Humans are social beings. It is a part of their culture to come together and interact with each other (Peterson 110). The modes of socialization vary depending on place, time and culture. The way people socialized in the 19th and 20th century is different with the way people socialize in the 21st century.
Also, the way people socialize in Africa is different with the way they socialize in America, Europe or Asia. Socialization is an important aspect in the life of humans. This paper therefore investigated the manner in which people socialize in malls in the 21st century.
Socialization in Malls
A shopping mall is composed of one or more buildings which are interconnected with walkways and contains a number of merchandises that enable visitors to have an easy access. Malls have become favorable places for shopping and recreation especially in the western countries since the 1920s (Channel 2).
They are mainly located in suburban areas where they give an indoor impression of the traditional markets. Due to their rise in popularity, they have managed to affect the behavior and culture of people.
Their impacts on the lives of people of the United States and the whole world in general vary depending on age, sex and nationality. Man has therefore used this fact to his advantage and utilized mall to fulfill his needs of socialization (Berns 6).
Malls have become one of the best places where people go to spend time, socialize and purchase goods and services. This is because malls have a variety of merchandises which offer the goods and services which are needed by the people of the society.
They therefore play the role of modern day market. Due to this fact, they attract people of all ages, sexes and cultural backgrounds. As a result, they have been one of the favorable places where people meet and socialize (Silverman 54).
From my observations, it is evident that malls can accommodate different groups of people (Hicks 45). Children for example visit malls because they contain places where they can have fun. In the process, they mix, interact and have fun together.
The type of fun varies with age and sex but in general they would visit arcade shops, movie theatres, restaurant and food shops and in some occasions clothing shops. Women on the other hand love to spend a lot of time shopping at the mall.
They visit a number of places, do a lot of shopping. In the process they get attracted by new things which they see around hence spend more time investigating them and deciding whether to buy or not. Unlike men, women like to explore the mall. Most couples also love to spend time at the mall.
In the process they tend to interact with other people and couples. From the observation most couples felt that it was a way to bond and make their relationship stronger and more interesting.
Conclusion
From these observations, it is therefore evident that malls have evolved to be one of the favorable where people come to spend much of their free time and socialize.
They are a representation of the modern world market. Different people visit the mall for different reasons and in the process they meet, interact and socialize with other people. Malls have therefore influenced the culture of cultures and societies in the western world. This is because it can accommodate the needs and cultures of people of different ages, race and backgrounds.
Works Cited
Channel, Discovery. Why (most) women like to shop. MSNBC, Jan 2011. Web.
Berns, R. M. Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and Support. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010.
Hicks, C. Art therapy Portfolio: Gender, Culture and Ethnicity Factors in Family Functioning. Belmont: NDNU, 2008.
Peterson, A. L. Being human: ethics, environment, and our place in the world. California: University of California Press, 2001.
Silverman, J. L. Forums, fairs, futures: a journey in time through markets of the world. Boston: Leadership Publishers, 1992.
Gender can be described as the relations that sub sits men and women, either in material or perceptual respects. Gender identity is determined by the social climate; the meaning attached to the male and the female people (Holmes, 13). Of the two sexes, women are in many instances thought to be inferior to men. From a religious perspective, Christians believe that a woman was created out of the man and their relationship with men is that of master-servant where the woman assumes the servant position.
The Muslim and Judaism among other religions also have a similar opinion concerning female inferiority. Beliefs such as these, have affected women in many dimensions. For instance, in many working situations, organizations set up “glass ceilings” that hinder job advancements for women. As such, affects women psychologically as they feel that no matter their efforts at the workplace, they still will remain subjects to men.
The concept of gender inferiority can affect a woman’s aspirations as well as attitudes because the acceptance of such beliefs leads to actions that are concurrent with such beliefs. It, therefore, follows that if a woman beliefs she is inferior, then her aspirations in life are limited.
Socialization
Socialization refers to the process by which an individual, either a child or an adult gets to learn from his or her fellow individuals. The process of socialization begins from the early stages of a person’s life and most individuals usually continue with this process in all their lifetimes unless when there happen circumstances that hinder the learning process; for instance in the case of sickness. Socialization can take place in any of the following ways.
In other words, the concept of socialization encompasses ways in which a person learns the way of life adopted by the members of his society by getting inculcated in the culture (Dalton, 18).
Different people encounter difficulties when it comes to getting inculcated in a given society. People who may be born with characters deemed unusual may struggle a lot to have themselves thought of as members of a given society. For instance, in some parts of the world, homosexuality is unacceptable in law, thus people born with this “abnormality” face a lot of problems while getting along in society. Such people struggle a lot to have their rights to be recognized by say, doing street demonstrations which at times are met with criticisms.
The aspirations of the persons whose behavior is not consistent with society’s perception can get limited. The aspirations of a gay to get married may fade away if the society fights gay type of marriage.
Functionalism
Functionalism is a perspective of sociology that evolved from Durkheim Emile’s work, which was later transformed by Talcott Parsons in the mid 20th century. Bohm (78) suggests that functionalism can be viewed as to be built on the premise that, the world is a beam that is composed of many rays, each ray, constituting a necessary contribution to the overall vitality of the beam in general. Functionalism holds the opinion that everything and everyone irrespective of how strange they may appear serve their purpose in the universe.
