V. Ramirez ECD300

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Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT ECD 300

Signature Assignment:

Socialiation and Media

!ictoria Ramire

"resno #aci$ic Uni%ersit&


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As in$ants( )e are *orn )ithout an& +no)ledge o$ the )orld around us, )e are *orn )ith

no culture, )e ha%e no %alues( morals or *elie$s- And at *irth )e ha%e no idea a*out the social

norms )e )ill *e e./ected to e.hi*it in societ&- ut e%en *e$ore *irth( inside the )om*( the $etal

*rain is de%elo/ed to learn- This de%elo/ment /re/ares us( as human *eings( to ada/t to our ne)

en%ironment $rom the moment o$ our *irth- And as )e gro)( mature and interact )ith our

surroundings( )e *egin to gain more and more +no)ledge a*out the )orld )e li%e in- This

uni1ue human /rocess is called socialiation- Socialiation is de$ined as 2the /rocess *& )hich

indi%iduals ac1uire the +no)ledge( s+ills and character traits that ena*le them to /artici/ate as

e$$ecti%e mem*ers o$ grou/s and societ&4erns( '0536-

The socialiation /rocess human *eings e./erience is com/le. &et uni1ue- 7ne o$ the

main as/ects o$ human socialiation( )hich ma+es it such an e.traordinar& /rocess( is that social

interactions *et)een humans in%ol%e language- As the social interaction theorist( George Mead(

declared more than 89 &ears ago( 2it is language that shar/l& se/arates humans $rom other

animals- anguage is at the core o$ human socialiation and )ithout it, humans )ould not *e

a*le to de%elo/ a characteristic /attern o$ *eha%ior or the a*ilit& to reason- 2It is reason and

*eha%ior that ena*les us to internalie the attitudes o$ others- Children internalie the attitudes o$

their /arents in the $orm o$ role;ta+ing- The& incor/orate /arental and signi$icant adult

e./ectations into their *eha%ior( there*& *ecoming socialied as a 2generalied other- These

e./ectations )e learn to ha%e $or one another $orm the $oundation o$ our societ& 4erns( '0536-

Earl& childhood is the /eriod in )hich )e( as human *eings( e./erience the most

signi$icant and the most crucial /arts o$ our socialiation /rocess- As &oung children )e ac1uire

language and learn the $undamentals o$ our culture- It is also during this time )hen much o$ our


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/ersonalit& emerges and ta+es sha/e- ut our socialiation doesn


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sources- In toda&or internet- Studies

sho) that our societ& toda& is *eing e./osed to more media than e%er *e$ore and the im/act o$

this e./osure can *e /o)er$ul- The e.cessi%e amount o$ time( $rom in$anc& to adulthood( )hich

)e as a societ& no) de%ote to media consum/tion( has led to media /la&ing a signi$icant role in

our socialiation /rocess( es/eciall& )hen com/ared to other socialiing agents- In an article

titled(Media and Youth Socialization, I $ound this %er& interesting statement: 2& the time most

Americans are eighteen &ears old( the& )ill ha%e s/ent 59(000 hours in $ront o$ the tele%ision set(

a*out =(000 hours more than the& ha%e s/ent in school and $ar more than the& ha%e s/ent tal+ing

to their teachers( their $riends( or e%en their /arents 4Du*o) et al-6

Media can a$$ect our cognition( *eha%ior and emotions- A )ide range o$ research has

*een done to re%ie) media e$$ects in s/eci$ic de%elo/mental le%els such as /reschool(

elementar& school aged children and adolescents- Studies $ound that educational media could

ha%e a /ositi%e in$luence on us and could hel/ us de%elo/ academicall&- Research also suggests

that e./osure to certain /rograms during our childhood in$luences our social attitudes and

*eha%iors- Most research sho)s that /rosocial content is most e$$ecti%e and lasting )hen

/rogram e./osure is com*ined )ith and rein$orced *& additional interacti%e inter%entions(

concluding that educational media could ha%e a /ositi%e im/act on our socialiation( i$ used

/ro/erl&-

E.tensi%e research has *een done on the e$$ects o$ earl& e./osure to %iolent media( most

o$ )hich concluded that media %iolence is a cause o$ aggressi%e *eha%ior( /articularl& amongst


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children- The e$$ects o$ the %iolent media e./osure )ere strongest amongst *o&s )ho identi$ied

themsel%es )ith the media character( such as a %iolent su/erhero or a rough and tough co)*o&-

These +inds o$ studies rein$orce the idea that %iolent media can ha%e a negati%e im/act on our

socialiation /rocess-

Mass media is *om*arded )ith not onl& tons o$ %iolence *ut se.uall& e./licit content( as

)ell- Researchers ha%e $ound that )e are li+el& to encounter u/ 5=(000 se.ual images or

messages on T! /er &ear- The e.tensi%e unintentional or intentional e./osure to se.uall& e./licit

content leads to concerns a*out the /otential negati%e socialiing in$luence the& are ha%ing on

us( not onl& as children *ut as human *eings-

Regardless o$ the situations media undou*tedl& contri*utes to our socialiation

e./erience *ecause media alters *elie$s( attitudes and *eha%iors- Media can ha%e *oth a /ositi%e

and negati%e im/act on its audience- 7n the /ositi%e end( media can teach us %alues and can

/ro%ide us )ith learning e./eriences- 7n the other end o$ the s/ectrum( media can e./ose us to

%iolence( stereot&/es( and unrealistic( and>or antisocial models o$ social *eha%ior-

There is little dou*t that in toda&


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Resources

erns( R- 4'0536- Child, family, school and community- 4th ed-( //- 8;586- elmont( Ca:

Bads)orth-

i+meto%( E- 4'006- The interactions *et)een the $amil& and school in the socialiation o$ the

indi%idual-Education and Society( 9046( 3;9'- doi: 50-'893>RES50@0;3390003

Da%is( - 45896- Socialiation o$ children- THE EB!"S#" "TH!$%$&$'IST( '- incoln(

Ne*ras+a: De/artment o$ Anthro/olog&-

Du*o) ( E-( ?uesmann( R-( Green)ood( D- Media and &outh socialiation- Retrie%ed $rom

htt/:>>)))-rcgd-isr-umich-edu>aggr>articles

7 Neill( D- 4'055( Decem*er6- Socialization( Retrie%ed $rom

htt/:>>anthro-/alomar-edu>social>socF5-htm

Sil%er*latt( A- 4n-d-6- Media as social institution- 4'00=6- American eha%ioral Scientist( =456(

doi: 50-5588>000'8@='0='@8'=
http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/aggr/articleshttp://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_1.htmhttp://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_1.htmhttp://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/aggr/articles

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V. Ramirez ECD300