John Locke – said that human mind at birth is nothing but a
blank state, or tabula rosa.
Human Mind – acquires info about the outside world through
senses, and this info molds and defines person’s awareness
and view of the outside world.
Socialization – lifelong process of social interaction through
w/c people acquire identities and all necessary skills for
survival in society.
- Members of an existing group through the adoption
of values and behavior
- Enables a person to gradually become self-aware and
knowledgeable human being, and learn the ways,
values, rules, culture of his society.
- Political Socialization – a process which enables the
development of citizens function effectively within a
particular political system.
- Internalization – the process of accepting the social
norms, attitudes, roles and values transmitted by
people.
- Society – seen as the primary factor responsible for
how individuals learn to think and behave.
- Interpretevist Views- see socialization as an
interactive process between individuals and other
members of society. The independence of individuals
and their capacity to define their own personal views
and ideas.
- Comprehensive View- combining the perspectives
of functionalism and interpretevism and incorporate
them in the analysis of aspect of life.
- WILLIAM WENTWORTH = proposed a
synthesized view of socialization which considers
how factors such as free will, human autonomy, and
social structures and process influence socialization.
3 Significant Aspect of Socialization :
- Social Context – circumstances of society and
consists of its culture, language, and the social
structures that define social class, ethnicity and
gender. Also includes social and historical events,
mechanisms of power and control and etc..
- Content and Process
Content refers to ideas, beliefs, behavior, and other
information that are passed by members of society to
the individual. Process refers to the methods of
interaction that enables the content to be given to the
person undergoing socialization.
- Results – outcomes of socialization, are evident
when indiv. Begin to practice the behaviors, attitudes,
and values that society considers necessary for them
to function effectively as its members.
Self- Identity – significant result of socialization, refers
to the establishment of a unique sense of identity and an
awareness of how it relates to their society and the world.
Enculturation – describe the process of being socialized
into a specific culture.
- Individuals learn cultural symbols, norms, values,
and language by observing and interacting with
friends, family and the rest of society.
- It is a process that helps indiv. Become functional
members of society.
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION AND
ENCULTURATION
The Family
- Primary agent of socialization of an individual
upon birth and up to childhood.
- Family becomes an important venue for social
engagement and political socialization.
- The family itself as an institution is also defined
by the changes that society undergoes.
- It continues to be a primary network for the
transmissions of values, attitudes and behaviors.
- Exerts great influence on religious affiliation and
belief.
- Gender roles and values are also heavily
influenced by the family; how family members
value certain gender identities and roles
influences the indiv. Outlook on gender and
sexuality.
Schools
- Have a critical and active role in socialization, as
their various academic and social activities mold
students’ beliefs, values and attitudes.
- Schools teaches important values like
competitiveness, cooperation, conformity,
innovation, punctuality, orderliness and respect
for authority.
- There are public, private, technical-vocational
and alternative schools. Most schools offers
standard traditional education, while some
schools implement a progressive or
constructivist education that put emphasis on the
skills of the students.
- Schools provide information that highlight and
reinforce the shared identities that unite members
of a nation.
Peer Groups
- Also reinforce acceptable behaviors introduced
by family and school, allow a certain degree of
independence from family and certain figures of
authority and also a means for socialization and
involvement in social and political issues.
- Refer to the people who share the same interests
or characteristics such as age and social
background.
- Are formed by informal, spontaneous, and
voluntary means. There are certain organized
groups since they allow indiv who share similar
backgrounds and interest to come together.
- Become active agents of political socialization,
targeting not only the youth but also adults.
- Democratic States – encourages organizations
to foster camaraderie and a sense of unity and
purpose.
Mass Media
- Forms of communication such as books,
magazines, newspapers, other print materials,
radio, television, and movies.
- Powerful agent of socialization w/c is widely
used by many institutions and organizations
- Mass media functions as a socializing agent in
the ff ways:
a. It is a source of information regarding
events in society.
b. It presents various viewpoints regarding
events and developments within society.
c. It provides entertainment by showcasing
other people’s experience.
- The relationship between mass media and
politics is very complex, and scholars have
varies views regarding how mass media
influences and shapes people’s attitudes and
behaviors.
- Pluralist Model
Portrays media as an ideological marketplace
that enhances debate and electoral choice.
 - Market Model
Suggests that media reflects the views of the
general public, and that media presents what they
think the people want.
- Dominant-Ideology and Elite-Values Models
Put emphasis on the influence of bias in the
activities of media institutions.
- Dominant-Ideology Model
Traces this bias to links between media and the
political and social elite.
Seen in instances when prominent business or
political figures own, control, or exert influence
over certain media outlets.
- Elite-Values Model
Recognizes media bias as a product of the
personal views of media professionals such as
journalists, broadcasters and editors.
Religion and State
- Both religion and state are considered as the
ultimate sources of authority, making the church
and government important agents of
socialization.
- Religion- exerts a great influence on the views of
a person, legitimizes accepted social practices,
provides stability to society, and can even be
source of social change
- Catholic Church in the Phil.- taken a prominent
role in bringing about social and political change
in the country.
- Democratic States- separation of church and
state is guaranteed.
- Nondemocratic States – the government often
restricts church activities and persecutes its
members.
- Laws- are defined and influenced by the values
and attitudes of citizens, and citizen’s work
together to enforce laws and other regulations in
