like friendship, loyalty, and honesty.

The self is the individual observed as the source and the object of his/ her reflexive behavior. The notion of self includes the ability to differentiate ourselves from others, to see ourselves through the eyes of others, and to use a special language for thoughts (DeLamater, 2015). Before the age of 10, my sense of self was mostly formed under the influence of family and friends, and I viewed myself as a member of my family and a loyal friend. However, as I got older, school and mass media started to play a crucial role in my understanding of myself.

My achievements in academics and sport positively affected the way I perceived myself, while mass media hurt my self-esteem. Mass media often assigns specific roles to people of a certain race, ethnicity, and gender, which may lead them to wrong conclusions. Affected by mass media as a teenager, I associated myself with the typical person of my race, gender, and age, which made me confused about who I was. Now I am trying to be unbiased in my interactions with others, and I am convinced that a persons self should be the result of his/ her unique character and history. We should not be the stereotypes mass media wants us to become.

References

DeLamater, J. D., Myers, D. J., & Collet, J. L. (2015). Social Psychology (8th ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Luther, C. A., Lepre, C. R., & Clark, N. (2018). Diversity in U.S. Mass Media (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

In the 21st century, the mass media has become an integral part of the day-to-day activities for human beings. Over the years, this sector has undergone considerable transformation to incorporate almost all aspects that people consider as important in their lives. The mass media has become a tool that defines how people eat, dress and socialize among other things.

The trend of increasing expenditure on mass media and entertainment depicts the high levels of influence of this industry. For example, in America, the average citizen spends more on entertainment than on things like gasoline, household furnishings, and clothing. Most citizens spend nearly the same amount of money on entertainment as on dining out.

According to the research by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, spending on global entertainment and mass media exceeded 1.8 trillion dollars by 2010. The mass media and entertainment industry provide access to the simulated world and virtual realities. A significant portion of the human population model their character and behavior based on the mass media. Mass media and entertainment have become an essential part of society, which drives social behavior.

With the emergence of new media, societal and industrial models compare new standards with the failures of the old ones. The development of multimedia such as CD-Rom, PC games, and Virtual reality devices allowed people to experience all the pre-existing media types as they converged together in one collage of media elements. With the introduction of the World Wide Web, the world realized the logical extension of access to multimedia where entertainment is accessible via the internet.

The internet became the new platform upon which the media and entertainment industry expanded further. The media undergoes a cycle of invention, access limitation and information overflows. One of the factors that facilitate the considerable levels of influence of the mass media on societal behavior is the participatory culture.

This describes the way individuals interact with the media content, media producers, and another consumer as they explore the resources available to them across the media landscape. For example, access to a website like Illuminati, which talks about devil-worshiping, deepens emotional investment in the media and expands our awareness on the content.

On the other hand, such information can change someones culture and ways of living. The Internet provides easy access to all information. However, some internet sites are not appropriate for use by society. The disadvantage of the internet is the lack of restrictions, which introduce loopholes and allow everyone who knows how to use a computer to access any information irrespective of its nature and potential harm. An example is pornographic sites, which should not be viewed by teenagers under the age of eighteen. Most pornographic sites have resulted in moral and cultural degradation within society.

The mass media promotes creations that attract audience participation in the form of random and interactive storytelling. An example is the reality TV show Survivor, which appeared in 2000 in the United States. The publicity of the show produced the survivor who sought to discover contest sites before release. It shows how devoted viewers could discover and predict the outcome of the show in online discussion groups.

This is an illustration of how the internet can ultimately influence the production of a TV show. The example illustrates a participatory culture, which exists when media consumers create a new mode of engagement with the media content. After noticing that their content has a great impact on society, a media company can use the content to generate revenue online. This is exploitation by influence.

For example, noticing the viewers enthusiasm, the Fox Network launched American Idol and embarked on campaigns to encourage audiences to participate in choosing the winner by texting their votes. This highlights the indirect approaches that stakeholders in the mass media industry employ to obtain profits for the sustenance of media programs. It demonstrates the convergence behavior of the society with a common interest (Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2008).

