Unit 11 - Cultural Socialization Flashcards
Homo Sociologicus
in large part, we are controlled and programmed by society
Our beliefs, attitudes, and preferences are thus partially the result of the Society/Culture that we are a part of as well as partially the result of our inherent genetic makeup and our experiences
Groups & Culture
Culture can be described as the sum of attitudes, beliefs and preferences that distinguishes one group of people from another
Individual Beliefs
What we believe to be true
Largely rooted in cultures, including religion, and other knowledge systems (Including science)
Individual Beliefs
What we believe to be true
Largely rooted in cultures, including religion, and other knowledge systems (Including science)
Individual attitude
Your overall generalized disposition on a topic. Broad term capturing individuals thoughts on an issue
Environmentalist attitude, Pacifist attitude, belligerent attitude
Individual preferences
A ranking system for our preferences of outcomes
Our personal norms are our preferences for the behavior of others
Individual and Shared*
Each person has their own personal set of individual beliefs, preferences, attitudes and norms
At the same time, there are collectively shared group preferences, beliefs, norms and attitudes
Group Attitudes & Norms
There are norms about what we should believe, should prefer as well as about how we should behave
Failure to adhere to these norms is Deviance - and deviance is usually punished by group members
Socialization
There are norms about what we should believe, should prefer as well as about how we should behave
Failure to adhere to these norms is Deviance - and deviance is usually punished by group members
What’s the difference between persuasion and incentivizing
Incentivizing is changing a package of something which makes you act a different way, but doesn’t change your preference
Persuasion is changing your preferences, often by providing new information to the person
What’s the difference between Socialization and Homo Economicus in terms of people’s behaviours
If the punishment changes your internal preference, it’s socialization
If you just behave differently because you don’t want to get yelled at, your just behaving like Homo Economicus
Norm Enforcement
Once we adopt a norm, we self monitor ourself because we believe that it is right or wrong
Then, if we violate that norm, we feel ashamed of ourselves for going against it
Norms are Self Sustaining, but what can happen to norms as new generations enter
Once norms are adopted, they self-propagate by people monitoring themselves and others to abide by those norms
They may evolve and can even go extinct over time as new norms come about
Changes in norms can occur from the “dying off” of generations
Linking Homo Economicus and Homo Sociologicus
When we make decisions on a day to day basis (buying a chocolate bar, choosing a university course) we are making Homo Economicus decisions
But, the preferences that are drawn upon, come from the social and cultural influences that we have experienced
