They were there to look into a statement from the neighbour concerning a shabby house on Old Sydney Road. A small girl was reported peering from one of its broken windows. This seemed odd because no one in the neighbourhood had seen a young child in or around the home, which had been inhabited for the past three years by a woman, her boyfriend, and two adult sons.
Entering the house, Detective Holste and his team were shocked. Detective Holste headed down a hallway and entered a small room. She was curled on her side.
Insect bites, rashes and sores pocked her skin. She was naked—except for a swollen diaper. Detective Holste immediately carried Danielle out of the home. She was taken to a hospital for medical treatment and evaluation. Through extensive testing, doctors determined that, although she was severely malnourished, Danielle was able to see, hear, and vocalize normally.
What had happened to Danielle? Put simply: beyond the basic requirements for survival, she had been neglected. Based on their investigation, social workers concluded that she had been left almost entirely alone in rooms like the one where she was found. Without regular interaction—the holding, hugging, talking, the explanations and demonstrations given to most young children—she had not learned to walk or to speak, to eat or to interact, to play or even to understand the world around her.
From a sociological point of view, Danielle had not had been socialized. Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of a society. Socialization is not the same as socializing interacting with others, like family, friends, and coworkers ; to be precise, it is a sociological process that occurs through socializing.
You may be surprised to know that even physical tasks like sitting, standing, and walking had not automatically developed for Danielle as she grew. The necessity for early social contact was demonstrated by the research of Harry and Margaret Harlow. From to , the Harlows conducted a series of experiments studying how rhesus monkeys, which behave a lot like people, are affected by isolation as babies.
This demonstrated that while food was important, social comfort was of greater value Harlow and Harlow ; Harlow Later experiments testing more severe isolation revealed that such deprivation of social contact led to significant developmental and social challenges later in life.
In the following sections, we will examine the importance of the complex process of socialization and how it takes place through interaction with many individuals, groups, and social institutions.
We will explore how socialization is not only critical to children as they develop, but how it is a lifelong process through which we become prepared for new social environments and expectations in every stage of our lives. When we are born, we have a genetic makeup and biological traits. However, who we are as human beings develops through social interaction. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud — was one of the most influential modern scientists to put forth a theory about how people develop a sense of self.
He believed that personality and sexual development were closely linked, and he divided the maturation process into psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.
The child is seen to be at the centre of a tricky negotiation between internal, instinctual drives for gratification the pleasure principle and external, social demands to repress those drives in order to conform to the rules and regulations of civilization the reality principle.
Failure to resolve the traumatic tensions and impasses of childhood psychosexual development results in emotional and psychological consequences throughout adulthood.
For example, according to Freud failure to properly engage in or disengage from a specific stage of child development results in predictable outcomes later in life. An adult with an oral fixation may indulge in overeating or binge drinking. You might be wondering: if sociologists and psychologists are both interested in people and their behaviour, how are these two disciplines different?
What do they agree on, and where do their ideas diverge? The answers are complicated, but the distinction is important to scholars in both fields.
As a general difference, we might say that while both disciplines are interested in human behaviour, psychologists are focused on how the mind influences that behaviour, while sociologists study the role of society in shaping both behaviour and the mind.
Another way to think of the difference is that psychologists tend to look inward to qualities of individuals mental health, emotional processes, cognitive processing , while sociologists tend to look outward to qualities of social context social institutions, cultural norms, interactions with others to understand human behaviour.
Today, we see this same distinction. For example, a sociologist studying how a couple gets to the point of their first kiss on a date might focus her research on cultural norms for dating, social patterns of romantic activity in history, or the influence of social background on romantic partner selection. How is this process different for seniors than for teens? The point that sociologists like Durkheim would make is that an analysis of individuals at the psychological level cannot adequately account for social variability of behaviours, for example, the difference in suicide rates of Catholics and Protestants, or the difference in dating scripts between cultures or historical periods.
Sometimes sociology and psychology can combine in interesting ways, however. Psychologist Erik Erikson — created a theory of personality development based, in part, on the work of Freud. He noted that each stage of psycho-social child development was associated with the formation of basic emotional structures in adulthood.
The outcome of the oral stage will determine whether someone is trustful or distrustful as an adult; the outcome of the anal stage, whether they will be confident and generous or ashamed and doubtful; the outcome of the genital stage, whether they will be full of initiative or guilt. Child-raising techniques varied in line with the dominant social formation of their societies. So, for example, the tradition in the Sioux First Nation was not to wean infants, but to breastfeed them until they lost interest.
