HREQ 1800 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Neil Postman, Childhood And Society

• School: York University
• Department: Human Rights and Equity Studies
• Course: HREQ 1800
• Professor: Naomi Couto

Document Summary

Agents of socialization: family, religion, educational institutions/schools, peer groups, mass media, economic institutions/workplace, state agencies (military, police training). These agencies, in a variety of deliberate and non-intentional ways, mould, shape and influence our beings, personalities, and development. What defines a standard adult: get married, get a job, being white (in earlier years) There aren"t as many full time job opportunities available for the new generation. Internalization becomes a key factor in how we discuss agents of socialization. Girls can get an abortion done at the age of 16 without her parents" consent, but can"t one can"t drink till 19, and can"t vote till 18. Sociologists do not think of people as little robots who simply are the result of their exposure to socializing agents. Although socialization is powerful, and profoundly affects us all, we have a self, and the self is dynamic. Each of us uses our own mind to reason and make choices.