Matrix multiplayer online games provide individuals with new ways to participate in their shared fantasy. Enthusiasts of the Matrix become entangled in the philosophies of the story. They create elaborate fictions and seek definitions that are beyond the scope of this world. The universe of media and entertainment is forcing consumers professing old cultures and norms to make snap decisions and create a culture of long-term strategies in their role within the virtual enrolment.

Even in television shows, the content is less appealing than the cognitive work the show elicits on ones mind. Instead of becoming mindless viewers, the audiences are participating in decision-making activities that revolve around TV content episode by episode (Croteaus & Hoynes, 2003).

The mass media has a significant impact on various aspects of life within society. There are several TV shows and magazines with contents of lifestyles. An example is the Lose Angeles magazine. The magazine discusses a luxurious lifestyle, fashions, and personalities. It hurts ordinary citizens who cannot afford expensive commodities. People who survive on meager income develop the notion that individuals within the high class are superior. The nature of the lifestyle that an individual adopts starts from the individuals mindset.

Ones mindset is subject to a variety of factors that influence an individual. One of these factors is the mass media. The media and entertainment industry has both positive and negative effects. One of the advantages of the media industry is that it introduces numerous economic benefits within society. For example, online marketing stores such as Lingerie womens fashion enable women to order for their clothing and foot ware online without having to travel long distances.

Individuals save time and money when using the internet to access relevant information. Appropriate entertainment plays a key role in an individuals well being within society. When one is under distress, he or she needs some form of distraction. The media industry provides a variety of entertainment that suit individual needs. However, the media contributes a lot to moral degradation within society.

An example is pornographic films and websites. These two contents have introduced misadvised notions on sexuality within the society and families. It portrays sex as a game. This contradicts the norms of most societies. Some of the information that individuals obtain from media presents contradictory concepts regarding a particular subject.

A perfect example is the media coverage on the secret society called Illuminati. It is hard to believe someone who attempts to explain an organization that functions based on satanic powers. It introduces the dilemma for the media audience. Viewers do not know whether to believe the media coverage or not. Generally, the media and entertainment industry have impacts that are more positive concerning the societys development.

References

Croteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (2003). Media society: industries, images, and audiences (3rd ed.).Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press.

Shaughnessy, M., & Stadler, J. (2008). Media & society (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press

Socialization is important to individuals and the societies that they live in; it helps to illustrate how human beings are entwined with their social realms. A society is only able to preserve itself by teaching principles to its new members; if values are not taught to new age group then the society will cease to exist. There have been debates about nature versus nurture that ranges over whether a person’s experiences are more important in shaping physical and interactive personalities.

In this case nature is regarded as the hormone founded behaviors, traits and viewpoints while nurture refers to the setting, values and involvements. The modern debate is often aligned on the effects that genetic factors have on human personality as opposed to the effects that early setting and growth might have (Rutter, 2006). Current debates on this issue have been shifting with cultural changes; the theories of behaviourism alleged that human nature is majorly swayed by training and involvement. This debate has changed in recent years through the studies of identical twins separated during birth, that indicate that genetics have a vital role in the development of human behaviour (Rutter, 2006). Even though genes help in defining one’s personality, the society in which one is brought up in affects their social interaction skills. Individual that are brought in well up families tend to be more self-confident, ready to confront systems that are unfair to them and always confident to explain themselves in all situations thus the high capacity for the success in life (Rutter, 2006). On the other hand, children from low income families lack self-confidence and are less likely to question authorities and system that are unfair to them. They lack the confidence to speak up and explain their situations and this affects their capacity to succeed in life (Rutter, 2006).

Theoretical perspectives that help to understand Socialization

There are three primary theoretical perspectives that sociologists employ to help explain socialization. The first one is symbolic interactionist perspective that looks into symbols and facts in normal life, their implications and the manner in which people interact with one another (Lawler, 2008). People attribute meanings to symbols, where they then act according to their subjective clarifications of the symbols. The institution of marriage in American society has symbols such as: the wedding bands, flowers, vows, the white bridal dress and the cake (Lawler, 2008). For some, they symbolize the eternal love and others may look at them as fiscal costs. This perspective has been criticized for missing the large issues in the society and focusing on the minor issue.