Functionalism views some of the universally acclaimed sources of a nuisance as important and constituting a vital part of society. For instance, crime is viewed as an unacceptable vice. The functionalist’s approach, consider crime as serving an important part of society. Crime leads to the creation of the need for employment and deployment of police officers, the establishment of courts, creates the study of such disciplines as criminology and law, among other related categories of work.
If crime were to cease to be, millions of job opportunities that are related to crime prevention would be lost globally and hence a huge population would suffer from unemployment. Bohm (69) observes that, in Durkheim’s view, crime, as well as deviance, serves three main functions in the society; deviance elucidates the societal norms, it encourages unity socially, and also it makes the society to move around and rethink the formerly held norms. For instance, the acts thought to be criminal or abnormal were critical in determining the rights movements for groups like the gay community in America, the movement for African-Americans among others.
The critiques of this view argue that it tends to accept and tries to rationalize social inequality and acts considered as social evils.
Functionalism can be considered to be the most generalized of sociological schools since it is not logically in tune with differences in cultures and also it fails to explain social change (Bohm, 80).
The concept can affect a person’s personality as well as aspirations in different dimensions. For example, leaders who support this perspective may participate in bad activities such as instigating and perpetrating violence in societies in agitating for rights rather than searching for solutions amicably.
Social Constraints and Opportunities
Social constraints
Social forces can be simply defined as those forces that are exerted by people on one another. Social forces shape how a person relates to one another in society. For instance, war is a social force that can affect or hinder a student’s dream of becoming a surgeon because of war disrupts learning.
Social opportunities
Social forces at times may also present opportunities for someone. War for instance again, can be a social force that can bring devastation but it can also create opportunities, like say the development of science in an attempt to create better warfare weapons like was the case after the First World War.
Response to social constraints and opportunities
People respond differently to various social constraints and opportunities. The approach adopted by a person wholly depends on his character. An optimist may perceive a negative social force as an opportunity while a pessimist may view it as a challenge. It all depends on the person’s approach.
References
Bohm, Robert. A Primer on Crime and Delinquency Theory. : Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2010.
Dalton, Conley. You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist. Massachusetts, US: Norton Press, 2008.
Holmes, Mary. What is Gender? Sociological approaches. London, UK: Sage, 2007.
Socialization is a sociological aspect involving social interactions, in which cultural continuity is achieved. Human beings belong to societies that are further split to smaller social entities. Society is a system with different actors, with different roles and contributing in various ways to the cohesiveness of the system (Hebert, 1956). It is in this approach that a society is perceived as an entity divided into other smaller entities.
According to Pabjan (2005) and White (1986), there are social forces that give guidance, rule the system, and thus hold it together. I belong to an association that provides oversees students with help in their studies, work and general social life. The group provides members with an avenue to express themselves and connect with other social groups while promoting their culture.
This is a research paper based on sociological analysis of this association composed of Chinese students and scholars in the United States called the Chinese Support Group. It seeks to reveal the culture, sub culture, norms, traditions, values and general social interactions of the group.
Culture of the Group
The main aim of this group is to help Chinese students and scholars solve problems afflicting them, create social bonds among members and with other groups in the wider society and enhance the Chinese culture through the pluralism of shared traditions, norms, values, language, and social roles.
As a group, we predominantly engage in Chinese activities that promote the goals and objectives of the association. These activities include the celebration of Grand Moon Festival, together with Lunar New Year of the Chinese, among others. The group also holds parties from time to time to welcome new members especially students coming in from China. The group adopts and embraces the new members and makes them feel wanted and at a homely environment.
In addition, members hold sports contests, group hikes and tours. All these activities provide an avenue that enables members to interact, share ideas, mentor and help each other in professional and social life, and other aspects of life. Like any other society, association or social group, members find comfort and satisfaction in the group that in turn enables them to grow at both personal and societal level.
Values of the group are molded by the Chinese culture, which stresses that family is very important. With most members being immigrants from China and living in a foreign land, they welcome the opportunity to create a family away from home. This in turn creates cohesiveness amongst members and makes the group stronger. As a fact, so much value is attached to hierarchical structures in social life. The group has elected leaders chosen from members.
Older members of the group are mostly elected as leaders of the group as they are believed to be wiser and more experienced, and are thus accorded a lot of respect. This makes operations of the group easy because in as much as members are obliged to respect their leaders, the leaders in turn understand their responsibilities and undertake them to the satisfaction of members. Leaders per se, are very iconic in this group, and represent what the group stands for all the time.
Morality is a big issue with the group and as such, it is expected that each member uphold moral values to the highest level possible. This is borrowed from the larger Chinese society, and seeks to promote harmony among members and with other groups. In addition, group members are expected to practice self-restraint at all times just like Chinese culture dictates. These are not values that are written down per se, but are derivatives of Chinese culture to which all members belong.
As earlier stated, among the major activities of the group is to promote Chinese culture within the society. This is because of the value attached to Chinese culture by all that are Chinese, just like any other social group with identity. Generally, the Chinese have a lot of pride in their culture and that is why it has withstood the test of time. Even after being colonized, the Chinese were able to preserve and advance their cultural values, norms and traditions.
A lot of emphasis is also put on hard work and the importance of achievement in education. Notably, the group takes the task of helping others in their social and academic life very seriously, because support to each other allows members to grow and achieve better results. Social interactions among members are very vital as every member is considered family. The trust and confidence members of the group have towards each other make it easier to approach other members in case of challenges with social or academic life.
