Talk:Introduction to Sociology/Socialization

Some additional information on group socialization from Levine, John M. in Group Processes (also, look for the graphic): pp. 86-87 "To clarify temporal changes in individual-group relations, Moreland and Levine (1982) developed a model of group socialization that analyzes the passage of individuals through groups. The model seeks to describe and explain the affective, cognitive, and behavioral changes that groups and individuals produce in one another over the course of their relationship. Two fundamental assumptions underlie the model. The first assumption is that relationships between groups and individuals change in systematic ways over time, with individuals moving through different membership phases as a function of the length and quality of their experience with the group. The second assumption, which will prove central to our discussion of innovation, is that groups and individuals exert reciprocal influence on one another, with both parties acting as sources as well as targets of influence."

p. 87 "The dynamic properties of the group socialization model derive from the operation of three psychological processes - evaluation, commitment, and role transition."

p. 91 "Until recently, most of the work on socialization in both organizations and small groups was characterized by a restricted social perspective. During socialization, organizations and groups were assumed to be sources of influence, whereas new members were assumed to be targets. Recently, however, there has been increasing recognition that newcomers play an active role in their socialization and can produce changes (intentional or unintentional) in their organizations or groups (Bauer et al., 1998; Feldman, 1994; Levine & Moreland, 1985; Saks & Ashforth, 1997; Sutton & Louis, 1987)."

p. 96 "Newcomers can also use a variety of additional tactics for producing intended innovation that do not have clear parallels in unintended innovation. One such tactic involves the timing of innovation efforts. In his research on idiosyncrasy credit, Hollander (1960) found that individuals attempting to change a group's procedural norms were less successful if they tried to initiate innovation immediately after entering the group than if they conformed for a while before suggesting any changes. Extrapolating from these findings, newcomers who attempt to produce innovation immediately after entry (when group commitment to them is low) are likely to be less successful than those who wait until later (when group commitment is higher)." I wonder if LDS leaders know this: Mission President advice.

p. 99 "Jones (1986) organized these socialization tactics into two clusters - "institutionalized" tactics (collective, formal, sequential, fixed, serial, investiture) and "individualized" tactics (individual, informal, random, variable, disjunctive, divestiture). He also argued that institutionalized tactics produce custodianship (in which newcomers accept traditional role expectations), whereas individualized tactics produce innovation (in which newcomers challenge these expectations). Subsequent research has provided some support for these hypotheses (e.g., Ashforth & Saks, 1996; Black, 1992; Black & Ashford, 1995; Mignerey, Rubin, & Gorden, 1995). Although little is known about why groups use particular socialization tactics (Bauer et al., 1998), it would not be surprising if institutionalized and individualized tactics were employed by groups with norms favoring custodianship and innovation, respectively."

To do
1) Add "degredation ceremonies" to total institution; (2) Improve the section on social class. It appears to be self-promotion by a minor figure in the field. Emphasis should be on Kohn's work. (3) add section on agents of socialization; (4) define anticipatory socialization (5) add section on socialization into gender; (6) Thomas theorem, social construction of reality.Thomasfbrown (talk) 21:52, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

Seems like a clear if simplified definition of "socialization" should start this entry. Then more implications and subtleties of the concept can unfold as the material is presented, but at least at the start it might help to have a simple idea of what is being discussed -- RlKap 12/28/2010