11

Understanding
Culture Society and
Politics
First Quarter
MODULE 5
Socialization
 11

Understanding
Culture Society and
Politics
First Quarter
MODULE 5
Socialization
 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Man as a social being is always subject to human contact and
interaction. Infants need their mothers for nourishment. Young children
play with their peers. In school, they depend on their teachers for knowledge
and information. Teenagers indulge in varied activities and relationships
with the opposite sex.

Socialization is a process and is one of the many dimensions of the

study of human behaviour. Our identities, understandings are shaped by
the life-long process of socialization.

For many years, social scientists were divided into two camps: those
who believed that our behaviour is the product of nature (or genes), and
those who saw our behaviour as the determined by nurture (or
socialization). Today, nearly all agree that nature and nurture interact.

Freud saw socialization as a struggle between a willful, pleasure-

seeking child and parents’ intent on proper behaviour. Personality develops
in stages and consists of three parts: the id, the ego and the superego. To
some degree, individuals are always at war with society, and with
themselves.

Cooley and G.H. Mead stressed the role of symbolic interaction in the
development of self. Cooley introduced the concept of the looking-glass self.
Mead held that children learn to take the role of the other in the play stage,
and that they develop a generalized order in the game stage. The socialized
“me” continues provide direction for the spontaneous, impulsive “I”.
Socialization continues throughout the life cycle.

How is culture ingrained in children? Is it through biological

inheritance or cultural inheritance? This module will help you see the
significance of both in the development of the child.

At the end of this, module you shall be able to:

1. Define socialization,
2. Identify the context, content, processes, and consequences of
enculturation and socialization,
3. Explain how roles are learned,
4. Explain how role behaviour is related to position and status,
5. Explain the development of oneself and others as a product of
socialization and enculturation,
 6. Distinguish between reinforcement theory, cognitive theory, symbolic
interaction theory, and interpersonal theory,
7. Identify the social goals and the socially acceptable means of
achieving them,
8. Define conformity and deviance,
9. Define social control.

WHAT I KNOW
Pre-test
I. Multiple choices

Directions: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of your answer.
Write your answer on your notebook.

1. Which of the following refers to the process and outcome of integration to

society through association, social interaction, and social activities?
a) Assimilation c) Mobilization
b) Accommodation d) Socialization
2. Which of these terms refers to the human action by which one tends to
duplicate more or less, or exactly, the behaviour of others?
a) Imitation c) Motivation
b) Modification d) Socialization
3. Which of the following refers to the rules that regulate the process of
social interaction?
a) Fads c) Norms
b) Folkways d) Values
4. Which word is defined as an act that violates a social norm?
a) Conflict c) Cooperation
b) Conformity d) Deviance
5. Which among the following is the primary agent of socialization?
a) Family c) Religion
b) Media d) School
6. What type of norms are enforced formally by a special political
organization?
a) Folkways c) Mores
b) Laws d) Traditions
7. Which of these terms pertains to the individuals’ notion of who he or is in
the society which includes the roles and statuses that he or she performs
in accord to what the society expects of him or her?
a) Social identity c) Primary identity
b) Secondary identity d) Individuation
8. Which of the following could be an effect to the child if the parents only
noticed the child of his/her mistakes?
a) The child will become careful all the time.
b) The child will have a feeling of inadequacy.
c) The child will become cautious in everything she/he does.
d) The child will develop a positive outlook of himself/herself

9. The following are all forms of sanctions. Which of these is a formal

positive sanction?
a) A reward given by an institution
b) A punishment given by an institution
c) A reward given by an individual or group
d) A punishment given by individual or group
10. Some groups of people have activities or behaviours that are
absolutely forbidden called taboos. Which is an example of a taboo?
a) Use of drugs d) Slurping sound when
b) Use of condoms consuming soup
c) Practice of cannibalism

11. Which of these forms of deviance results from the frustration

generated by very limited opportunities to reach desired goals and leads
to alienation from the norms, standards, and institutions by which the
goals are normally reached?
a) Innovation c) Retreatism
b) Rebellion d) Ritualism

12. Why are strong sanctions crucial in establishing social control?

a) Deviants are thrown to far places.
b) Individuals are afraid of being ostracized.
c) Individuals are forced to conform to avoid labelling.
d) It prevents the individual from doing things that are prohibited by the
society.

13. Which of the following theory on deviance maintains that conformity

or deviance is learned by the individual depending on whom the
individual is mostly associated with?
a) Differential association theory
b) Labeling theory
c) Rational choice theory
d) Social control theory
14. People are afraid being ostracized and labelled as deviants. How do
you call the powerful means in leading an individual to conform to social
norms?
a) Sanctions c) Punishments
b) Rules d) Laws

15. Oftentimes an individual has many roles to play. For instance, one
can be a wife, a mother, a teacher and a citizen of the country. How do
you call such situations when one has conflicting roles?
a) Role conflict c) Role set
b) Role performance d) Role strain

16. Which of the following is an example of an internal sanction because

of non-conformity to norms?
a) Imprisonment c) Name calling
b) Labelling d) Shame
 WHAT’S IN
Do the activity in the box. Write your answer in your notebook. (24 points)

Examine yourself. What factors do you think had helped you in forming
your identity? Identify and explain each factor.