society.
Major Social and Historical Events
- The changes and developments brought about by
historical events often cause transformations in
the values, attitudes and views that define
societies.
- Western Societies have been greatly affected by
major historical events such as the Great
Depression, the Holocaust in Europe, the two
World Wars, the civil rights movement in the
United States and the Vietnam War.
- Generations of Filipinos have been affected by
various historical events like the Second World
War; the Martial Law period, and the First
People Power in 1986.
- The views and attitudes of Filipinos who have
lived through these events were greatly defined
by the changes these events introduced.
- Historical Events – tend to affect individuals and
societies differently. Variations in the
interpretation of historical events often lead to
substantial variations in socialization within a
society-one segment of the population may grow
up to appreciate a more positive version of
historical event, while another will have
different, more negative account of the event.
- This disparity tends to give rise to complications
that threaten the unity and stability within a
society.
- Multicultural or multiethnic nations – this
process is not often successful and there will be
some groups that will not be successfully
integrated.
Conformity, Deviance and Social Control
Conformity
- Refers to the process of altering one’s behavior
to adapt to more socially-accepted means and
goals within a society, culture or group.
- Social psychology considers conformity as a
product of pressure exerted by the group on the
individual
3 Types of Conformity by Herbert Kelman
- Compliance
 Refers to the outward conformity to
social pressure but privately
disagreeing with it.
 Often motivated by the desire to
gain rewards or avoid punishment.
 Least enduring type of conformity
- Identification
 Refers to the indiv adopting a
certain behavior because it enables
him o her to have a satisfying rel.
with the members of group
 Adopts the opinions and values of
the group
 And may strive to emulate an
authority figure-usually a parent or
leader-that he or she respects or
admires
- Internalization or Acceptance
 Involves both public compliance and
internal acceptance of the norms and
standards imposed by the group.
 Most permanent and deeply-rooted
response to social influence.
 Motivated by the desire to be right,
with the authority figure of influence
being deemed trustworthy, credible
and of good judgment.
 Acceptance – eventually results to the
integration of the group’s set of
beliefs and behavior into the indiv.
owns framework
Deviance
- Defined as behavior that elicits a strong negative
reaction from others in a particular group or
setting.
- It involves actions that violate commonly held
norms of a group or society.
- Biological and psychological theories –
consider deviance as being influenced by
biological factors such as genetics, but these
views have been largely discredited
- Structural-Functionalist Framework
Consider crime and deviance as the result of
structural tensions and lack of morel regulation
within society.
Emile Durkheim-uses the term anomie to refer
a condition where social control becomes
ineffective due to the loss of shared values and
sense of purpose in society.
Gives way to either the breakdown of traditional
life or a period of social change
- Structural Strain Theory
Argues that the tensions and strains between
socially-approved goals and an individual’s
ability to meet them will lead to deviance.
- Subcultural View
Emergence of deviant behavior prevalent within
certain groups in society or subcultures.
This perspective originated form sociological
studies of gangs and youth culture
 - Symbolic-Interactionist View
Considers deviance as a socially constructed
phenomenon influenced largely by interpersonal
rel. between members of society.
- Labeling Theory
Believes that there is actually no deviance in the
society; deviance only emerges when society
begins labeling certain actions as “deviant” or
“undesirable”.
Labeling comes into play when society deems
behaviors of a certain group
This views also believes that deviant behavior
emerges and is reinforced by interacting with
people who display deviance.
- Conflict Perspective
Analyzes deviance in the framework of
competing interests bet social groups and the
maintenance of power among the elites.
This view considers concept of deviance as a
reflection of society’s inequalities as those who
are less powerful in society or minorities are
more likely to be considered as deviants or
criminals.
- Control Theories
Consider deviance as emerging because of
inadequate social controls.
If society is unable to maintain control and order,
it encourages members to engage in deviant
behavior.
- Broken Windows Theory
Suggest a direct rel between social disorder and
deviance, and the maintaining even an
appearance of order is sufficient to discourage
deviance.
Human Rights – are legal, social, and ethical principles that
consider the human person as deserving of liberties and
protections by virtue of his or her human dignity.
Human rights are considered to have the ff char.:
 They are universal because they belong to all human
beings regardless of race, religion, gender, and other
characteristics.
 They are fundamental since they cannot be taken
away from any human being.
 They are indivisible as various rights are interrelated
and given equal importance.
 They are absolute since they cannot be qualified and
are considered basic necessities for living a genuine
life.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- Instrument that upholds the recognition of
human rights
- Drafted by Unite Nations Commission on
Human Rights in 1948.
- Was one of the major results of the end of the
Second World War.

Social Control and Sanctions

Social Control

- Is defined as any systematic means and practices

used to maintain norms, rules, and laws; regulate
conflict; and discourage deviant behavior.

Sanctions

- Are the most common means of social control,

and are often employed to address conflicts and
violations of social norms.
- Sanctions can be Formal or Informal.

Formal Sanctions

- Are those provided by laws and regulations in

society.

Informal Sanctions

- Most commonly imposed by smaller societies,

communities of groups.
- There are no set laws or regulations that define
the nature of these sanctions.
- Ostracism and social stigma are the most
common forms of informal sanction.
- An ostracized indiv. Is forcibly isolated from
the rest of society for a certain time.
- A stigmatized person still remains within the
society but is subject to isolation and rejection by
other members of society.
- Gossip it is an informal means of monitoring and
censuring the behavior of certain individuals.

Human Dignity and Human Rights

Human Dignity – refers to the idea that a person has the

innate right to be values, respected, and treated well