Socialization and Self Concept

Chapter 3 of Essential of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach by James M. Henslin discusses the topic of socialization, which is the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group—the knowledge, attitudes, skills, norms, values, and actions thought appropriate for them. Sociologists try to determine how much of a person’s characteristics comes from “nature” (heredity) and how much from “nurture” (social environment). Studying feral, isolated, and institutionalized children, such as The Skeels/Dye Experiment, have helped them understand how “society makes us human.” The theories and research of Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, and Piaget to explain socialization into the self and mind. Cooley’s looking-glass self theory focuses on how we believe others perceive us.

Socialization is the process through which people learn the language, norms, values, behaviors and other aspects of culture that a particular society views as acceptable. It is important for humans because it allows us to learn about our culture and it contributes to our personality.

Socialization helps humans learn who they are and how they fit into society. Learning culture and language helps pass on cultural values and traditions on to the next generation. Our family, peers, and social institution help socialize human throughout their lifetime. Social institutions include school,

“The School” is a short story written by Donald Barthelme and published in 1974 in The New Yorker. Donald Barthelme is a post-modernist writer known for his deceptively simple yet powerful and insightful short stories. “The School” is a story that takes a good hard look at the sensitive topic of death. The theme of this story is about the cycle of life and how death is an integral part of it. The story is written in first person narrative. The narrator here is the teacher and he talks about how he and his young students of 30 kids encountered death throughout their time together in class. He uses edgy humor and a conversational tone in his seemingly complex plot with a surprising effect that will stick with the reader long after they are done reading it.

Within the poem “Schoolsville” by Billy Collins, the author describes his career as a teacher, highlighting the relationship with his students and how they have impacted him. Collins executes this through his creation of an imaginary town, intertwined with the reality of his profession and the real world. Through the frequent use of exaggerations, humorous imagery, and critical diction, Collins captures his weakening grasp on reality. The speaker captures himself in a dark moment where he realizes how detached he has become from his students and reveals his sense of hopelessness as a teacher.

The students all took a practice test and only thirty-three percent of the students have passed and the states minimum average is seventy-five percent. Throughout the school year, the students work effortlessly with Mr. Clark along with their school teachers prepare for the real test. Mr. Clark’s crazy and wild antics start to get to the students and they begin to respect him even more for it. They begin to see that he is only doing this with all of their best interests in mind. One of the students who was expelled’s mother complained about the way Mr. Clark ran things at his school and got the mayor involved. After Mr. Clark is found with the chains on the door, which is illegal and a fire safety hazard, and was arrested. All of the students came down to the Board of Education in Paterson and basically protested and ranted on how they wanted Mr. Clark to be released and return to his duties as principal. Eastside High’s assistant principal Mrs. Barrett claims that Mr. Clark was not the right choice to serve as principal of Eastside. But the students all say in rebuttal how Mr. Clark cares for them like no other and how he has done so much good for them that they will not accept anyone besides Mr. Clark. Soon after, Mr. Clark was released and good news was received. More than enough students

The Johnny gasped and turned white as a ghost then red with rage. While all of the other boys were looking at the Ponyboy who was drowning, Johnny pulled a knife out of his back pocket, I gasped I knew what he was going to do seconds before he did it. “Wait!” I screamed, but the boy didn’t even acknowledge me. I turned around, I couldn’t watch. This reminded me too much of Yaqui beating me up, but this was different, these boys fought unlike we did. The way we fought it wasn’t killing each other or anything like that, but it was almost worse. Being humiliated in front of the whole school. Both Ponyboy and I got hurt though mine was both mentally and physically. The only other thing that I could see that connected our two lives was that we both fought back. Well actually Johnny fought for Ponyboy, but it’s pretty much the same, in the end the bullies both got what they deserved. No, that’s not true, nobody (even Yaqui Delgado) deserves to die. By the time I turned back around the boys were driving away in their car and the boy who had been killed was slumped on the ground not moving. The other boy; Johnny was helping to pull his friend; Ponyboy out of the water

The life outcome that Wes Moore, the author, had was different from the other Wes More. He was doing bad in his education as well with his interactions with the family. Every teacher declared that Wes was a poor student and was unmotivated to pay attention in class. The teachers came to conclusion that Wes had a problem socializing, however; Wes “was a victim of a monocultural educational environment that alienates and denigrates him” (Sue, 230). The school staff was unable to see that the problem existed within the institution/ environment and not on Wes, because they were focusing only in one culture which made Wes feel as an outsider. The

There were many diverse aspects to this book. Most of this book is a recall from either the main character, or one of his students. This book is intended to open people’s eyes to see that in order to change the world we must first change ourselves. Being able to go through this story and see the mistakes, and the good decisions, teachers in Michie’s life have made, has taught me that the best way to teach is through love, justice, cultural empathy and imagination. Some of the points brought up in this book include the positive and negative sides of physical contact with a student, classification/stereotyping, race, gangs, police brutality/lack of justice, and children not being able to escape peer pressure.

That Mr. MacPherson has grown tired of his job, he thinks that there isn’t much hope in being a teacher and that nothing good has come out of it. His students have drove him to regretting his career choice, that maybe the result of him not being the best teacher and letting the student get to him like they did.

Social and cultural development helps to determine a lot within the stages of life. It determines how we build relationships and attach ourselves to certain individuals. This development helps us to determine who we marry and how we communicate with others. Our economic status and background plays a big role in who hang out with and some of the choices we make in life.

While reading the article, “The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?” the text provoked a lot of thought provoking questions and dialogue. The text itself stated how the “looking glass self” is not a flat one – dimensional reflection, but multidimensional.” (page 9) I thought it was really vital to keep this in mind, while looking at my own identity and others. I think it is important to understand this when stereotypes come into a situation; because not everyone has a story and a reason for being and behaving in a way.

Socialisation can vary in different societies and from family to family. There are two types of

Have you ever thought about why we feel about ourselves the way we do? Do you hate yourself or are you confident about who you are? Either way you feel about yourself, this all comes from your self-concept. According to Steven McCornack’s Reflect and Relate “self-concept is your overall perception of who you are.” My self-concept is constantly changing due to confidence boosts or if I become depressed and sad; these factors also influence my self-esteem. My self-concept helps determine how well I am able to communicate with others. “Some psychologists and sociologist have advanced theories that suggest we learn who we are through four basic meaning: our communication with other individuals, our association with groups, roles we assume, and our self-labels” (Beebe 35).

There are a series of important steps in the development of one 's self-concept, self-esteem and social identity. These steps begin from birth and continue into the adult years.