Rubrics:
Content – Expresses knowledge of the topic (8 points)
Organization – Concept is logically presented (8 points)
Presentation – Ideas/concepts are well presented and legible (8points)

WHAT’S NEW
Answer the questions in the box. Write your answer in your notebook. (24
points)

What is the most important lesson about being a person that your
parents taught you? How has this lesson aided you in dealing with other
people in your society?

Rubrics:
Content – Expresses knowledge of the topic (8 points)
Organization – Concept is logically presented (8 points)
Presentation – Ideas/concepts are well presented and legible (8 points)
 WHAT IS IT
SOCIALIZATION
Socialization is the way culture is transmitted and the individual is
fitted into an organized way of life. Through socialization, a society’s culture
is transmitted from one generation to the next. Members of society are
taught the values, norms, knowledge, traditions and beliefs that enable
them to perform their roles and transmit the cultural heritage. Socialization
enables the individual to learn the values, norms, languages, skills, beliefs
and other patterns of thought and action that are basically essential for
social living (Robertson, 1993). It involves the transfer of knowledge, the
teaching of rules that an individual should do.
Socialization can be described from two points of view: objectively and
subjectively (Palispis, 2007 p. 108).

Objective socialization: It refers to the

society acting upon the child.

Subjective socialization: The process by

which society transmits its culture from one
genereation to the next and adapts the
individual to the accepted an d approved ways
of organized social life

This perspective on socialization helps identity formation of

individuals which is essential in establishing his/her social role. Likewise, it
includes the following:

Personality and Role • It is through the process of socialization

Development that we develop our sense of identity
and belongingness

Skills Development and • The much-needed social skills such as

Training communication, interpersonal, and
occupational are developed.
 • Individuals are influenced or engulfed
by the prevailing values of a social
Values Formation
group.

• The socialization process allows to fit -

Social Integration and in an organized way of life by being
Adjustment accustomed including cultural setting.

• Integration to society binds

individuals to control mechanisms set
Social Control and Stability forth by society's norms with regard to
acceptable social relationships and
social behaviour

Socialization does not only aim to transmit culture from one

generation to another, but also strives for its continuity.
Each culture has a unique character which shapes the values and
behaviour of each member. Socialization is the process by which people
learn the attitudes, values and actions appropriate to individuals as
members of a particular culture.
The role of socialization in human development is the way in which
people develop perceptions, feelings, and beliefs about themselves and life-
long nature of socialization process. Socialization affects the overall cultural
practices of society, and it also shapes the images that we hold of ourselves.
It is an oversimplification to draw a sharp line between the physical and the
social aspects of human development.
Socialization experiences can have an impact on the shaping of
people’s personalities. In everyday speech, the personality is used to refer to
a person’s typical patterns of attitudes, needs, characteristics, and
behaviour.
Socialization is based on the communication of meaning and value. In
earliest infancy, bonding takes place by mutual communication between
infant and mother. The child’s messages are in the form of infants behaviour
acquires meaning. Each interaction with a family member is a contingency
dilemma, the solution of which teaches the infant how to get rewards and
avoid unpleasant consequences.
Parents further define behaviour as the child grows. The proper role for each
stage of development is learned. If mutual expectations are met, the child
will modify behaviour to meet the changing expectations of family and
society.
With growth, the child acquires language slowly at first but with
increasing rapidity. Language enhances communication and enables the
child to better meet parental expectations. With verbal communication come
values and attitudes as a child tries to mirror his/her parental modes. These
aspects of socialization are called identification and internalization. This
process by which an individual internalizes values and attitudes, beliefs and
convictions, norms and sanction and acquires the culturally accepted
behaviour patterns of his/her group is what we have labeled as
socialization.
Anthropologists named the early stages of socialization child rearing.
The patterns of childcare, the behaviour which is emphasized or
discouraged, and the pattern models which are rewarded or punished are all
culturally determined. Such cross-parent child-rearing practices explain
similar personality configurations in a society. Thus, our knowledge of
Philippine child-rearing patterns aids us in understanding the Filipino
personality. Widely spread behavioural norms such as respect for elders,
utang-na-loob (reciprocity), pakikisama (maintaining harmonious
relationships), courteous language, hiya, and amor propio emerge from
similar parenting styles.

