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Domain 3
Social Relationships:
Self, Groups, & Socialization
The Process of Socialization
 Sociologists
use the
term agents of
socialization to describe
the specific individuals,
groups, and institutions
that enable socialization
to take place.
Primary Agents of Socialization
The Family
 Most
important in
almost all societies
 Main
job: socialize
young children
 Kids
learn values,
norms, and beliefs
Variances in Family Socialization
 Deliberate:
intended
socialization
activities
 Unintended:
sometimes more
important
 There
is so much
variety in family, the
socialization process
varies
 Family
size, race,
parents, ethnicity,
religion, etc.
The Peer Group
 The
older you get, the
more important
influences are outside
the family
 Includes
your peer
group: people of equal
age and similar social
characteristics
Influence of Peer Groups
 Most
important during pre-teen and early teen
years
 Many
try to gain acceptance and try to be the
kind of person their peer groups expects
 Can
battle with the norms and values of the
family
The School
A
huge influence between the
ages of 5 and 18
 Deliberate:
relate academic
skills, social skills, and
cultural values
 Any
unintended lessons:
The Mass Media
 Socialization
without
face-to-face interaction
 Includes
books, films,
the Internet,
magazines, newspapers,
radio, and television
Which form of Mass Media has the
most influence on children?
Television
 98%
of American homes have TVs
 The
average house has at least two TVs
 Most
children watch 28 hours of TV a week (4
hours a day)
Deviance & Conformity
 Deviance:
behavior that violates significant
social norms
 Conformity:
behavior that complies with
society’s expectations
 Which
is the most important?
The Nature of Deviance
 Violation
of norms is inevitable
 Can
depend on the situation
 Can
depend on the society
Deviance Helps Society!
 Clarifies
 Unifies
norms
the group
 Promotes
 Provides
social change
jobs
Who Doesn’t Conform?
 Most
criminals are
white males, aged
18-24
Social Construction of the Self
I & Me
 Me:
what we learn
from interacting with
others; our
knowledge of right
and wrong
 I:
how we react to
society; our
individuality
George Herbert Mead
Role-taking: another Mead theory
 The
Preparatory Stage: birth to age two; we
mimic those around us
 The
Play Stage: age two to six; make up the
rules as you go
 The
Game Stage: age seven and up;
understand rules and consequences
Generalized Other
 Refers
to the viewpoint of the social group at
large
 Sometimes
we act a certain way because it is
expected by…who?
Identity
 The
qualities, beliefs,
personality, looks, and
expressions that make
a person or group.
Social Construction of Groups
Reference Groups
 Any
group used to evaluate and determine the
successes or failures of an individual or group
Primary & Secondary Groups
 Primary:
typically small groups whose
members share close, personal, enduring
relationships (family and friends)
 Secondary:
large groups whose relationships
are impersonal and goal oriented; tend to be
temporary
In-Groups & Out-Groups
 There
are a ton of different groups we can
identify with (our in-groups) and those that we
don’t identify with (out-groups)