This tradition created trust between the infant and his or her mother, and eventually trust between the child and the tribal group as a whole. On the other hand, modern industrial societies practised early weaning of children, which lead to a different, more distrustful character structure. Children develop a possessive disposition toward objects that carries with them through to adulthood, as the child is eager to get things and grab hold of things in lieu of the experience of generosity and comfort in being held.
Societies in which individuals rely heavily on each other and on the group to survive in a hostile environment will handle child training in a different manner, and with different outcomes, than societies that are based on individualism, competition, self-reliance and self-control Erikson Jean Piaget — was a psychologist who specialized in child development, focusing specifically on the role of social interactions in their development.
All three of these thinkers have contributed to our modern understanding of self development. One of the pioneering contributors to sociological perspectives on self-development was Charles Cooley — It is based on how we imagine we appear to others.
This projection defines how we feel about ourselves and who we feel ourselves to be. Later, George Herbert Mead — advanced a more detailed sociological approach to the self. It is the novel, spontaneous, unpredictable part of the self: the part of the self that embodies the possibility of change or undetermined action. This flipping back and forth is the condition of our being able to be social. It is not an ability that we are born with Mead The case of Danielle, for example, illustrates what happens when social interaction is absent from early experience: she had no ability to see herself as others would see her.
During the preparatory stage , children are only capable of imitation: they have no ability to imagine how others see things. They copy the actions of people with whom they regularly interact, such as their mothers and fathers. This is followed by the play stage , during which children begin to imitate and take on roles that another person might have.
However, they are still not able to take on roles in a consistent and coherent manner. Role play is very fluid and transitory, and children flip in and out of roles easily. During the game stage , children learn to consider several specific roles at the same time and how those roles interact with each other. They learn to understand interactions involving different people with a variety of purposes.
They understand that role play in each situation involves following a consistent set of rules and expectations. For example, a child at this stage is likely to be aware of the different responsibilities of people in a restaurant who together make for a smooth dining experience someone seats you, another takes your order, someone else cooks the food, while yet another person clears away dirty dishes.
Mead uses the example of a baseball game. At one point in the life of children they are simply unable to play an organized game like baseball. In order for baseball to work, the players not only have to know what the rules of the game are, and what their specific role in the game is batter, catcher, first base, etc.
The players have to be able to anticipate the actions of others and adjust or orient their behaviour accordingly. Finally, children develop, understand, and learn the idea of the generalized other , the common behavioural expectations of general society.
This capacity defines the conditions of thinking, of language, and of society itself as the organization of complex cooperative processes and activities. Moral development is an important part of the socialization process. Moral development prevents people from acting on unchecked urges, instead considering what is right for society and good for others. Lawrence Kohlberg — was interested in how people learn to decide what is right and what is wrong.
To understand this topic, he developed a theory of moral development that includes three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. In the preconventional stage, young children, who lack a higher level of cognitive ability, experience the world around them only through their senses.
At this stage, people also recognize that legality and morality do not always match up evenly Kohlberg When hundreds of thousands of Egyptians turned out in to protest government corruption, they were using postconventional morality.
They understood that although their government was legal, it was not morally correct. Would females study subjects have responded differently? Would a female social scientist notice different patterns when analyzing the research?
To answer the first question, she set out to study differences between how boys and girls developed morality. Boys tend to have a justice perspective, placing emphasis on rules and laws. Ultimately, she explained that boys are socialized for a work environment where rules make operations run smoothly, while girls are socialized for a home environment where flexibility allows for harmony in caretaking and nurturing Gilligan , Bloom asserts that we are too focused on the appearance of young girls, and as a result, our society is socializing them to believe that how they look is of vital importance.
And Bloom may be on to something. How often do you tell a little boy how attractive his outfit is, how nice looking his shoes are, or how handsome he looks today? To support her assertions, Bloom cites, as one example, that about 50 percent of girls ages three to six worry about being fat Bloom Sociologists are acutely interested in of this type of gender socialization, where societal expectations of how boys and girls should be —how they should behave, what toys and colours they should like, and how important their attire is—are reinforced.