THEORIES OF SOCIALIZATION
Social scientists maintain that human behaviour is learned from
others rather than determined biologically. Some theories that support this
explanation are the reinforcement theory, cognitive theory, psychosocial
development, symbolic interaction theory, and interpersonal theory.
Reinforcement theory, as described by Thorndike and Skinner,
claims that the individual can be conditioned to act in any way if the
appropriate rewards and punishments are repeatedly applied.
In contrast, cognitive theory of Jean Piaget is concerned with the
internal state of the individual, his/her perceptions and increasing abstract
reasoning ability, as he/she learns, at varying ages, to participate in society.
According to him there are four stages in the development of children’s
thought processes: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and
formal operational.
Sigmund Freud’s psychosocial development is concern with
personality – the individual’s characteristic patterns of behaviour is guided
by unconscious motives. These are impulses, passions and fears.
Freud pictured socialization as a constant struggle – a battle between
the child, who is driven to be powerful inborn sexual aggressive urges, and
the parents, who seek to impose on their standards for proper behaviour. He
also saw socialization as confrontation between biology (represented by the
infant’s “animal urges”) and society (represented by the efforts of parents to
“civilize” the child).
For Freud, infants are sensual, pleasure-seeking beings, intent for
gratification. When these infants mature, they focus on talking and viewing
the outside world. They derive special pleasure from nursing and sucking.
They will put anything into their mouths. In the anal stage, which is the
second year, their attention gradually shifts to maintaining the unity of the
body and its parts. In this stage, they find pleasure in releasing their bowels.
In the phallic stage, whose ages ranges from three to six, they demonstrate
their power over the external world. They begin to discover their genitals and
become aware of the differences between the sexes. It is the stage that
oedipal conflicts occur. The desire of the child to possess the parent of the
opposite sex, in the child’s mind, if not in reality. When the child reaches
the age of six or seven (latency stage), sexual urges are dormant, and their
interests shift for mastering the immediate environment. In the genital
stage, which begins in adolescence, desires start to re-emerge and the young
human being begins mutually gratifying sexual relationships. At this stage,
the child’s wishes are thwarted. Toilet training and sexual norms usually
cause frustration. The child’s psychological mechanisms children develop in
resolving conflicts become more or less permanent parts of their
personalities.

Freud viewed socialization as a power struggle, because conflict is

inevitable, not only between parent and child and between individual and
society, but also within the individual. Among the id, the superego, and the
ego, biological drives and social demands are always in accord.

Symbolic interaction claims that individuals are capable of creating

their own solutions to life’s problems. It emphasizes the role of language in
socialization and focuses on the individual’s self-concept arising from
interaction with others. Thus, the symbols to which people attach meaning
and value are the basis of human communication. Cooley maintained that
each person develops a self and feelings about this self through interaction
with others. He emphasized this point in his concept of the “looking-glass
self,” with the notion that a person’s self is a reflection of how others
perceive him/her. There are three steps we follow in the process of building
our looking-glass self; (1) our understanding of how we look to others; (2)
our motion of the way others judge the image we think they perceive; and (3)
our interpretation of the importance and meaning of the judgement of
others.

In infancy and childhood, we gain impressions of our looking-glass

self primarily from our parents and other family members with whom we
have intimate contact. A child who learns from his/her family that he/she is
inferior may cling to a feeling of inadequacy even though he/she attains
spectacular success in later life. Conversely, a child develops self-confidence
from his/her family may preserve that feeling even though he/she meets
with disappointment in adult life.

In later life, however, we do tend to become discriminating in the

selection of our social mirrors. This means that as we mature, we select
reference groups to whom we give special attention. Our reference group
consists of people whose opinions and judgment we value. This varies with
different individuals – the scholar would probably be concerned about the
reactions of other scholars, the adolescent about his/her image with his/her
peer group, and the student about the opinions of teachers and classmates.

It is not necessarily true that the image we get from our reference
groups is accurate one, since our perception and interpretation may be
faulty. It may not be an ego-boosting remark we take at face value is flattery,
while a scolding may have been caused by a headache rather than a
reaction to our inadequacy. Life is a continual round of reappraisals, with
many chances of making mistakes in the forming of the looking-glass self.
As with other explanations of how we create ourselves, however, it is
important to note that things we learn earliest are those most difficult to
change in later life. Thus, early influences and images tend to dominate our
lives.
Sullivan’s interpersonal theory emphasizes that human beings are
the product of their relationships with significant others (like the reference
group), or individuals important to them. Individuals seek goals of
satisfaction and security (feeling of belonging). Anxiety is the result of loss of
contact with others, of a feeling of alienation and disapproval. In relating to
others, individuals develop many ways which are designed to reduce tension
and conflict in interpersonal relations. For example, then child tends to
emphasize those aspects which are pleasing to significant adults. In
focusing on those performances which bring favor or disfavor, the self is
develop as a system of reflected appraisals.

A child is born into a society with an established pattern of role

relationships. There is a range of behaviour expected between various
persons depending on sex, age, status, and other factors. Each individual
develops a concept of self as result of early relationships which become
increasingly difficult to change as more learning takes place. This self-
concept is learned from significant other people and leads to predictability
within the family. An individual’s personality develops within the matrix of
interpersonal experiences – he/she becomes, in part, what others expect
him/her to be; in part, a compromise between their expectations and the
individual’s own capacities. Personality patterns are learned and, since the
demands of different cultures are different, so are the personalities which
emerge as responses to those demands.