The second perspective is the functionalist perspective that illustrate that each aspect of the society is co-dependent and it adds to the running of the society as a whole (Lawler, 2008). A good illustration of this is where the state provides education for the family’s children which in-turn pays taxes that the state needs to run. The family hence depends on the school to augment their children’s growth in-order for them to get jobs that can help them sustain their own families as help pay taxes (Lawler, 2008). The society is held together by social consistency, whereby members of the society work together to sustain the society. Functionalist has been criticized for neglecting the role of encouraging people to change their social environment even when it is for their own benefit.

The third perspective is conflict, which defers from the others because it focuses on negative disputed nature of the society that is ever changing. Conflict perspective argues that the affluent and influential, force social order on those that are weak and poor (Lawler, 2008). A conflict theorist will for instance interpret a decision to raise tuition to pay for a new program to help raise the status of a local college as a selfish decision rather than looking at it as a benefit for the students. Conflict theorists find social conflicts between any groups that have possible disparities for instance racial, religious, gender and economic among many others (Lawler, 2008). They argue that unequal groups always have contradictory standards and agendas, that push them to contest against one another. Conflict perspective has been criticized for its negative view on the society.

Agents of Socialization

An individual’s self-concept, values and behaviour are always shaped by various agents of socialization including; family, peers and media among others. Family for instance serves to replicate the society organically through reproduction and communally through the socialization of children (Brinkerhoff, 2008). Marriages help to establish formation of families with or without the intention of having children; it establishes relationships between the families of the wife and the husband. Marriages establish the joint fund of property all for the benefit of the children and the partners (Brinkerhoff, 2008). There are prohibitions against marriages between family members in most societies, what is known as incest taboo.

Peer groups also have a great influence on socialization, peer groups allow children to escape supervision and give them an opening to form relationships on their own (Brinkerhoff, 2008). Peer groups unlike family only have short term impact on their interests. Peer groups allow children to discuss matters like current music and fashion that the adults do not share; they also permit activities such as sex and drug use (Brinkerhoff, 2008). Peer groups greatly influence the mental and social regulation of an individual; they provide viewpoints outside of individual standpoints.

The fact that mass media has enormous effects on people’s attitudes and behaviour; it contributes greatly to the socialization process. Media bias is one factor that affects socialization an it is widely distributed in the world, it happens in the manner in which the selection of events and stories are reported and covered in order to appeal to various audiences (Brinkerhoff, 2008). What this means is that the stories that affect a large number of people on a universal gage tend to have less coverage than the local stories that the people are more interested in because that is what they relate with. Video gaming is another element that is associated with socialization. Video game violence influences real life violence, it upsurges an individual’s opinions and behaviours (Brinkerhoff, 2008). Children regularly act out the violence that they see in the games and it has serious consequences.

Socialization is important as it familiarizes individuals with the norms of a particular society. It helps prepare individuals to be a part of teams by helping them understand what is expected from them by those teams. Socialization is particularly important for children who begin the socialization process at home after which they proceed to school and later on at work as grownups with various responsibilities. Both nature and nurture contribute greatly to an individual’s socialization growth, the way that one is brought up defines some important traits like confidence.

References

1. Brinkerhoff, D. B. (2008). Essentials of sociology. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
2. Lawler, S. (2008). Identity: Sociological perspectives. Cambridge: Polity Press.
3. Rutter, M. (2006). Genes and behavior: Nature-nurture interplay explained. Malden, Mass: Blackwell.

Sociology- socialization, and culture

1. Read the item below and answer the following questions.

All social groups, whether small or large, have to find ways of ensuring their members follow norms and values. In society, different groups use social control to maintain order. Teachers, for example, use detention if students go against the norms and values of the school. Social control may also be achieved by using rewards.

(a) With reference to the item and sociological knowledge, explain the meaning of the term social control. [5]

Social control is the use of rules and certain standards that are put in place to keep groups and individuals bound to conventional norms, values and behaviors. The item describes it as ensuring members follow norms and values, and the item also uses the example of the education system. This is a good example because teachers and staff use social control to make sure students stay within the rules, so they do not become deviant and join anti-school cultures. Social control can also be described as the control of society over the individual.

(b) Using material from the item and sociological knowledge, explain how any two agents of socialization control behavior.

