Nature vs. nurture debate
the ongoing discussion of the respective roles of genetics and socialization in determining individual behaviors and traits
Socialization
the process of learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social group, by which we become functioning members of society
Feral children
in myths and rare real world cases, children, who have had little human contact and may have lived in the wild from a young age
Self
the individual's conscious, reflexive experience of a personal identiy separate and distinct from other individuals
id, ego, and superego
according to Freud, the three interrelated parts that make up the mind. The id consists of basic inborn drives that are the source of instinctive psychic energy. The ego is the realistic aspect of the mind that balances the forces of the id and the supere
Psychosexual stages of development
four distinct stages of hte development of the self between birth and adulthood, according to Freud. Each stage is associated with a different erogenous zone.
Looking-glass self
the notion that the self develops through our perception of others evaluations and appraisals of us
Preparatory stage
the first stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children mimic or imitate others
Play stage
the second stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children pretend to play the role of the particular or significant other
Particular or significant other
the perspectives and expectations of a particular role that a child learns and internalizes
Game stage
the third stage in Mead's theory of the development of self wherein children play organized games and take on the perspective of the generalized other
Generalized other
the perspectives and expectations of a network of others (or of society in general) that a child learns and then takes into account when shaping his or her own behavior
Dual nature of the self
the belief that we experience the self as both subject and object, the "I" and the "me
Thomas theorem
classic formulation of the way individuals define situations, whereby "if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences
Definition of the situation
an agreement with others about "what is going on" in a given circumstance. This consensus allows us to coordinate our actions with those of others and realize goals
Expression of behavior
small actions such as an eye roll of head nod that serve as an interactional tool to help project our definition of the situation to others
Expressions given
expressions that are intentional and usually verbal, such as utterances
Expressions given off
observable expressions that can be either intended or unintended and are usually nonverbal
Impression management
the effort to control the impressions we make on others so that they form a desired view of us and the situation; the use of self-presentation and performance tactics
Dramaturgy
an approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance
Front
in the dramaturgical perspective, the setting or scene of performances that helps establish the definition of the situation
Personal front
the expressive equipment we consciously or unconsciously use as we present ourselves to others, including appearance and manner, to help establish the definition of the situation
Region
in the dramaturgical perspective, the context or setting in which the performance takes place
Backstage
in the dramaturgical perspective, places in which we rehearse and prepare for our performances
Frontstage
in the dramaturgical perspective, the region in which we deliver our public performances
Social construction
the process by which a concept or practice is created and maintained by participants who collectively agree that it exists
Cooling the mark out
behaviors that help others to save face or avoid embarrassment, often referred to as civility or tact
Autoethnography
ethnographic description that focuses on the feelings and reactions of the ethnographer
Agents of socialization
social groups institutions, and individuals (especially the family, schools, peers, and the mass media) that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place
Hidden curriculum
values of behaviors that students learn indirectly over the course of their schooling because of the structure of the educational system and the teaching methods used
Resocialization
the process of replacing previously learned norms and values with new ones as a part of a transition in life
Total institution
an institution in which individuals are cut off form the rest of society so that their lives can be controlled and regulated for the purpose of systematically stripping away previous roles and identities in order to create new ones
Status
a position in a social hierarchy that carries a particular set of expectations
Ascribed status
an inborn status; usually difficult or impossible to change
Embodied status
a status generated by physical characteristics
Achieved status
a status earned through individual effort or imposed by others
Master status
a status that is always relevant and affects all other statuses we possess
Stereotyping
judging others based on preconceived generalizations about groups or categories of people
Role
the set of behaviors expected of someone because of his or her status
Role conflict
experienced when we occupy two or more roles with contradictory expectations
Role strain
the tension experienced when there are contradictory expectations within one role
Role exit
the process of leaving a role that we will no longer occupy
Role-taking emotions
emotions like sympathy, embarrassment, or shame that require that we assume the perspective of another person or many other people and respond from that person or group's point of view
Feeling rules
socially constructed norms regarding the expression and display of emotions; expectations about the acceptable or desirable feelings in a given situation
Emotion work (emotional labor)
the process of evoking, suppressing, or otherwise managing feelings to create a publicly observable display of emotion
Copresence
face-to-face interaction or being in the presence of others
Saturated self
a postmodern idea that the self is now developed by multiple influences chosen from a wide range of media sources
Agency
the ability of the individual to act freely and independently