Linkage between the Group’s Subculture and its Objectives
While the preceding discussion defines the culture of the group as far as its association with the larger Chinese society is concerned, the group has developed a subculture that also differs from that of the larger one. This subculture is referred to as American Chinese Subculture. Through exposure and choice, many members of the group have become more liberal about other social groups than the average ethnic Chinese does (Akrypti, 2008).
Quite clearly, one of the main reasons of forming such a group that brings people having the same origin together in a place far from what they call home is to help each other adapt to the new environment. This means that activities carried out, and the mentorship provided helps members embrace the larger social groups. This cannot be easy without members first having to accept the local culture and fitting into it (Boisnier, 2011).
Most members have embraced the American culture, where they speak English, eat American food, and attend their festivals, sports and hikes, among other activities. These actions help them a lot in integrating into the social groupings of the American people, and learning their ways, traditions, norms, values and customs.
Conclusion
Concisely, Chinese Support Group borrows a lot from the overall Chinese culture and this drives its goals and activities. However, being in a different environment with a different culture from theirs, the group is forced to adopt a subculture that in turn helps them integrate and embrace a new people and their culture in pursuit of its goals and objectives.
As one of the major functions of the group is to help members fit in the new environment by providing social and academic support, this group hopes to achieve success with their lives in foreign land. They hope to encourage socialization and social interactions to people of all races from different parts of the world.
The process of socialization is a slow and strong one, with most of the knowledge and prejudices being a result of this process. Knowingly and unknowingly, casually or predominantly, we as a society have laid down certain traditional rules which we popularly term as culture, and which we pursue in everyday life. This process of age-related socialization begins rather early in an infant’s life, for instance, when an infant is gradually put on an external food or milk diet at the approximate age of about three and a half to four months. When the child is about six months old, the semi-solid to solid diet begins. Thus we can say that age is definitely an important criterion for socialization to occur since there are innumerable changes that take place in the body of a human being, which have a crucial effect in determining the accurate time to initiate new functions.
The prime agents of age-related socialization are parents. Society takes a secondary place in embedding the beliefs of age-related socialization, although it is the most important agent in setting the rules.
I too have experienced being socialized in life many times and in the course, there were certain very crucial experiences that have left an indelible mark on my mind.
When I was twelve years old and was on the threshold of youth, the process of my socialization (I was ignorant then) began at a more rapid and aggressive pace than before. I was told specifically to take my religion more seriously and with greater sincerity and dedication. I was given special lessons so that I could learn the basic codes of conduct from the religious point of view. This indeed has become the most crucial turning point of my life, for I learned the values, morals, and ethics, which have today contributed heavily to my success and are the reason why I am the person I am today. The religious practices taught me to be disciplined in life, to respect all elders and seniors and a host of other values were deeply instilled in me, which have made me the acceptable and popular human being that I am today. I have witnessed some of my friends and colleagues who did not have the privilege of being brought up in the fine manner that I was, and today are facing troubles and problems due to their loose and crude behaviors. The persons or the sociological agents, in this case, were my mother (verbal), and father (non-verbal). However, as time passed and experience taught me several things in life, I realized that this socialization has been highly instrumental in laying the foundations of my morals and ethics for leading a decent and successful life.
Another instance of age-related socialization I experienced rather early in my life is the virtues of good health. Even while I was a very young boy, about seven to eight years old, my agents of socialization, my parents, would spend a good amount of quality time with me. It was during these long hours of discussion that I was shown by example the benefits of staying healthy and how good health could be acquired and maintained. Utmost stress and importance were laid on abstinence from smoking and drinking. When I entered college and my circle of friends diversified and increased, my parents often reiterated the virtues and benefits of refraining from smoking and consuming liquor. I had, however, by then, formed very strong opinions regarding these fatal habits, and today when I witness the sad deaths of the dynamic people due to these fatal habits, I am indeed grateful to my parents, for having socialized me to stay away from these evils at the appropriate age.
The age to drive is primarily decided by the government of any country, and in this case, the agents of socialization are the government officials and their policies. I too acquired my learner’s license at the age of sixteen years but took to the wheels only when I was 18 years old. Complying with the agents of socialization was a pre-requisite since it helps to solve many problems and also enables the development of an obedient and law-abiding attitude, in an individual. Although the primary agents of socialization, in this case, are the government officials and laws, I cannot rule out the role of parents, family, and society in inculcating these values and morals in me, at the right age and the right time.
Thus we see that no matter what the socialization process may be, the credit, most of the time must go to the primary and most important agents of socialization, the parents. In doing so, they not only instill good values and ethics in the lives of individuals but also teach you the most important doctrine in life. There is a correct time and place for doing everything, for if it were not so, there would be no discipline in life.
Such concept as socialization has always been a subject of heated scholarly debate. Traditionally, this concept is defined as the process of person’s adaptation to the community, to which he or she belongs (Mayer, 2004). This issue can be discussed from various perspectives, and philosophical schools often provide drastically different interpretations of this issue. The role, which mass media and especially television play in socialization, cannot be underestimated. Willingly or unwillingly, every member of the society is inclined to pay attention to the information he learns through media, subsequently it shapes his or her worldview. Furthermore, he or she selects the behavior that best suits his needs and those of other people.
