1 Foundations of Socialization and Identity Free Online FlashCards

What is socialization?

Socialization is the lifelong process of learning a society’s culture and how to participate in social life.

How do material and nonmaterial culture differ?

Material culture includes objects and how to use them; nonmaterial culture includes language, customs, values, and rules.

What does structural functionalism emphasize about socialization?

Structural functionalism emphasizes how shared norms and roles support social stability and allow institutions to continue over time.

What is Cooley’s looking-glass self?

The looking-glass self is the idea that people form self-understandings partly by imagining how others see and evaluate them.

What is an agent of socialization?

An agent of socialization is a person, group, or institution that teaches cultural knowledge and expectations.

What is anticipatory socialization?

Anticipatory socialization is preparation for a role a person expects to take on.

What does identity mean in sociology?

Identity is a person’s understanding of who they are and how they relate to others; it can change through new groups and life situations.

How does conflict theory explain socialization?

Conflict theory emphasizes how socialization can reproduce inequality through different expectations and opportunities linked to social class, race, or gender.

What does symbolic interactionism focus on?

Symbolic interactionism focuses on how people create meanings through everyday interactions, symbols, language, and shared behavior.

How did Mead explain the development of the self?

Mead argued that people develop a self by learning to take the perspectives of others.

What is Mead’s generalized other?

The generalized other is a person’s understanding of the broader expectations of the society around them.

What do family and caregivers often teach first?

Family and caregivers often introduce language, habits, values, and early expectations.