Agents of socialization have the ability to enforce social norms and values on an individual. These include the family and peer groups. The family in known by functionalists as the most important agent of socialization as it teaches young children the basic norms and values that is expected by society. If socialization at this stage fails, then the children will become feral. The family works as an agent of socialization by impressing ideas and behaviors upon a child. For example, parents will pass on behaviors such as dress as well as gender ideologies.

(c) Discuss the relationship between ethnicity and youth culture

Society includes many different ethnic groups. Ethnicity can be a vital part of identity and culture. For example, in Britain, ethnic minorities are often people whose families arrived from former Ethic minority groups and commonly use youth subcultures as an escape of racism and discrimination. For example, you could argue that black, Asian and minority ethnic youths join youth cultures to avoid discrimination, especially in schools or education environments. Gilborn found that black children of ethnic minorities were being very harshly penalized by teachers and other staff for ‘deviant’ behavior. This can be easily backed up as there are higher exclusion rates for black boys than any other group. This understandably has led to more conflict and caused children to fall into anti-school subcultures, as a defense mechanism to racism within the education system. A counter-argument of Gilborn’s findings are from a 1997 study conducted by Sewell, it is argued that a culture of hyper-masculinity ascribed to by some (but not all) black boys is one of the main factors explaining the poor performance of black boys in the education system. Sewell found that an extremely high proportion of Black Caribbean boys are raised in a single-mother household, with the father not being present or absent for some years of the child’s development. In the late 1990s when Sewell carried out his study, 57% of Black Caribbean families with dependent children (any person aged 0-15 in a household) were raised by a single parent. On the other hand, only 25% of white children were raised by single parents. This means that many black boys do not have a father figure to act as a role model and provide discipline while they are growing up, which makes this group in particular more vulnerable to factors such as peer pressure which is already common enough within youth cultures. Young black men are disproportionately drawn into gang culture from an increasingly young age which in turn emphasizes an aggressive, macho form of masculinity that heavily promotes the use of violence as a way to gain respect. Gang culture also values materialist displays of wealth such as the latest expensive clothing brands and crime, rather than actual ‘hard work as a quick and easy route to financial well-being, rather than a proper career. This is seen as a result of lack of a father figure. So, from this evidence, it is clear that those of ethnic minorities may join youth cultures to be able to cope and protect themselves against discrimination. This study is a direct counterpoint to previous studies such as those by Wright and Gilborn because it puts Gilborn put the emphasis on negative teacher labeling as the main explanation for differential achievement depending on ethnicity, while Sewell argued that other things like hyper-masculinity and home life were to blame.

Similarly, ethnic minority youth cultures also develop in response to negative labeling outside of the education system. Gilroy found that the police wrongly label ethnic youth groups as a problem. This is known as a moral panic. A moral panic is a widespread fear, very often a false one, that someone holds a possible threat to the norms, values and interests of a community. Usually, a moral panic is spread by the news and media, furthermore, driven by politicians. An article I have found published by Scott Poynting in 2001 details a moral panic in the years 1998–2000 about something called “ethnic gangs” in Sydney’s southwestern suburbs and studies the ideologies of the links between ethnicity, youth and crime. It documents the labeling and targeting of immigrant young people which misread mainly class-related social realities as racial, and then the distribution of these representations by media, and police. The data used in this analysis mainly contained interviews with Lebanese-Australian youth, Lebanese immigrant parents, ethnic community workers, community leaders and police. Other, more well-known labeling includes the moral panic that caused police to stop and search black youths a lot more. This is very evident in some first-world countries like the US and England as black men are 7x more likely to be stopped. This has partly led to the creation of deviant youth cultures, as people become angry and increasingly more hostile with the police due to the apparent racism within the system. Gilroy also argued that crime amongst Black British ethnic groups was a reaction to the white dominance in former colonies such as Jamaica. When early migrants first came to Britain, they immediately faced discrimination and hostility, and subsequently drew upon the tradition of anticolonial struggle to develop cultures of resistance against white-dominated authorities such as police forces. This theory however is heavily criticized by Lea and Young (1984) on several grounds: firstly, first-generation immigrants were in reality very law-abiding citizens and as a result did not resist the colony of Britain and were less likely to pass this anti-colonial stance to their kids (the next generation). Secondly, most crime is against other people of the same ethnic group and therefore cannot be seen as resistance to racism. Lea and Young also criticized Gilroy for romanticizing the criminals as in a way revolutionary. Asian crime rates are similar or lower than whites, which would mean the police were only racist towards blacks, which is highly unlikely. Most crime is reported to the police not completely uncovered by them, so it can be difficult to suggest racism within the police itself. In conclusion to the evidence provided, it is clear that people also join youth cultures in response to negative labeling and to resist the stigma by organizations on ‘BAME’ youths.