Nonetheless, there are some alternative approaches to this issue. For instance, according to the supporters of the conflict theory, mass media, act only as a means of control, and they only advance the interests of ruling classes. Such sociologist as Max Weber or Karl Marks would argue that television enables men of power to maintain their position as long as possible (Väyrynen, 1991). In their opinion, social change is primarily caused by some inner conflict, in the vast majority of cases, it is the discontent of the lower strata of community. The advocates of the conflict theory usually claim that television performs the function of a guide, which shapes the public opinion and prompts people to certain actions. But its primary purpose is to subdue people into submission, though in fact, they do not notice it.
It stands to reason that such interpretation of this issue is rather categorical, but it cannot be entirely rejected because under certain circumstances, television may give us some examples, which should be followed. As a rule, these examples are called popular icons, and young generation tends to emulate their conduct. The conflict theory claims that a person, who has not passed through socialization, is almost bound to copy the behavior patterns, which he or she sees on television. They suggest that it only turns him or her into docile member of the society, who is unable to question the rectitude of the ruling classes or elite.
In sharp contrast with the conflict theory, functionalists believe that mass media only help young people to incorporate themselves into society, and become its full members. It should be borne in mind that according to functionalists, community can be compared with a living organism with its constituent parts, and to some extent, television is some kind of regulator (Smith, 1974). Yet, even they concur with statement that mass media shape the worldview of the young generation, along with parents, and school. The main difference between these two theories is that functionalists do not perceive mass media as a means of control, whereas, their opponents state that television plays only into the hands of the ruling elite.
It is impermissible to reject any of the above-mentioned interpretations, because both of them can be supported by sufficient evidence. It seems that the impact of mass media usually depends upon the country’s government or elite. Nevertheless, no one can deny, that television exercises immense influence over people, who are not able make their own decision, mostly because they lack sufficient knowledge.
Bibliography
Anthony D. Smith (1974). “The concept of social change: a critique of the functionalist theory of social change” Routledge.
Philip Mayer (2004). “Socialization: The Approach from Social Anthropology” Routledge.
Raimo Väyrynen, International Social Science Council (1991). “New directions in conflict theory: conflict resolution and conflict transformation” SAGE.
Social inequality is a critical issue influencing the modern world as it implies the unequal distribution of available resources. As a result, some groups lack specific benefits, while others enjoy limitless access to them. For this reason, activities and agencies try to manage the problem and introduce fair distribution patterns. However, the phenomenon is complex as it is linked to socialization in families and how children are raised and educated. For instance, representatives of the upper class, or elite, cultivate the idea that luxurious goods and high-quality products are the only options that can be considered by their children. As a result, members of this group demand additional resources and support social inequality through their desire to adhere to a lifestyle available to a limited number of people.
At the same time, the working class and poor people focus on cultivating other ideas. They emphasize the necessity of the wise use of resources and consumption of goods with an acceptable combination of price and quality. It means that this cohort needs fewer resources to feel satisfied compared to the previous one. It also results in specific alterations in people’s mentalities, way of thinking, and ambitions. Living in terms of limited access to resources also influences career choice and the level of income. As a result, a small number of people manage to move from one social group to another. This pattern creates the basis for the reproduction and preservation of social inequality. Socialization and cultivated values in high- and low-class families differ, resulting in critical changes in the way of thinking and behaviors. As a result, the problem remains unresolved, and communities suffer from the unfair distribution of benefits.
Modern science interprets socialization in different ways, but its content clearly shows two interrelated, although different in nature and manifestations, sides. On the one hand, socialization means the entire flow of external influences on a person that promote their sociality — natural, social, and psychological. From this point of view, the natural socializer is the whole of human social life (OpenStax 53). However, the phenomena of life are ambiguous; among them, there are many undeniably negative ones.
These are the stratification of society, the impoverishment of a part of the population, including young people, dissatisfaction with educational policy, inflation and corruption (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 265). Negative phenomena such as drug addiction and crime, certain fashion trends and obscene language, aggressiveness and cruelty are often attractive to some young people. The question that worries scientists is how society influences a person and the choice of the most profitable strategy of life in society: adaptation or isolation. Although the influence of society cannot be avoided and adaptation is necessary, isolation is an extremely important process, and the balance of relationships with the community must change at different stages of life.
Adaptation vs Isolation
As a result of this process, a person develops a value, emotional and behavioral anatomy. They stem from a person’s need to have their own views and the presence of such and to have their own attachments (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 253). Scientists propose to establish the boundaries of the influence of these factors depending on the intensity of their impact, the age of a person, their satisfaction with their own life, or according to the principles of cultural or natural conformity.
Possible Balance Factors
Age
The socialization of a person in the modern world, having more or less obvious features in a particular society, in each of them has a number of common or similar characteristics. Childhood is of tremendous meaning for social development, which provides the major building blocks for the construction of a person’s personality (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 263). Discrepancies of socialization formation during this stage can be irreversible a person’s personality, as it is at this stage that person’s own self is built. Adolescence can also be attributed to a primary role since important physiological changes occur during this time.
After the age of 23, the stage of youth begins, flowing into early adulthood, late adulthood, old age, old age and longevity (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 262). Within this timeframe, people are able to adequately set the framework due to the acquired experience. Due to the stages of mental development characteristic of each age, the susceptibility to public opinion and susceptibility to it changes. Therefore, it is necessary to change both the level of isolation and the level of adaptation. Each age period of one’s life contributes to the formation of personality; therefore, it requires a different balance of adaptation and isolation.
