Questions to think about Is the socialization experience the same for everyone? What can make it different? Males and Females What are females supposed to be like? What are males supposed to be like? Agents of Socialization Schools and Peer Groups Questions to consider Where did you learn the national anthem? Who taught you about the heroes of the American Revolution? Where were you first tested on your knowledge of your culture? Like the family, schools have an explicit mandate to socialize people in the United States-into the norms and values of our culture. Socialization in Schools In school, children are under the care and supervision of adults who are not relatives. For the first time, many childrens relationships with other people are impersonal. Rewards and punishments are based on performance rather than affection School and socialization Schools also teach children the reality of how we experience time in the real world. Bell schedule Time limit on activities/deadlines Rules and regulations for almost all activities Because young people are separate from the adult world for so many years, young people must depend of one another for social life. Hidden Curriculum The socialization process in school involves more than reading, writing, and math. Underlying the formal goals of school is the hidden curriculum. Hidden curriculum: the informal and unofficial aspects of culture that children are taught in preparation for life. Does L-S have a hidden curriculum? Various cultures and school Until the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the sixth-grade textbooks used in Iraqi schools concentrated almost entirely on the military and its values of loyalty, honor, and sacrifice. Children were taught that their enemies were Iran, United States, Israel, and its supporters, and NATO, the European military alliance. Conflict theorists and schools Schools in this country foster competition through built-in systems of rewards and punishment, such as grades and evaluations by teachers. A child who is experiencing difficulty trying to learn a new skill can feel unsuccessful and stupid. As the self matures, children become capable of increasingly realistic assessments of their intellectual, physical, and social abilities. Functionalists and school Schools are agents of socialization, that fulfill the function of teaching children the values and customs of the larger society. Conflict theorists agree, but add that schools can reinforce the divisive aspects of society, especially those of social class. For example, higher education in the United States is costly despite the existence of financial aid programs. Peer Group A childs peer group is composed of individuals of roughly the same age and interest. The only agency not controlled primarily by adults. Some examples: play group in the neighborhood, a clique at school, an after-school club or sports team. Peer Groups Independence from adults is also promoted by the peer group, because norms of the peer group conflict with norms of adults. Children learn to be different from their parents in ways that help to develop self-sufficiency. Relationships with the opposite sex is also an opportunity in peer groups. Peer Groups Develop social flexibility needed in a mobile, rapidly changing society. Peer groups have a growing effect of social development How do peer groups contribute to socialization? In the peer group, young people have opportunity to engage in give and take relationships. Conflict, competition, and cooperation in groups is seen. Children also begin to make their own decisions: new ways of thinking, behaving, feeling, activities that involve self expression.