Furthermore, some ethnic youth cultures are a response to racism and a form of resistance to white culture. Hebdige argues that the Rastafarians are an example of resistance to white culture. It is seen as not just a political movement, but also a spiritual movement, giving its followers a positive identity and a valid way to oppose racism. Dick Hebdige (1979) however argues that because subcultures stem from deviance, they usually consist of working-class cultures and individuals. Essentially, youth cultures attempt to fix their status problems by creating a new subculture and establishing new norms and values that do not conform to the mainstream culture’s norms. These new norms also contain ideological meanings and contain highly symbolic forms of resistance. Additionally, subcultures often take objects and clothing/ music styles of the mainstream culture and appropriate them in order to demonstrate a new meaning. The Rastafarians for example use their clothing and style as a symbolic form of resistance, such as dreadlocks, reggae music and wearing the colors of the Ethiopian flag. In more recent times, whole movements and cultures have been created by instances of ethnic oppression. Due to the blatant disadvantages that some ethnicities experience in today’s society, resistant movements and cultural groups often form from oppressed ethnic groups. There are currently many examples of active resistance in concerning race/ ethnicity such as the Black Lives Matter movement and pro-immigration marches. Many more people take part in passive resistance through actions such as listening to specific genres of music such as rap or hip-hop, as they tend to criticize the presence of white supremacy in governmental structures. Harrison (2008) argues many artists that produce this music promote the so-called “ghetto lifestyle” which considerably deviates from hegemonic norms of polite and submissive living. Hip Hop artists claim racial authenticity in their work, implying that because of their racial identity, they can best represent oppressed racial groups. Hegemonic cultural values dictate that this music and the people who associate with it are deviant because they challenge the dominance of white culture. It is apparent that some ethnic youth cultures arise to oppose mainstream culture and racism.

Additionally, some youth cultures act simply as an expression of pride and cultural heritage. For example, Johal found that some British Asians celebrate parts of their own parental culture whilst rejecting other aspects of British culture, this is known as Brazilian culture. Johal argues that they have adopted a racially fluid style, so they have the ability to switch between the two cultures to whatever suits them. This could be changing between parts of their diet, marriage traditions, and religious preferences. Johal (1998) has also suggested that religious identity is increasingly important in a multi-cultural and multi-faith society such as Britain. This ties in with Modood’s research about British Muslims and is supported by Grace Davie (1994) who suggests that religious identity provides a sense of belonging and cultural identity. They decide what they like depending on their preferences. So, it is clear that youth culture can be a way for people to stay in touch with their heritage, but also connect with a new culture.

Some on the other hand believe that ethnicity and youth cultures have no real relationship anymore. For example, postmodernists argue that youth cultures are much more fluid than when they used to be in the mid to late 20th century, and they are therefore less important. Postmodern beliefs also say that youth subcultures are no longer relevant in today’s society, and they instead suggest that youth styles have become increasingly broken up and divided, and diverse. Youth styles are now fluid (changing, flowing) and are no longer based and fixed on class lines, gender or ethnicity. Bennett (1999) came up with the term ‘neo tribes’ as he found that young people could move in and out of different youth cultures with others over a period of time. He suggested this was because there was a wider choice of styles, the period of youth was longer, and changing nature of youth. This could also be because of new technology and young people becoming more affluent; they have the ability to discover cultures that suit them more than others and have the money to consume products of the culture.

Introduction

Socialization involves acquisition of skills both physical and social, traits values, knowledge, attitudes norms and depositions that can be learnt in one or more social institutions. Socialization can occur In a variety of social institutions, a variety of social environments, and throughout the life cycle.

Socialization process may vary by gender, social class, ethnic background and even nationally. Specific sport roles can be learnt in more than one institutional setting. According to Bandura (1969) and Walters(1969) they proposed that most social behaviour is learnt by observing and internalizing the behaviour of others.