The emphasis is on current motivation – the present determinants of

behaviour. As the prescribed roles change, so does the child, sometimes
gradually, sometimes abruptly. Role definitions change with age; therefore,
the child’s behaviour also changes. new behaviour is a fulfillment of shared
expectations rather than an expression of earlier childhood expectations.

Since interpersonal theory is culturally oriented, it is necessary to

look for different personality dynamics, different areas of conflict, and
different personalities. This theory provides the concepts needed for the
understanding of differences and offers the possibility of identifying other
conflict areas which would be denied by a more instinctive theory with its
emphasis on physiological universals.

The theory also points to areas of fruitful inquiry since it emphasizes

the importance of role models and the expectations of significant others. It is
important to consider the attitudes and reports of mothers, as well as the
activities the child shares with the mother or with significant older persons.
 None of these theories is wrong. All can be helpful in describing and
explaining the intricacies of human socialization. Because of its group
emphasis, symbolic interaction is the theory with which sociologists are
most comfortable.

THE IMPACT OF SOCIALIZATION

One main piece of evidence for the impact of socialization is the study
of a child kept in isolation. Children raised in isolation provide negative
evidence for socialization. They show what happens when socialization does
not occur. The case of Linda of a barangay in Zamboanga is a clear example.
Linda was an illegitimate and unwanted child. She was confined to a dark
bedroom for the first six years of her life. Her mother gave her enough milk
and food to keep her alive, but never talked and played with her and seldom
bothered to clean her. When as social worker discovered Linda, she thought
she was blind and deaf. She could not walk or talk. She did not know how to
wash or dress or even feed herself. She just stared into space, clicking her
tongue. She never laughed or cried. When somebody approached her, she
would fly into tantrum or would freeze in terror. There was something
distinctly inhuman about her. Linda seemed like a “feral” child (one raised
in the wild without humans).

Some months later, Linda was adopted by a childless couple and lived
in home where concern is evidently felt. There, for the first time in her life,
adults fussed over her in the way parents usually do. Her true socialization
began at age seven, instead of at birth. By the end of the year she begun to
walk, take care of herself, and seek attention. Words came slowly and she
began to speak. Linda died of jaundice before her thirteenth birthday.
However, Luzviminda, another child found in similar circumstances, made
full recovery, entered to a municipal high school, made friends, and later
married and raised a family.

It may be noted that both Linda’s and Luzviminda’s stories illustrate

and dramatize that even the most basic human characteristics depend
largely to socialization. The abilities to talk and walk do not develop
spontaneously. Neither do emotions, personality or intelligence. It is
observed that children who have raised in large, impersonal orphanages
where social interaction is usually minimal, attest to this view. Although
physically healthy, these babies are much slower to develop than babies
raised in a home with the parents and their children.

INTERNALIZATION OF NORMS

Socialization is the process by which the individual learns to conform

to the norms of his social group and plays a corresponding role. The
acceptance of desirable values with the shared expectations of a particular
society is one of the basic functions of socialization. The acquisition of
knowledge and skills of cultural patterns and social relations within the
society become deeper. In the socialization process, the individual learns the
mores, folkways, sanctions and other patterns of culture of a given society.
This includes learning the informal and formal rules of society, in effect,
shapes the individual’s behaviour patterns. Socialization can be effective
means to internalize norms, values, attitudes and behaviour patterns of an
individual.

There are four categories of norms: folkways, mores, taboos, and laws.
Folkways are the socially approved behaviours that have no moral
underpinning. This includes a variety of actions that constitute acceptable
or expected behaviour drawn from customs and conventions. For example,
some societies (e.g.,Americans) consider it rude for a visitor to make
slurping sounds when consuming soup, whereas others (e.g., Chinese)
encourage it.

Mores are the norms related to moral conventions. These include

behaviours that are considered acceptable in relation to religious practices.
The use of artificial contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control pills,
is frowned upon in highly religious societies, whereas it is accepted, and
even encouraged, in others that do not strictly follow the dictates of religious
doctrine.

Some cultural prohibitions are strictly implemented than the others,

which make them a taboo. Taboos are behaviours that are absolutely
forbidden in a specific culture. Performances of taboos are met with stricter
punishments. Examples of taboos are cannibalism and incest. It must be
noted that taboos are not universal. Some societies do allow behaviours that
are considered repugnant in others.

Reinforcing the non-practice of tabooed behaviours are the laws that

are enacted by the state. It consists of the rules and regulations that are
implemented by the state, making them the prime source of social control.
Violations of the law are met by punishments, fines, ostracism, and
imprisonment.

AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

The lifelong process of socialization involves many different social

forces which influence our lives and alter our self-image. The agents of
socialization are the family, the school, the peer group, the mass media,
religion, the workplace, and the state.

