SOC101Y1 Lecture : Socialization
Sociology October 6
th
, 2010.
Socialization
Reading: NS ch. 3, SiQ ch. 4 @ p. 4, ch. 6 @ p. 69
•Socialization is the process of learning culture and becoming aware of yourself as
you interact with others.
•Biology sets broad human limits and potential (to create culture)
•Practitioners of sociobiology (now called evolutionary psych) claim that genes
that carr y traits from parent to children account for physical traits and specific
behaviors
Darwin’s Evolutionary Th eory
1.The characteristics of members of each species vary widely
2.Species members with more adaptive characteristics are more likely to sur vive
until reproduction
3.Therefore, the species characteristics that endure are those that increase the
survival chances of the species
The Logic of Sociobiology
1.Identify a supposedly universal for m of human behavior
2.Make up a story about why t his behavior increases survival chances
3.Assert that the behavior in question cannot be changed
Criticisms of Sociobiology
1.Many behaviors discussed by sociobiologists are not universal and some are not
even that common
2.It has never been verified that specific behaviors and social arrangements are
associated with specific genes
3.Variations along people are not due just to their genes, but also to their
environment and random variation
Recent Influences on Youth Socialization
•Declining adult supervision and guidance
•Increasing media and peer group inf luence
•Declining extracur r icular activities
•Increasing adult responsibilities
•Changes in child-rearing practices
Reasons for Slower Transition to Adulthood
•Less government assistance for education and housing
•More difficulty f inding a secure, full time job, especially for those without high
education because the proportion of “precautious” jobs has increased
•More training necessary for some jobs
www.notesolution.com