The Intensity of The Impact of Socialization Factors
Many components of the person’s environment affect their behavior and perception of the surrounding world. These conditions acting on a person are commonly called factors. In fact, not all of them have been identified, and not all of the known ones have been studied (Saleem and Byrd 1107). By scale, the factors are divided into mega, macro, meso and micro factors. Megafactors are global factors that affect any person: space, Earth, and humanity. In this regard, humanity exercises a global influence on its internal processes, although this influence today is mostly unsystematic. The impact of this group of factors is too large, so it is impossible to regulate it.
Macro factors are a state, a country and a society in the sense of a specific culturally and economically determined community. The country as a concept is mainly geographical defined, in the first approximation, the territory that a person considers as “one’s own”. The state is a political concept; a person acts as an object and subject of civil rights, masters’ forms of legal interaction with other people. Society is a direct participant in human socialization as a source of norms, rules, and attitudes (Saleem and Byrd 1108). The impact of these factors should cause the greatest degree of adaptation.
Among mesofactors are ethnicity, region, kind of settlement, and means of communication, including mass ones. An ethnos as a national-cultural community is a carrier of traditional values, a genetically determined appearance accepted as the norm. The region of residence contributes to the formation of human interaction with specific phenomena of living and inanimate nature. The type of settlement mainly influences the formation of the nature of interaction with living and inanimate nature, the technosphere (Wang et al. 20). Microfactors of socialization include school, family, peer circle, and so on. According to sociologists, the greatest degree of isolation can be applied to the factors of this group.
The parental family is crucial in the formation of the emotional world, self-awareness and moral foundations of the individual in the first years of life. If it is not done or done poorly, it is extremely difficult to make up for the loss (Wang et al. 22). Later, especially in adolescence, parental attention noticeably weakens, giving way to other factors such as school and peers. Then the higher degree of autonomization can be acquired.
Life Satisfaction
Environmental influences may be realized or not, leave a more or less deep trace, cover wide or narrow spheres of life, etc., but they exist. It is impossible to foresee the entire complex range of such effects, but it is impossible not to know the nature of those phenomena that are most important for a particular person. At the same time, a person may experience frustration not so much from the conditions in which they live, but from the thought that they can achieve more. Sometimes mental stress is relieved by abandoning competing values and, as a consequence, by a violation of the balance in the direction of adaptation (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 257). For example, in modern society, young people can focus on material achievements, sacrificing education.
The other side of socialization is the internal processes taking place in a person: perception, mastering the influences of the environment, and not passive, but active (Saleem and Byrd 1118). It is included in the foundations of consciousness and feelings, values and relationships, behavior and communication style. According to some sociologists, it is this factor – a person’s own comfort – that is leading in establishing «a balance between adaptation and isolation» (Saleem and Byrd 1118). They change in one direction or another under the influence of what a person not only perceives, but also learns.
Naturalness
In contrast to socialization, which has a predominantly spontaneous character, the establishment of a balance between isolation and adaptation is characterized by purposefulness. The process of establishing a balance is to include a person in the system of relations of educational institutions (Saleem and Byrd 1120). There they receive and accumulate knowledge, skills and other elements of social experience necessary for the further implementation of these processes. The principle of conformity to nature is that what is connected with nature cannot be bad or distorted. The main criterion of this principle, according to scientists, is that it should be done on time and on the right development level (OpenStax 54). There should be nothing contrary to human nature in establishing a balance.
Cultural Conformity
The principle of cultural conformity is to establish a balance in the dialogue with the culture accumulated by humanity and above all, with the national culture. There are many (more than 300) very different definitions of culture, but it is important for sociologists to emphasize in the concept of culture its activity character: cultivation means nurturing (Saleem and Byrd 1125). The necessity of this principle is due to the fact that a person is born tabula rasa (from Latin – a blank sheet), they do not inherit the code of social behavior (Umaña-Taylor and Hill 252). Human formation occurs during the dialogue of an individual with the values of material and spiritual culture. In this way, people carry out the continuity of social and spiritual experience.
One of the tasks of establishing a balance between adaptation and isolation is to create or at least contribute to the creation of a socio-cultural environment. The principle of cultural conformity is also realized in overcoming the inhumane tendencies manifested in anti-culture. It means reactionary misanthropic ideas of racial, national, and religious superiority, denying moral norms, vulgarity, legalization of criminal jargon, etc. (OpenStax 53). The implementation of the principle of cultural conformity requires the establishment of a balance in dialogue with national culture.
Conclusion
The degree of readiness of a person to change their behavior and attitudes under the pressure of the majority is always individual. Due to the presence of a large number of different criteria, sociologists still have not reached the amount of consensus regarding the decisive factors. Since an individual is not only an object but also a subject of socialization, the responsibility for setting their own boundaries of adaptation and isolation lies with a particular person.
Works Cited
OpenStax. Introduction to Sociology. XanEdu Publishing Inc, 2021.
Saleem, Farzana, and Christy Byrd. “Unpacking School Ethnic-racial Socialization: A New Conceptual Model.” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 77, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1106-1125.