One solution to this type of gender socialization is being experimented with at the Egalia preschool in Sweden, where children develop in a genderless environment.
So what is the middle ground? Bloom suggests that we start with simple steps: when introduced to a young girl, ask about her favourite book or what she likes. In short, engage her mind … not her outward appearance Bloom Socialization is critical both to individuals and to the societies in which they live. It illustrates how completely intertwined human beings and their social worlds are. First, it is through teaching culture to new members that a society perpetuates itself.
Whatever is distinctive about a culture must be transmitted to those who join it in order for a society to survive. For Canadian culture to continue, for example, children in Canada must learn about cultural values related to democracy: they have to learn the norms of voting, as well as how to use material objects such as a ballot. Of course, some would argue that it is just as important in Canadian culture for the younger generation to learn the etiquette of eating in a restaurant or the rituals of tailgate parties after softball games.
Socialization is just as essential to us as individuals. Social interaction provides the means via which we gradually become able to see ourselves through the eyes of others, learning who we are and how we fit into the world around us. In addition, to function successfully in society, we have to learn the basics of both material land nonmaterial culture, everything from how to dress ourselves to what is suitable attire for a specific occasion; from when we sleep to what we sleep on; and from what is considered appropriate to eat for dinner to how to use the stove to prepare it.
Most importantly, we have to learn language—whether it is the dominant language or one common in a subculture, whether it is verbal or through signs—in order to communicate and to think. As we saw with Danielle, without socialization we literally have no self. We are unable to function socially.
Some experts assert that who we are is a result of nurture —the relationships and caring that surround us. Others argue that who we are is based entirely in genetics. According to this belief, our temperaments, interests, and talents are set before birth.
From this perspective, then, who we are depends on nature. One way that researchers attempt to prove the impact of nature is by studying twins. Some studies followed identical twins who were raised separately. The pairs shared the same genetics, but, in some cases, were socialized in different ways.
Instances of this type of situation are rare, but studying the degree to which identical twins raised apart are the same and different can give researchers insight into how our temperaments, preferences, and abilities are shaped by our genetic makeup versus our social environment. For example, in , twin girls born to a mentally ill mother were put up for adoption.
However, they were also separated from each other and raised in different households. The parents, and certainly the babies, did not realize they were one of five pairs of twins who were made subjects of a scientific study Flam In , the two women, then age 35, reunited.
Nature vs. Learning Objectives Discuss both sides of the nature versus nurture debate, understanding the implications of each. Key Takeaways Key Points Nature refers to innate qualities like human nature or genetics.
Nurture refers to care given to children by parents or, more broadly, to environmental influences such as media and marketing. The nature versus nurture debate raises philosophical questions about determinism and free will.
Key Terms nurture : The environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual; see also nature.
What something will tend by its own constitution, to be or do. Distinct from what might be expected or intended. Sociobiology Sociobiology examines and explains social behavior based on biological evolution. Learning Objectives Discuss the concept of sociobiology in relation to natural selection and Charles Darwin, as well as genetics and instinctive behaviors.
Key Takeaways Key Points Sociobiologists believe that human behavior, like nonhuman animal behavior, can be partly explained as the outcome of natural selection. Sociobiologists are interested in instinctive, or intuitive behavior, and in explaining the similarities, rather than the differences, between cultures.
Deprivation and Development Social deprivation, or prevention from culturally normal interaction with society, affects mental health and impairs child development. Learning Objectives Explain why social deprivation is problematic for a person especially children and the issues it can lead to. Key Takeaways Key Points As they develop, humans go through several critical periods, or windows of time during which they need to experience particular environmental stimuli in order to develop properly.
Attachment theory argues that infants must develop stable, on-going relationships with at least one adult caregiver in order to form a basis for successful development. The term maternal deprivation is a catch phrase summarizing the early work of psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby on the effects of separating infants and young children from their mother. Key Terms feral children : A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language.
Attachment Theory : Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans. Its most important tenet is that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally. Social deprivation : In instances of social deprivation, particularly for children, social experiences tend to be less varied and development may be delayed or hindered.
Learning Objectives Interpret why social isolation can be problematic for a person in society and the importance of social connections. Key Takeaways Key Points True social isolation is not the same as loneliness. Emotional isolation is a term used to describe a state of isolation where the individual is emotionally isolated, but may have a well functioning social network. Social networks promote good health by providing direct support, encouraging healthy behaviors, and linking people with diffuse social networks that facilitate access to a wide range of resources supportive of health.
