Week9.1--reading blog--LI LINLIN

 (1) Summary:

This paper introduces the sociological concept of socialization, which involves multiple elements and stages, including:

Goals of socialization: According to Arnett's theory, the goals of socialization include impulse control, conscience development, preparation and performance of social roles (such as professional roles, gender roles), and the development of meaning and values in life; The relativity of socialization: Socialization is culturally relative, so people of different cultures, races, classes, genders, sexual orientations, and religious backgrounds will differ in the socialization process. This difference should not be judged in essence; Biology and socialization: Although socialization is a key process for individuals to adapt to social life, there are parts of human behavior that are innate, such as psychology and morality. This suggests that human behavior is not just learned, but that biological factors play a role; Primary and secondary socialization: Socialization is a lifelong process, usually divided into primary socialization (which occurs during childhood and adolescence) and secondary socialization (which continues through new social roles and circumstances in adulthood). Secondary socialization helps people adapt to new social groups and complex social situations.

It also emphasizes that socialization is a complex process involving the interaction of individual, biological and cultural levels.

Mortimer and Simmons outline three major differences between the primary and secondary stages of socialization, covering content, learner status and relationships, and autonomy in adult socialization: Differences in content: Childhood: Social content is primarily related to biologically driven regulation. Adolescence: Socialization is concerned with the development of general values and self-image. Adulthood: Socialization involves more specific and overt norms and behaviors, such as occupational norms and behaviors, as well as more superficial personality traits. Changes in learner status and relationships: In the early stages, the socialized subject (i.e., the person being socialized) assumes the role of the learner in the initial environment such as family, school, or peer group, and these relationships are often emotional. In adulthood, while still sometimes playing the learner role, much socialization occurs after the adult has fully assumed the adult role, often in more formal relational Settings, such as the workplace, where the emotional component is relatively reduced. Autonomy of adult socialization: Children and adolescents are generally more susceptible. The socialization of adults is more self-initiated and voluntary, and they can leave or terminate the socialization process at any time with the appropriate resources (symbolic, economic, and social).

In addition, Arnett makes a distinction between broad and narrow socialization, emphasizing the different goals and outcomes of the socialization process:

Generalized socialization: Aims to promote independence, individualism, and self-expression, with broad results. Narrow socialization: Designed to promote obedience and conformity, with a narrower range of results. Arnett also points out that socialization is not limited to the choice between the two, but can be generalized or narrow among seven social forces such as family and friends, and there are many possible combinations. In particular, he notes that the extent of socialization can vary significantly in terms of gender and culture (e.g., Japanese culture emphasizes conformity), affecting social indicators such as social behavior and crime rates.

The socialization process is not always voluntary or successful. For those individuals who have initially failed to socialize, society has facilities such as prisons and mental health facilities designed to help these individuals reintegrate into society. Owen Goffman characterizes these institutions in his study of total institutions, emphasizing that all aspects of life take place in a centrally managed and highly controlled environment.

The purpose of the overall system is to achieve the separation of the individual from the old life and to shape the individual to conform to the norms of society through coercive measures, such as "self-humiliation." This process involves depriving the individual of existing symbolic resources, such as the way the individual looks and behaves, in order to recasting the individual's social image, such as the "healthy patient" or the "capable soldier."

Moreover, the case of wild children shows the importance of socialization. These children have not undergone normal adult socialization processes because they have been neglected, abandoned, or abused, and therefore lack basic social skills such as using the toilet or walking upright, they have extremely low interest in human activities, and often exhibit severe cognitive impairments. These cases highlight the critical role of early socialization in human development, while also reflecting that without this process, individuals may never be fully integrated into society.

In general, socialization is not only the process of learning to accept social norms, but also involves the suppression of individuality and prior cultural ties in specific situations. The success of socialization has a profound impact on individual functioning and social integration.

The research of socialization in social science is developing continuously, showing multi-dimensional understanding and application. By examining the relationship between socialization and social class, we can better understand the role of socialization in forming individual behaviors and values. Through specific research, we can see that socialization is not only a process of individual adaptation to society, but also a part of social structure and cultural inheritance. Each social group has its own unique socialization mechanisms that play a decisive role in shaping individual behavior, values, and social identity. This in-depth understanding of socialization processes helps to shed light on how individuals find their place within social structures and how these structures continue to influence social dynamics.

(2) Interesting : 

In the two case studies that explore socialization versus death preparation and the impact of education trajectory on IQ, we can see the diversity and complexity of the socialization process and how it affects an individual's life and cognitive development.

Marshall's research focuses on how nursing home residents form views about death through their environment and nursing home culture. This research highlights one aspect of secondary socialization, how to adjust to and accept the reality of death later in life. In Settings such as nursing homes, residents think more about death due to life changes (such as no longer having to care for a family) and constantly facing the death of a peer, and deal with their feelings about death through communication with their peers. This environment promotes a socialization process of accepting and facing death bravely.

Rosenbaum's research focuses on the long-term effects of different educational tracks in high school on students' IQ. This study shows that school, as a place of socialization, not only provides education of knowledge and skills, but also influences students' self-perception and intellectual development through different educational tracks. Students who participate in higher track education tend to perform better on IQ tests, perhaps in part because these tracks offer greater academic resources and higher expectations. Conversely, the lower track may have resulted in lower student IQ due to a lack of these resources and low expectations, confirming the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

These case studies emphasize that socialization is not only a process in which individuals adapt to social needs, but also profoundly affects individual cognitive development and lifestyle choices. From the death preparation of nursing home residents to the educational trajectory of high school students, the socialization process demonstrates its diversity and cultural dependence. Through different social circumstances and expectations, socialization shapes how we view ourselves, others, and the world in which we live. These aspects of socialization highlight the powerful influence of culture in defining "normal" and "abnormal" behavior and in influencing individual behavior. The socialization process of each individual determines how they adapt to social changes and even resocialize at different stages of life to cope with new life challenges and environmental changes.

(3) Question: 

How does broad socialization and narrow socialization affect individual career development and workplace behavior in practical applications?