The role of religion in socialization of young people into society’s

norms and values can help a society to function as an integrated social
system.
 According to Etim E. Okon, majority of sociologists do not consider
religion as a potent agent of socialization. The conservative roles of religion
in perpetuating social and cultural values are often ignored. The study
reveals that religion exercises a pervasive influence on all other social
institutions thereby moderating the activities of other agents of socialization.

Religion as an integrative social force shapes collective belief into

collective identity. Religious rituals like weddings, child dedication, burials
and birthday celebration promote group solidarity and cohesion.
Identification with a particular religious group, gives the votaries a sense of
belonging. It also promotes the feelings of exclusion to those who are outside
the group. People who live in a place where their religion is not a dominant
culture have a feeling of estrangement and alienation.

Although religion may be a personal thing, there is a communal

dimension. Just as individuals through a guilt complex, look for ways to
appease the supernatural forces, even so, the society. Young people are
often initiated to the various rites of passage and process of atonement.
Erikson observes that primitive religions “abound with efforts at atonement
which try to make up for vague deeds against a material matrix and try to
restore faith in the goodness of one's strivings and in the kindness of the
powers of the universe”. Another dimension of the socialization process
which is intrinsically religious is to intimate children at the formative years
with the idea of the sacred. This have moral consequences. Young people
have to be taught that social life is not only in the physical (or profane), but
that there is an invisible domain which is equally relevant to man. Each
society must have “the institutionalized form of reverence which derives
vitality from its world-image from predestination to indeterminacy.

The family is the institution most closely associated with the process
of socialization. One of its primary function is the care and rearing of
children. We experience socialization first as babies and infants living in
families; it is the family that we develop an initial sense of self. Most parents
help their children become competent adolescents and self-sufficient adults
by way of socializing into the norms and values of the family.

The life process of learning begins shortly after birth. Since newborns
can hear, see, smell and taste, and feel heat, cold and pain, they orient
themselves to the surrounding environment. Human beings, especially
family members, constitute an important part of the social environment of
the newborn. The members of the family attend to the baby’s need of
feeding, cleansing, and carrying the baby.

Most infants go through a relatively formal period of socialization

generally called habit training. The child’s social class, religious orientation
and the language used and each of these factors can have a profound
influence on the upbringing of children. The family teaches members of the
family desirable values they hold dear and they will cherish throughout life.
The children are expected to be loyal and obedient to the family.
 The family acts as laboratory which prepares the child for life in
bigger society. Truly, the family is the first, the closest, and then most
essential and influential social group that has a profound influence in the
child’s future.

Like the family, schools, in the Philippines, have an explicit mandate

to socialize into the norms and values of culture. In teaching students, the
value and customs of the larger society, Philippine schools aim to provide
and promote values education at all levels of the educational system.

The school is a formal agency of socialization is tasked to develop the

citizens self-discipline, to cooperate with others for a common good, to obey
the laws and inculcate love of country, pride about their history and the
achievements and contributions of their national heroes to regain freedom
and democracy.

As a child grows older, he associates with others who are

approximately his own age and who often enjoys a similar social status.

Peer groups, such as friendship cliques, youth gangs, and special-

interest clubs, frequently assist the adolescents in gaining some degree of
independence from their parents. Teenagers’ most intimate relationships are
often those they have with their gang or “barkada”. The peer groups among
adults are often formed in places of work, sports and recreation, in politics,
in religion, and in the practice of profession or occupation. Peer groups serve
as a valuable function by assisting the transition to adult responsibilities. At
home, parents tend to dominate, ats school, the teenager must contend with
teachers and school administrators. But within this group, every member
can assert himself in a way that may not be possible elsewhere. However,
almost all adolescents in the Filipino culture remain economically and
emotionally dependent on their parents.

Over the years, such technological innovations as radio, motion

pictures, recorded music and television, newspaper and other forms of mass
media and social media have become important agents of socialization.

The mass media of communication, play an important role in the

process of socialization. The mass media of communication transmit
information’s and messages which influence the personality of an individual
to a great extent.

A basic aspect of human socialization involves learning to behave

appropriately within an occupation. Perhaps occupational socialization
cannot be separated from the socialization experiences that occur during the
early child hour and adolescent period of an individual. We are almost fully
exposed to occupational roles by way of observing the work of our parents,
of people whom we meet while they are performing their respective tasks
and duties and of people portrayed in the media.
 As people interact with one another in the workplace, they get
socialized to the institutional policies.

Today, social scientists have increasingly recognized the importance of

the state as an agent of socialization because of its growing impact on the
life cycle. Traditionally, families have served as the primary caregivers in our
culture, but today, gradually the family’s protective functions have been
transferred to outside health-care agencies. Many of these agencies are run
by the government and non-government institutions. In effect, the state
becomes a provider of childcare and other health care problems, which give
a new and direct role in the socialization of young children as well as adults.

By regulating the life cycle to a certain extent, the state influences the
socialization process by affecting our views of appropriate behaviour at
particular ages.

