Delta State University
SOC 101: Principles of Sociology
Spring Semester 2005

Study Questions
Week 4

Topic for the Week:  Socialization

Readings for the Week:

Society: The Basics, Chapter 3

Sociological Footprints, Chapters 6 & 10

Questions:

(1)  Sociologists sometimes say “society makes us human.”  Explain what this means. What types of evidence and examples can we draw upon to understand this notion?

(2)  What might happen to a child that lacks contact with other humans at early ages?  Can such children be considered “human?”

(3)  Identify the contributions of the following theorists to our understanding of processes of socialization:

Sigmund Freud
Jean Piaget
Lawrence Kohlberg
Carol Gilligan
George Herbert Mead
Erik Erikson

(4)  Explain how each of the following might contribute to Bill’s socialization:

Bill’s parents
Bill’s elementary school teachers
Bill’s childhood friends
Bill’s university professors
The mass media

(5)  Are the effects of our childhood (primary) socialization locked in?  What evidence can you cite to support your response?

(7)  Explain how perceptions of what is normal affect socialization at different stages of the life course.

(8)  What is the product of socialization?

(9)  What is a total institution?  Do you believe total institutions can be effective agents of resocialization?  Why or why not?  Support your response with evidence.

(10)  Define the following terms:

            socialization                behaviorism                     ageism                   cohort
            personality                   hidden curriculum            gerontocracy          resocialization

(11)  What was unusual about the lives of Anna and Isabelle, as described in the article by Kingsley Davis?  What can this article teach us about socialization?

(12)  Why are eating disorders more common in females than in males?  Identify several agents of socialization that contribute to eating disorders, and for each, explain the processes through which socialization occurs.