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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
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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
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doi: 50-5588>000'8@='0='@8'=
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