SYG 2000: Lecture 9. Chapter 3: Agents of Socialization and the Life
Course
I. Changing Images of Women in Mass Media
A. Video games socialize their users: e.g. Laura Croft, tomb raider
1. breaks trad gen role: 1st fem in field muscle-ripping, gun-toting macho caricatures
2. old powerful images:Laura oozes sex; fantasy girl for young men digital generation
3. captures young men’s fancy:>100 web sites devoted to her; star 2 movies/comic bk
4. warriers with breast: for women to be defined as equal become symbolic males
5. Why not vic-versa?: who move into trad ter of other? Imitate power or powerless?
II.Soc Agents: A. stroller effect:child in stroller,dad push;not, mom push/nonverb cue?
B. social class: w-c par mainly concern child stay away trouble/use phys punishment
1. m-c parents: >focus child’s curiosity,self express/control; >use reason than punish
2. why dif?: Kohn’s key: in work, bosses tell wc what to do; thus, teach obedience
a. mc parents take more initiative at work: socialize children w/ qualities find val
b. mc office workers closely supervised; follow wc pattern/emphasize conformity
c. wc doing home repair have freedom: follow mc model in rearing children
3. wc view:children dev naturally v mc view children need lot guidance to dev correct
a. wc parent: see job as provide food, shelter, comfort; with child dev take care itself
b. mc parent: want child’s play to dev soc skills/eg be team players/not just set limits
4. poor neighborhoods: child from >likely trouble w/ law, get preg, drop out school
a. par >affluent area: >watch out for child;adults >likely know local children/parents
1.irony:where <risk,>protection;poor areas where>risk/abuse,adults watch out less!
5. religion:important
in
a. ideas not only @hereafter: dress/speech/manners appropriate for formal occasions
6. Day care: study followed 1300 children in 10 cities from infancy to kindergarten
a. conclusion: children who spend >hrs daycare have weaker bonds w/ moms
i. also: >likely to fight, to be cruel/mean; <hrs, >cooperative,>affectionate to moms
ii. Why?: mom spend <time w/ child <attentive to emot needs/<know signaling sys
iii. perhaps not ii: but moms put child daycare are <sensitive or more tired/stressed
iv. positive: >hrs daycare = > lang skills, esp from lo income/dysfunctional homes
7. School: latent functions—learn universality/that same rules apply to everyone
a.other latent functions: hidden curriculum: patriotism,justice
b. corridor curriculum:students teach each other out class/eg sexism/racism/coolness
8. Peer groups: help children resist efforts parents/schools to socialize
a. norms for boys: make popular if have athletic ability, coolness/toughness
b. norms for girls: popularity based family background/phys appear/attract boys
c. grades: for boys, lowered popularity; for girls, increased standing among peers
9. Sports: >success means >masculine/>prestige among peers
a. encourage boy to dev instrumental rel even w/fem:based on what can get out them
b. girls: construct identities on meaningful relationships, not competitive success
10.total institution:Irving Goffman refer place w/cut-off rest soc/degedation ceremony
III. Socialization thru life course: Philippe Aries: mid-ages childhood no see as special
A.adolescence:gap b/ adult/child create by indus soc/dev own subculture/inner turmoil
B.Keniston:prolonged youth (18-29) ad by indus soc/postpone adult respon past adoles
C. early middle yrs (30-49): prob:
D. later middle years (50-65): reorient from time since birth to time left/sandwich gen
E. older years (65+): recent since in agric soc, old age though to begin at age 40