Sociologists debate whether new technologies, such as the Internet and mobile phones, exacerbate social isolation or encourage it. A widely-held hypothesis is that social ties link people with diffuse social networks that facilitate access to a wide range of resources supportive of health. Key Terms emotional isolation : Emotional isolation is a term used to describe a state of isolation where the individual is emotionally isolated, but may have a well functioning social network.
It is usually involuntary, making it distinct from isolating tendencies or actions taken by an individual who is seeking to distance himself from society. Feral Children A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age. Learning Objectives Analyze the differences between the fictional and real-life depictions of feral children.
Key Takeaways Key Points Legendary and fictional feral children are often depicted as growing up with relatively normal human intelligence and skills and an innate sense of culture or civilization.
They almost always have impaired language ability and mental function. These impairments highlight the role of socialization in human development.
The impaired ability to learn language after having been isolated for so many years is often attributed to the existence of a critical period for language learning, and is taken as evidence in favor of the critical period hypothesis.
Key Terms enculturation : The process by which an individual adopts the behaviour patterns of the culture in which he or she is immersed. Institutionalized Children Institutionalized children may develop institutional syndrome, which refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills.
Learning Objectives Discuss both the processes of institutionalization and deinstitutionalization, as they relate to issues juveniles may have. Juvenile wards are sections of psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric wards set aside for children and adolescents with mental illness.
This first goal is accomplished naturally: as people grow up within a particular society, they pick up on the expectations of those around them and internalize these expectations to moderate their impulses and develop a conscience. Second, socialization teaches individuals how to prepare for and perform certain social roles—occupational roles, gender roles, and the roles of institutions such as marriage and parenthood.
Third, socialization cultivates shared sources of meaning and value. Through socialization, people learn to identify what is important and valued within a particular culture. Socialization is culturally specific: people in different cultures are socialized differently, to hold different beliefs and values, and to behave in different ways.
Because her mother worked all day and would go out at night, Anna was alone almost all the time and lived in filth, often barely alive. Her only food in all those years was milk. She was also extremely undernourished and emaciated.
Two years later, she had learned to walk, understand simple commands, feed herself, and remember faces, but she could not talk and in these respects resembled a 1-year-old infant more than the 7-year-old child she really was.
By the time she died of jaundice at about age 9, she had acquired the speech of a 2-year-old. Shortly after Anna was discovered, another girl, called Isabelle, was found in similar circumstances at age 6. Because her mother was mute, Isabelle did not learn to speak, although she did communicate with her mother via some simple gestures. When she was finally found, she acted like a wild animal around strangers, and in other respects she behaved more like a child of 6 months than one of more than 6 years.
Intense training afterward helped Isabelle recover, and 2 years later she had reached a normal speaking level for a child her age Davis, These cases of feral children show that extreme isolation—or, to put it another way, lack of socialization—deprives children of the obvious and not-so-obvious qualities that make them human and in other respects retards their social, cognitive, and emotional development. A series of famous experiments by psychologists Harry and Margaret Harlow reinforced the latter point by showing it to be true of monkeys as well.
The Harlows studied rhesus monkeys that had been removed from their mothers at birth; some were raised in complete isolation, while others were given fake mothers made of cloth and wire with which to cuddle.
Neither group developed normally, although the monkeys cuddling with the fake mothers fared somewhat better than those that were totally isolated. In general, the monkeys were not able to interact later with other monkeys, and female infants abused their young when they became mothers.
Combined with the tragic examples of feral children, their experiments remind us of the critical importance of socialization and social interaction for human society. Sociologists all recognize the importance of socialization for healthy individual and societal development. But how do scholars working in the three major theoretical paradigms approach this topic? Structural functionalists would say that socialization is essential to society, both because it trains members to operate successfully within it and because it perpetuates culture by transmitting it to new generations.
A conflict theorist might argue that socialization reproduces inequality from generation to generation by conveying different expectations and norms to those with different social characteristics.
For example, individuals are socialized differently by gender, social class, and race. An interactionist studying socialization is concerned with face-to-face exchanges and symbolic communication. For example, dressing baby boys in blue and baby girls in pink is one small way we convey messages about differences in gender roles.
Davis, K. Extreme social isolation of a child.
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