CHECK WHAT YOU LEARN

Answer the following questions.
1. What is the rationale behind socialization?
2. Describe and enumerate as many socializing activities you have gone
through and explain which has the greatest impact on your
development.
3. Explain the role of heredity and environment in promoting
socialization.
4. Can you explain the primary function of sociobiology in the context of
human development?
5. How does the family influence the development of the children?
6. What is the main task of the school in relation to socialization?

STATUS AND ROLES

Our forms of social interaction are always within the context of our
status and that of the people we are interacting with. That is to say that we
speak and behave differently toward different sets of people. You have a set
of vocabularies and nonverbal cues that you use for your parents, which you
may not use with your peers. A status is an individual’s position in his or
her society, which carries with it a set of defined rights and obligations. Your
status as a student comes with obligations and roles, which are defined as
your roles.
 Ascribed status Achieved status

• Assigned to an individual from • Acquired by choice, merit or

birth individual effortt
• Involves littlepersonal choice • Made possible through
• Carries with it expectations of special talents and or abilities,
behaviour performance or opportunities
• Choice in occupation,
marriage, joining a religious
organization

Roles are the sets of expectation from people who occupy a particular
status. From the vocabulary that they would use to their performance of
their statuses, these are all within the framework of roles. The behaviour of
an individual within a social space in accordance to his or her status is
called role performance. Sometimes a status has multiple roles attached to
it. This multiplicity of roles within a given status is called role set. Hence,
your teacher’s role is not just to educate you. He or she has the role of being
your guardian while you are away from your parents.

As humans capable of occupying various statuses simultaneously,

conflicts may arise in the variety of roles that they have to perform. A single
mother who is working full-time has two equally important roles. She has
the role of being a single parent who must provide for her child. However,
given her other status which requires her to perform the role of a wage-
earner, a conflict on which role she needs to prioritize sometimes arises.
Role conflict stems from the divergent expectations of the statuses that an
individual simultaneously occupies. Such conflicts may create role strain
on the individual. This implies that the individual is having difficulty in
performing the role required of him or her. In the case of the single mother
with a full-time job, role strain might cause her to choose which role she will
have to continue performing and which role she needs to discontinue. This
process of discontinuing with a role is labelled s role exit. Individuals would
often have a role exit to either address a role strain or to indulge in a new
role set.

CONFORMITY AND DEVIANCE

Do you act differently from what others expect of you? How do they
respond to your statements and actions?
 Conformity is the act of following the roles and goals of one’s society.
This behaviour is often met with rewards and acceptance from other
members of the society.

The identification of oneself in society is always relative to his/her

existing environment. Social role must be performed in connection with the
expected behaviour. Erving Goffman, in his book The Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life tried to show certain social processes modify then
presentation of self and the impact of role expectations on the behaviour of
the individual. To Goffman, everyone is consciously playing a role. When
persons present themselves to others in everyday interaction, they organize
their overt behaviour in such a way as to guide and control the impressions
others form of them to elicit role-taking response.

More so, it is a process of conformity where individuals attempt to

change his/her behaviour because of the desire to conform which defined
social norm. Kelman (1958) distinguished the different types of conformity:
compliance, internalization, identification, and ingratiational.

1. Compliance (or group acceptance)

This occurs “when an individual accepts influence because he hopes
to achieve a favorable reaction from another person or group. He adopts the
induced behaviour because he expects to gain specific reward or approval
and avoids specific punishment or disapproval by conformity”.

2. Internalization (genuine acceptance of group norms)

This occurs “when an individual accepts influence because the
content of then induced behaviour – the ideas and actions of which it is
compose – is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behaviour
because it is congruent or consistent with his value system”.
Internalization always involves public and private conformity. A
person publicly changes his behaviour to fit in with the group, while also
agreeing with others privately. This is the deepest level of conformity where
the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief.

3. Identification (or group membership)

This occurs “when an individual accepts influence because he wants
to establish or maintain a satisfying self-defining relationship to another
person or group” (Kelman, 1958, p.53). individuals conform to the
expectations of a social role, e.g. nurses, police officers. It is similar to
compliance as there does not have to be a change in private opinion.

4. Ingratiational
This is when a person conforms to impress or gain favor/acceptance
from other people. It is similar to normative influence, but is motivated by
the need for social rewards rather than the threat of rejection, i.e., group
pressure does not enter the decision to conform
 Deviance is the act of violating the prescribed social norms. Acts of
deviance are often associated with a stigma. A stigma is a strong sense of
disapproval on nonconforming behaviour from members of society. When
deviance is within the context of legal structures, it may even be considered
a crime or a violation of law.

Deviance serves as an outlet for diverse forms

of expressions.

Deviance serves to define the limits of

acceptable behaviour.

Deviance may also promote in-group

solidarity.

Deviance serves as barometer of social strain

Because deviance is always juxtaposed with a norm, which changes

based on environmental factors, it is also constantly changing. As it is
socially constructed, the actions that are considered deviant vary per society
and per social status.

There are several theories that explain the existence of deviants

(humans/groups) and deviance (acts). These are as follows:

 Social control theory – Deviance is primarily caused by a lack in

stronger social bonds within a society. As in individual feels less attached
to his or her society, there is a higher chance for him or her to deviate
from social norms.

