| Sociologist Herbert Mead developed a theory known | | | | individual's socialization abilities. When an individual is an |
| as social behaviorism, which helped explained why | | | | infant they have no control and usually rely on their |
| past social experiences help form an individuals' | | | | parents and family members to help nurture them. |
| personality. Mead did not believe that personality was | | | | Through family they learn several of communication |
| developed by drives or biologically, but more on terms | | | | techniques such as trust, culture, and beliefs. Don't get |
| socially. He stated that the self only developed when | | | | me wrong, not all learning comes solely from family; |
| people interact with one another. Without the | | | | they can come from the environment as well because |
| interaction of other people an individual can't develop a | | | | in a lot of cultures they use the environment to help |
| personality. An example of this is if a child is left in total | | | | raise a child. I guess the saying is true in which it takes |
| isolation for a long period of time then they don't | | | | a "village to raise a child." It may not be surprising to |
| mature both physically or mentally. | | | | you that different social classes tend to raise their |
| Next, social experience is crucial, and this includes the | | | | children differently. |
| exchange of symbols. Only people attach meanings to | | | | An interesting survey that happened in the United |
| words and symbols. If you tell a dog to sit and it obeys | | | | States compared what a lower class family would |
| then you may give it a snack. However, this doesn't | | | | want in a child compared to that of an upper class |
| mean it knows why to sit down, but it does so to get | | | | family. A lower class family would usually favor |
| food. You can tell a dog to sit for numerous of | | | | obedience and conformity while an upper class family |
| reasons such as wanting to impress your friends, or to | | | | would tend to favor creativity and good judgment |
| calm it down because it is running all over the place. | | | | (NORS, 2003). Have you ever wondered why? Well |
| Also, Mead noted that understanding individual | | | | the reason is lower class workers tend to have jobs |
| intentions is critical. This will help us to analyze how an | | | | that they must be very obedient in and are highly |
| individual will respond even before we act. For | | | | supervised. Subconsciously they are gearing their |
| example, when we're driving we all anticipate what | | | | children towards that route and will even use physical |
| others may do because of experience. If an individual | | | | punishment to achieve it. In upper class workers they |
| behinds you is speeding up rather quickly, then you can | | | | tend to have jobs that inspire individuality and creativity |
| assume that they are about to switch lanes, or you | | | | which is very similar to the traits they would like to |
| can assume that they are in a rush and need to get | | | | have in their children. |
| somewhere quickly. Mead refers to this as taking | | | | School also has a large effect on an individual's |
| another individual's role. | | | | personalities. If you think about it you spend a huge |
| Another important theory that is related to social | | | | chunk of time each day at school. It's also interesting to |
| behaviorism is the looking-glass self. This is basically like | | | | note that children tend to play with people as the |
| mirroring what we think others think of us. If we think | | | | same race and gender, and that boys are more |
| others view you as being "good looking," then you will | | | | physical and aggressive while girls are more well |
| see yourself as being good looking, or if you think | | | | behaved. Boys also tend to find abstract activities |
| people think that you are fat then you will have that | | | | more interesting like video games and girls tend to be |
| image of yourself. People take the roles of other | | | | more artistic. The same thing follows when they get to |
| people during development. Infants have very little | | | | college because boys tend to major in physical |
| knowledge so they tend to mimic others. Children often | | | | sciences, and computing while girls usually major in |
| have creative minds and take on roles of other | | | | humanities and arts. In school is where children |
| significant others or people such as parents that have | | | | discover peer groups or individual that has similar |
| a special importance in their social development. For | | | | interest as themselves. |
| example, children will play house in which someone will | | | | People tend o indemnify more with their peer groups |
| take the role of a mother while another take that of a | | | | and can have conversations about things they |
| father. As they age children will learn to take various | | | | understand like clothes, music, and style. Peer groups |
| roles and adjust to their surroundings. As we continue | | | | are a way for individuals to escape adult supervision, |
| to age we will continue to see changes in our social | | | | and people are usually more out spoken in peer |
| life. | | | | groups. During the adolescent years people tend to |
| There are a lot of critics of Mead's theories and some | | | | identify more with their peer groups because they |
| claim that he focus too much on the society in | | | | identify themselves as an adult and that is also a time |
| developing an individual's behavior. Another sociologist | | | | in which parents are concerned about who their |
| Erik H. Erikson stated that unlike Freud who believed | | | | children hang around because they know that who |
| that personality was pretty much set in stone in the | | | | they hang around influence their behavior deeply. |
| first couple of years of an individual's life, that | | | | During these years the mass media heavily affects |
| personality changes in stages and occurs all the way | | | | individuals as well. Studies have showed that television |
| up to death. His theory is not all that accurate as well, | | | | have made people more passive and lessoned their |
| because people experience changes in different | | | | creativity. In the United States we spend he most time |
| orders and time. Through all of the disagreements, | | | | watching television and own the most T.V sets per |
| sociologists generally agree on this main idea, and that | | | | household. |
| is that the family has the greatest impact on an | | | | |