There are three elements of socialization process and they include

• Personal attributes
• Significant others
• Socialization situations

The process whereby elite athletes becomes interested and involved on sports indicates that interest and participation is aroused early in life, often before the age of six or seven. This initial interest is stimulated in the home,neighbourhood,and school and normally involves exposure to one of the traditional tram sports such as baseball,basketball or football. Later either through the school or voluntary associations, interest and participation in other sports such as gymnastics, tennis or even wrestling.

Most elite athletes participated in a number of sports before they began to specialize,and often their early experience often their early experiences result in a high level of success.

Provided with a favourable opportunity set such as living near the sport facility, the specific stages in the life cycle they receive positive sanctions from a variety of significant others, to whom the family, peer group, coaches appear to be the most influencial. Many of the role models stoll compete or did compete in one or more of the sports being learned by the role aspirant.

For the general population studies suggest that early socialisation is a major factor in involving young adults in sport during the college years or during the early years of adulthood.Those that are socialised early and receive reinforcement from significant others are more likely to continue to be involved in later adulthood.

Primary sport role socialization, occurs during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

Secondary roles can occur at any stage of the life cycle.

Socialization into Secondary sport involvement at one stage in the life cycle appears to be highly dependent on the degree of specialisation that has occurred at early stages, there appears to be greater continuity /stability in the consumption of sports than in the degree of involvement in active sport roles.

Being socialized and involved at one stage in the life cycle appears to account for much of the envolvement at the next stage, more so than current situational correlates that may be operating at that point in time.

Factors affecting socialization is sports

FAMILY AND KJNSHIP SYSTEMS

The nuclear family and the extended family are most responsible for the socialization process in the early years. At the childhood years the nuclear family serves as the major socializing institution by providing economic and emotional support.

The family provides a basic frame of reference from who h to view social reality. Positive evaluation of sport by parents is likely to give rise to sports interests among the offspring.

Children are often likely to consume and participate if the parents presently participate in sports or attend sport events, if the parents have expectations for their children in sports.

Sibling interaction also facilitates or inhibits socialization into sports roles.

Birth order, family size, sex and age differences, the systematic differences in the parental interaction with different siblings are some of the factors that influence patterns of sibling interaction.

Studies have showed that birth order creates a particular kind of social structure within the family that may influence psychological and social development patterns. For example theories have shown that parents are often overprotective, anxious and indulgent with their first child and thus the child is more independent.

The peer group and community agencies have increased their interest over the child, thus parents institutionalise their children’s free time activities especially sports.

SCHOOL AND EDUCATION SYSTEM

The education system is functional in socializing individuals into sports roles. Sports is functional for raising educational aspirations.,encouraging academic achievement, fostering social integration.

At the secondary school level, sports becomes an integral part of the youth subculture and tends to be highly valued In most secondary school. Research has shown that non athletes perform better than athletes More over, they noticed that athletes performed get better grades after the end of the sport season.

Values that students aquire in sports are applied in the academic domain. Superior physical conditions improves mental performance in students. Athletes make good use of their of their limited study time. Athletes Re motivated by scholarships. They obtain additional tutoring and advice from peers, coaches and teachers.

Students participating in sports may aqcuaire interpersonal skills, that can be utilized outside athletics.

PEER GROUPS AND VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS

The sooner a hold is given freedom to venture from home and its immediate environment, he or she begins to participate in peer groups then voluntary associations.

Peer groups and voluntary associations influencial socializing institutions throughout the life cycle

Lack of sport oriented peers often leads individuals to reduce their involvement in sports.

Entering a new peer group at work can suddenly revive an earlier interest or stimulate a new interest.

Sports in voluntary associations has been promoted as a mechanism by which children can be socialized into the values and characteristics deemed desirable to the community.

Summary

Play and games are important element of childhood socialisation. Social learning may result from participations in institutionalized sport, both within and outside school. Participation in sports is an element of the socialisation process that contributes to mental and social development. Early socialisation is a major factor in involving young adults in sports.

References

1. Adams, B 1972 birth order:a critical review
2. Bandura, N1969 social learning theory of indentificatory process