Umaña-Taylor, Adriana, and Nancy Hill. “Ethnic–Racial Socialization in the Family: A Decade’s Advance on Precursors and Outcomes.” Journal of Marriage and Family, vol. 82, no. 1, 2020, pp. 244-271.
Wang, Ming-Te, et al. “Parental Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices and Children of Color’s Psychosocial and Behavioral Adjustment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” American Psychologist, vol. 75, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-22.
An increased pace of globalization particularly since the last quarter of the twentieth century has reaffirmed the inevitable need for all societies across the globe to interact and relate well with other people of different cultures (Justen, 2009, p.12). The Asian societies such as Saudi Arabia, which hitherto have been relatively closed to the outside world despite the fact that they were colonized by the Western colonial powers, have not been spared by the intensified wave of globalization. Within the Saudi Arabian society, globalization has mothered the need to communicate with international visitors among the Saudi citizens (Azhar, 2011, Para. 1). There is, therefore, a research gap on the challenges that may hamper Saudis desire to communicate well with global visitors. The urgency of this form of research study is compounded by the fact that the majority of Saudis can speak and write in their native Arabic language only. Furthermore, majority of Saudis are, until now, Islamic conservatives who may find pressure to maintain cultural purity especially from the intolerant Islamic clergy, which is an enormous challenge to their desire to communicate with global visitors (Albughuli, 2011, p.13).
The aim of this research
Communication is essential for successful and satisfying public, interpersonal and now global interactions (Wertheim, 2008, p.1). This reality has necessitated the need to acquire and put into practice vital communication skills in a world that is increasingly socio-economically, politically, and culturally globalized. The purpose of this research study is to:
Explore Saudi citizens desire to communicate with international visitors
To measure the level of ethnocentrism which may affect their ability to communicate well with people from other cultures and
To find out social, political, cultural and technological challenges that may hinder the Saudis’ desire to communicate with global visitors.
Literature review
Since time immemorial, inherent interdependence resulting from limitations of people’s homeland environments and other factors such as population increase, natural calamities and technological progress has made interaction across local and national boundaries inevitable. In the past, even neighbouring protagonist communities would establish peaceful zones, which both sides guarded where they would trade and engage in other social activities like fighting games, conduct ceremonies, and hear cases involving parties from either side. This explains the prevalent trend of cultural borrowing that is evident throughout the history of mankind.
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism has been a fundamental human problem throughout the history of humanity. Currently, it is certainly one of the main stumbling blocks towards the realization of a peaceful and united world despite an accelerated tempo of globalization. It is, in fact, one of the main root causes of hostility, hatred and the resultant civil wars in various developing countries across the world. Selfish, power-hungry politicians in these countries exacerbate ethnocentric predispositions of largely ignorant and illiterate citizens from their tribal communities thereby causing lethal civil upheavals, which have left hundreds of thousands of innocent women, children, and men dead, displaced and without a future. At the international arena, ethnocentrism informs the prevalent cultural clash which is a real threat to international peace, security and unity. What is ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism refers to an individual’s inclination to believe that his or her cultural or ethnic group is more valuable, and that other ethnic groups are supposed to be gauged in relation to one’s ethnic group (Dong, 2003, p.2). Ethnocentric persons judge other people from different ethnic groups relative to their own ethnic or cultural group particularly on issues related to language, religion, customs, and behaviour (Andersen & Taylor, 2005, p.67). In a typical society, these ethnic identities and features are used to define each ethnic group’s distinct cultural identity (Andersen & Taylor, 2005, p.67). According to Pedersen (1999, p.64), ethnocentrism is an inborn human inclination. Triandis, cited in Pedersen (1999, p.64), points out that, all human beings are naturally ethnocentric, even though, some are more ethnocentric than others particularly those who have not experienced another culture. Triandis argues that, since most people know their culture only, it is natural that they take it as a yardstick against which to evaluate others.
Ethnocentric perception hinders an individual or group from comprehending the world as it is experienced by other people. This leads to narrow-minded conclusions about the significance of cultural diversity. Contrary to popular believe that only large ethnic groups are ethnocentric, any societal group including racial minority groups can be ethnocentric when they believe that their culture is superior to others (Barger, 2008, Para. 2). In short, any group that views the world only from its standpoint partakes in ethnocentrism.
Several negative effects result from widespread and instituted ethnocentrism at the national and international levels. Even though ethnocentrism establishes a strong sense of group unity, it also discourages inter-group or interethnic understanding since it fosters a dialectical sense of superiority (Andersen & Taylor, 2005, p.67). For instance, nationalist or tribal groups are highly exclusionary and tend to reject others who do not share their cultural experience and believes that other cultures are inferior (Andersen & Taylor, 2005, p.67). When taken to the extremes upon which tribal and national movements are based ethnocentrism leads to evident socio-political conflict, terrorism, war and genocide or mass killing of a group based on their belonging to a given ethnic group. The 1994 Rwanda genocide is a case in point. Over 800,000 people (mainly the minority Tutsi) were butchered over a short period of 100 days. Ethnocentrism is also the cause of regional and international terrorism which is based on an unfounded strong belief in the purity of a person’s religious faith. In a nutshell, various forms of ethnocentrism such as prejudiced nationalism and religious ethnocentrism have caused many of the wars of the modern world affairs (Andersen & Taylor, 2005, p.68).