 Rational choice theory – The individual’s decision to follow or to go

against social norms is dependent on their perceived cost and benefit of
such action. This implies that humans weigh the impact of following a
 norm. If following a norm would cost them more than they could spare,
such a norm is set aside and they would choose to perform a deviant act.

 Differential association theory – Conformity or deviance is learned by

an individual from those he or she associates with. Hence, if an
individual has stronger associations with a group of deviants, then it is
most likely that he or she would conform to deviant behaviour than that
of what the public considers as norm. interestingly, what is deviant for
the general public may be considered as a norm among a group of
deviants.

 Labeling theory – Actions are initially not considered deviant until they
are labelled as such by members of the community. Based on this theory,
there are two stages of deviance: primary and secondary. Primary
deviance is a type of act that does not end with the being labelled as
such. This is due to the age and intensity of the deviance committed.
Secondary deviance is the type of act that results from being labelled by
society as a deviant. This presents the theory’s key argument that
humans who are labelled as deviants would often commit deviant acts
due to societal pressure brought about by the stigma. Hence, a person
who is labelled a thief may resort to being one as a response to economic
ostracism caused by social stigma.

 Conflict theory – Society consists of opposing groups of people whose

access to power is unequal. The group that has access to power
determines which actions are deviant based on their advantage. Usually,
the set of behaviours are of the elite is created and reproduced as the
norm, and those powerless are considered deviant.

 Structural-functionalist theory – This theory proposes two perspectives

in the formation of deviant behaviour. On the macro-level, deviance is a
product of the breakdown of social norms which produces anomie or
social disorganization. On the microlevel, deviance is a product of the role
strain than an individual experiences due to lack of resources to cope
with the demands of the social norms.

Based on this perspective, Merton (9157) created a model illustrating

the types of responses that individuals have towards social norms with
regard to two variables: cultural goals and institutional means. Cultural
goals consist of the values that are important for the society. Institutional
means are processes that have been established through social structures
such as the government, school, church, and even family.
Figure 1 Merton’s Deviance typology

In Merton’s typology, individuals who accept their society’s cultural

goals and that of the process to accomplish it are labelled as conformists,
whereas those who accept the goal but not the process are called
innovators. Such individuals are bent toward achieving the same social
goals using an alternative approach. Individuals who reject the goal but
accept the process are prone to ritualism, as they perform the social norms
without subscribing to the social goals that such lead to. Those who reject
both the goals and the approach are in the process of retreatism, which
would redefine the goals and processes in a society in the form of rebellion.

SOCIAL CONTROL
To maintain social order and stability, social control is needed. The
two elements that promote social control are internalization and sanctions.
Internalization is an integral part of communicating and incorporating
social norms to an individual’s personality. It is in this process that an
individual is made automatically conform to the dictates of his or her society
through a cost-benefit orientation. One key element in ensuring that
individuals are able to internalize social norms is the establishment of
sanctions.
 What happens if you decide not to do your homework? Possible
outcomes include the following:
1. Getting a zero score or rating for the activity from your teacher
2. Getting a stern warning on how to be a better child from your parent
3. Being labelled as lazy by your classmates

Considering all these possible repercussions of not completing your

homework, would you opt to complete or still sidestep it?
Sanctions are powerful in leading an individual to conform to social norms.
Despite an individual’s inclination to conform, when the sanction is strong,
there is a high possibility that he/she will decide to follow the norm.

TYPES OF SANCTIONS

Formal sanctions are rewards or forms of punishment that are

formally awarded by an institution such as a government, a council or an
establishment.

Informal sanctions are the rewards and forms of punishment that

are spontaneously given by an individual or a group of people as a response
to a behaviour that was either accepted or disapproved.

Negative sanctions can include embarrassment, shame, ridicule,

sarcasm, criticism, disapproval, social discrimination, and exclusion as well
as more formal sanctions such as penalties and fines.

Positive sanctions can include celebration, congratulation, praise,

social recognition, social promotion, and approval, as well as formal
sanctions such as awards, bonuses, prizes, and titles.

Internal sanctions are consequences imposed by the individual on

themselves, based upon compliance with social norms. So, for example, an
individual might suffer from embarrassment, shame or depression as a
result of noncompliance and associated exclusion from social groups.

One of the key differences between internal and external sanctions is

that while internal sanctions such as guilt requires only one’s own
knowledge of one’s behaviour, external sanctions require knowledge by
others of one’s behaviour.

External sanctions, on the other hand, are consequences imposed by

others and include things like expulsion from a group, public humiliation,
punishment by management, and arrest and imprisonment, among others.