More often than not ethnocentrism and cultural diversity work hand in hand in putting up perceived dissimilarity. Dissimilarity breeds conflict, which in turn, culminates in to negative stereotypes. As a result, people experience culture shock and feel unfriendliness toward the other allegedly different group. In this case, ethnocentrism results to intensified cultural distance, cultural misunderstandings and unfounded stereotyping (Barger, 2008, Para. 9; Dong, 2003, p.3).
Intercultural willingness to communicate
Perhaps the only main positive outcome related to ethnocentrism is its role as an antecedent towards loyalty and willingness of an individual to sacrifice for his or her outstanding group especially in times of hardship like invasion by enemies (Lin & Rancer, 2001, p.63). However, evidence available shows that it largely leads to misunderstanding and decreased extents of intercultural-willingness-to-communicate, especially in multiethnic societies (Dong, 2003, p.3). Intercultural willingness to communicate, (IWTC), refers to an individual’s tendency to initiate intercultural communication incidents (Lin & Rancer, 2003, p.196). This concept is related to the notion of willingness to communicate (WTC) even though the two ideas are conceptually distinct. WTC is defined as one’s predisposition to start communication in meetings with others intercultural, when the person is utterly free to choose whether to communicate or not (Dong, 2003, p.3). In short, WTC refers to an individual’s willingness to communicate with strangers, acquaintances and friends in different settings like public, meeting, and groups among others. On the other hand, IWTC concerns one’s willingness to initiate communication with persons from different cultures and races (Kassing, 1997, p.400: Lin, Rancer, & Lim, 2006, p.125). Even though it has been established that a person’s willingness to communicate reduces as the receiver becomes more distant, people’s overall inclinations towards initiating communication remain constant across different audiences and contexts (Kassing, 1997, p.400; Mcculloch, 2002.p.25).
An individual, who is poor in willingness to communicate within his or her own culture, may also be low in IWTC. However, an individual high in WTC may or may not necessarily be high in IWTC (Kassing, 1997, p.400). In other words, there is a possibility that a person who easily starts communication within his or her culture is shy to initiate communication in intercultural set ups.
Studies by scholars such as Chen and Starosta have shown that intercultural communication sensitivity is necessary for intercultural communication ability (Chen & Starosta, 2004, p.12). Hence, as a person’s intercultural communication sensitivity rises; his or her capability in intercultural communication gets higher (Dong, 2003, p.3). These studies also show that people from different cultures are different in terms of their inclinations towards starting intercultural communication (Kassing, 1997, p.399). Currently, individuals must develop their intercultural communication capability because virtually every one comes across intercultural situations every day in almost all places be it at home, school, social gatherings and places of work. The Saudis should, therefore, develop their intercultural communication capabilities or competence to realize their desire to communicate with international visitors.
Intercultural communication competence has two main requirements namely; intercultural communication sensitivity and intercultural communication awareness (Chen & Starosta, 2004, p.13). Intercultural communication sensitivity is connected to various behavioural, cognitive and affective elements of a person’s interactions with others. Intercultural communication sensitivity centres on a person’s emotional capabilities like managing and controlling emotions (Dong, 2003, p.4; Hogg & Ridgeway, 2003, p.99). Cultural awareness offers the basis for intercultural communication sensitivity, which in turn, enhances an individual’s intercultural communication competence (Chen & Starosta, 2004, p.13). Evidence available has shown that persons with high intercultural communication sensitivity perform excellently in intercultural communication set ups (Peng, 2006, p.42). An individual can comprehend communication behaviour of other people from within and without his or her culture by acquiring concrete knowledge of communication qualities and tendencies of the individuals. (Infante & Rancer, 1996, p.326). Communication tendencies in intercultural communication have been classified as verbal aggressiveness, argumentativeness, ethnocentrism, communication apprehension, and willingness to communicate (Burroughs & Marie, 1990, p.142; Neuliep & Ryan, 1998, p.93; Avtgis & Rancer, 2002, p.192; Roach & Olaniran, 1999, p.27). According to Lin, Rancer, and Lim (2006, p.117), two main communication tendencies namely, ethnocentrism and intercultural willingness to communicate, impact a person’s intentions to initiate communication with people from different cultures.
Theoretical framework
This study will use interpretivism theoretical approach also referred to as the interpretive, interpretative or interpretive approach. This approach is suitable since it focuses on human beings and the way they understand and interpret reality (Holloway, 1997, p.93). Through this approach, the researcher shall view those taking part in the study, not as individual identities that exist in isolation, but in the complete context of their lives. Therefore, the study will focus upon Saudis desire to communicate with international visitors within the complete context of their lives in Riyadh community and not as individual citizens existing in a vacuum. That is why this study specifically aims at determining the levels of ethnocentrism, which may impede the Saudis’ desire to communicate well and meaningfully with people from other cultures around the world.
Since this research study aims to understand the Saudis’ desire to communicate with global visitors and find out the extent to which ethnocentrism may hinder their ability to communicate with people from other cultures, data will be collected in a natural setting, that is, Riyadh. Collecting data within a natural setting will enable the researcher to understand Saudis experience within the full context of their lives. It is pertinent to note that, people’s perception and experiences of the study’s phenomenon of interest are tied to the context of their daily lives (Maykut & Morehouse, 1997, p.45; Marshall & Rossman, 2010, p.93; Gravetter & Forzano, 2008, p.495). Therefore, in a qualitative research study like this one it is in a natural setting that a researcher is most likely to find out and reveal what is understandable about a chosen topic of interest. Furthermore, this study will use purposive sampling to ensure that participants selected will broaden variability of the samples (Merriam, 2009, p.266; Babbie, 2010, p.119). Since the research study is interested in exploring Saudis desire to communicate with international visitors, it shall sample individual participants in Riyadh from different walks of life. For instance, there can be sample sets of participants, who are literate, semi-illiterate and/or illiterate. The study can also design sample sets of participants from different socioeconomic strata of this society. Doing so will ensure that variability, which is common in social phenomena like the one targeted by this study, is reflected in the data collected.
Conclusion
Given the current pace of globalization that is sweeping across the globe, which is driven by various economic, political, cultural, and technological factors, virtually, all societies must acquire and put into practice relevant intercultural communication capabilities. Relatively, conservative societies like Saudi Arabia encounter greater challenges in their efforts to open up and appreciate global interaction based on effective communication with people of different cultures. This research study is thus timely and relevant in that, it will explore the Saudis’ desire to communicate with international visitors to find out the extent to which ethnocentrism may hinder their desire to converse with global visitors. It shall also find out other social, political and cultural challenges that may hamper Saudis desire to communicate with international visitors. Through an interpretive approach within a natural setting, the researcher will seek to understand the phenomenon of interest from Saudis point of view. Knowledge generated by this study will help players in various sectors including education, tourism and media in coming up with measures that can be used to minimize negative aspects of ethnocentrism, which is a serious stumbling block to intercultural communication and interaction.
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John B. Watson believed that anyone could be trained to become anything at random without taking their talents, abilities, ethnicity and tendencies. This is a rather hyperbolized statement; however, it may be seen as a reference to how people are integrated into society and how it may form them as individuals. The following text will review the quote from a sociological perspective and refer to three articles.
Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley believed that people develop their identity depending on how they are perceived in society. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the looking-glass self (Lesley University, n.d.). It explains how feedback from a group of people helps individuals assess their behavior, values and worth. This theory stands out because it proposes the belief that the development of one’s identity is a process that takes place in cooperation with society.
Watson’s quote raises the question of whether it is actually possible to form an individual regardless of innate features. According to a study about myopia, while genetics are acknowledged as a possible factor, the environment is not to be overlooked, as it may be even more influential (Utz, 2017). With this example in mind, one can have a detailed idea of how society may impact our behavior in spite of our inherited characteristics.
It is important to state that Cooley saw the family as a primary group. This means that out of all possible sets of people, the family has the strongest impact on a person. However, one study has shown that parenting is not the only thing that matters. Family processes, i.e., the relationships between members, interactions, overall climate, and parenting, are necessary for positive family socialization and a smaller risk of mental distress (Yeung & Chan, 2016). Thus, it will be simpler to successfully integrate a child into society.
How certain situations and issues are worded can significantly affect an individual’s attitude, outcomes and actions. A study of cancer patients has shown that cognitive concern (negative wording) may lead to worse consequences than cognitive ability (Shei et al., 2014). In cases of cognitive dysfunction, one is more likely to encounter negative consequences. Thus, depending on whether society’s perception of an individual’s action is negative or positive, the outcomes of the feedback may vary.
Works Cited
Lai, Jin‐Shei, et al. “Self‐reported cognitive concerns and abilities: two sides of one coin?.” Psycho‐Oncology 23.10 (2014): 1133-1141.
Miraldi Utz, Virginia. “Nature versus nurture: a systematic approach to elucidate gene–environment interactions in the development of myopic refractive errors.” Ophthalmic Genetics 38.2 (2017): 117-121.
Yeung, Jerf W.K., and Yuk-Chung Chan. “Parents’ religiosity, family socialization and the mental health of children in Hong Kong: Do raters make a difference?.” Journal of Family Studies 22.2 (2016): 140-161.
Socialization is the basis for forming a personality with knowledge and qualities that contribute to its productive functioning in society. Many social scientists, psychologists, anthropologists, and educators are studying this process. Moreover, each discipline considers certain aspects of socialization. The most important means of socialization is recognized language. Only by knowing it, a person can adopt cultural values, knowledge, and stereotypes of behavior. With the help of language is a process of making sense of the world around us and knowing yourself. Any language, accumulating the experience of people’s lives in all its completeness and diversity, is the absolute consciousness. Through the study of language, each newborn person gets access to the collective experience and joins the culture of his ethnic group.
Ginny’s case is egregious in terms of parental work, or rather the lack thereof. By keeping the girl incarcerated for 13 years, her parents have eliminated any possibility of socialization for her. Throughout the rehabilitation process, I believe Ginny did her best to help the scientists. This is evident from their statements about the girl’s rapid progress. However, the neural connections were not strong enough to allow the rehabilitators to achieve the desired result. At that time, and with the capabilities of neuroscience, the girl was given exhaustive help. Child psychologists and linguists were invited to help her adapt. However, I believe that scientists could have made a more significant effort to prevent the child from returning to the home where she was traumatized. Also, they should not have allowed the mother to cut off her daughter’s contact with the only person who understands her, the linguistic doctor. This case demonstrated to science the challenge of restoring the literacy of an isolated child, and she is still looking for ways to do so.