These general categories can be combined to form specific typologies

of sanctions.
Table 1 Typologies of sanctions
Type Formal positive Formal negative Informal negative Informal
positive
Definitio A reward A punishment A reward given A
n given by an given by an by an punishmen
institution to institution to individual/grou t given by
encourage enforce p that an
conformity conformity encourages individual/
conformity group to
coerce
conformity
Example 1. Recognitio 1. Imprisonme 1. Standing 1. Gossip
n of nt for a ovation from about a
honors in crime the viewers/ bad
a learning 2. Payment of attendees behavio
facility fines for 2. An ur
2. Medal of offenses affirmative 2. Ridicule
honor for committed nod from a from
outstandi 3. Being fired superior peers
ng in from the 3. Cheers from 3. Being
governme workplace teammates grounde
nt service for the for scoring a d by a
3. Promotion unsatisfacto shot parent
in the ry service
workplace
for
excellent
performan
ce
 WHAT I HAVE
LEARNED
Directions: Complete the statement inside the box to check your
understanding of the lesson. (24 points)
Rubrics:
Content – Expresses knowledge of the topic (8 points)
Organization – Concept is logically presented (8 points)
Presentation – Ideas/concepts are well presented and legible (8points)

Socialization and enculturation are _____________________________________.

The different agents of socialization are _________________________________.
To maintain social order and stability ___________________________________.

WHAT I CAN DO
Reflect Upon
Directions: Answer the following question below. Write your answer on your
notebook. (24 points)
Rubrics:
Content – Expresses knowledge of the topic (8 points)
Organization – Concept is logically presented (8points)
Presentation – Ideas/concepts are well presented and legible (8 points)

In today’s modern society, what form of social control is applicable

or effective in resolving criminality.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

POST TEST
In your notebook, write your answer to the following items.
I. Knowledge
Identify the following. Write your answer on your notebook.
1. It is the continuing process whereby an individual acquires a
personal identity and learns the norms, values, behaviour, and
social skills appropriate to his/her social position.
2. It is in this process that an individual is made automatically
conform to the dictates of his or her society through a cost-
benefit orientation.
3. This refers to the various groups or social institutions that play
a significant role in introducing and integrating the individual
as an accepted and functioning member of the society.
4. These are the customary patterns that specify what is socially
correct and proper in everyday life.
5. It refers to the position an individual occupies in society and
implies an array of rights and duties.
6. It defines what is morally right and morally wrong.
7. May include embarrassment, shame, ridicule, sarcasm,
criticism, disapproval, social discrimination, and exclusion as
well as more formal sanctions such as penalties and fines.
8. It occurs when conflicting roles are faced by an individual.
9. A theory on socialization which states that society is consist of
opposing groups of people whose access to power is unequal.
10. Conformity or deviance is learned by an individual from those
he or she associates with as stated by this theory.
II. Comprehension

Directions: Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE it is
not.

11. A conformist utilizes positive success goal and legitimate means.

12. Innovation involves accepting the goal of success but rejecting
the use of socially accepted means to achieve it.
13. Social control is intended to motivate people to obey social
expectations.
14. Achieved statuses are acquired by the individual at birth.
15. The most essential socialization agent is the peer group.
16. Imprisonment and fines are examples of formal sanctions.
References:
Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., Understanding Culture Society and
Politics, Makati City: Diwa Learning Systems Inc, 2016

Baleña, Ederlina D., Dolores M. Lucero, Arnel M. Peralta, Understanding Culture

Society and Politics, Educational Resources Corporation, Quezon City, 2016

Hunt, Chester L. et al., Sociology in the Philippine Setting, Sibs Publishing House
Inc., Quezon City, 1998

Zulueta, Francisco M., Anthropological and Sociological Perspectives, National

Book Store, Mandaluyong, 2011

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https://www.google.com/search?q=merton%27s+deviance+typology&rlz=1C
1PRFI_enPH892PH892&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Zq5KxWFpCNNE0
M%252CZJvmBCgxiykghM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_kQbuNPnHH0LmMcwW
H9M0nsQAEHrBQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD7Iicoa3qAhWKbN4KHZv6DgsQ_h
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n.d. google.com. Accessed june 26, 2020.

https://www.google.com/search?q=merton%27s+deviance+typology&rlz=1C1PRFI_
enPH892PH892&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Zq5KxWFpCNNE0M%252CZJvm
BCgxiykghM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_kQbuNPnHH0LmMcwWH9M0nsQAEHrBQ&s
a=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD7Iicoa3qAhWKbN4KHZv6DgsQ_h0wA3oECAsQC.
n.d. google.com. Accessed june 26, 2020. //www.socialcapitalresearch.com/social-
sanctions/.

n.d. google.com. Accessed june 26, 2020.

https://www.google.com/search?q=merton%27s+deviance+typology&rlz=1C
1PRFI_enPH892PH892&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Zq5KxWFpCNNE0
M%252CZJvmBCgxiykghM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_kQbuNPnHH0LmMcwW
H9M0nsQAEHrBQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD7Iicoa3qAhWKbN4KHZv6DgsQ_h
0wA3oECAsQC.
n.d. google.com. Accessed june 26, 2020. //www.socialcapitalresearch.com/social-
sanctions/