SN - Stages in Personal Development Lesson

 

Stages in Personal Development Lesson

 

Socialization is the process by which people become fit for a life of companionship with others, through the transmission of society's norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors, and is essential in the development of personalities. The first step of socialization usually begins within the Social Institution known as the family. After all, this is the first group with which humans normally come into contact. The development of a person's socialization and personality is just that- a development. It does not happen in a vacuum and requires several phases to happen. However, those who work in the fields of psychology, pedagogy, or developmental studies differ in their interpretations of the phases or stages in personal development.

Personal Development

Watch the presentation below to learn about the various theories related to personal development.

As you've just heard, there are a lot of interpretations of the steps that individuals experience during personal development. As such, there are also many debates over this topic- including the ever-present debate within the sciences of nature versus nurture. Following Charles Darwin's work on evolution in the mid-1800s, the biological sciences focused on the role of nature in human development. Biological attributes like reflexes, drives, and instincts were particularly studied and various ethnic groups were labeled as more advanced than others as a result. Naturally, this mode of reasoning did not sit well with everyone. During the Twentieth Century, social scientists looked for an alternative explanation for success or failure and determined that culture and social institutions were more responsible for social development and advancement than "human nature."  

Charles Horton Cooley

In order to include how socialization is relevant to the development of personality, Charles Horton Cooley coined the term "looking-glass self" which meant that we create a self-image based on how others see us. In this sense, humans adapt how they think others see them as a way to view themselves as they establish their own identity or concept of self. It is particularly unique to humans.

George Herbert Mead

In order to include how socialization is relevant to the development of personality, George Herbert Mead developed his theory of Social Behaviorism. He introduced the concept of "self" as a product of socialization defining it as the part of an individual's personality composed of self-awareness and self-image. According to Mead, the self develops (which is in contrast to the biological arguments given by Freud and Piaget that the self is there at birth) as a person interacts with others. As a person interacts or exchanges social symbols, he begins to imagine other people's intentions and then sees situations from other points of view. As a result, significant others are very important in the development of personality.

 

Erving Goffman

In order to include how socialization is relevant to the development of personality, Erving Goffman created the dramaturgical approach in which people are looked at as if they were actors in a theater.  In this model, people "present" themselves and their personalities in the best way possible and then act a different way when "hiding" from the "audience."  Through "presentation of self" (also known as impression management), we create specific impressions in the minds of those around us as to who we are.

 

 

 

Erik H. Erickson

In order to include how socialization is relevant to the development of personality throughout our lives (and not just during the critical stages of childhood as suggested by Freud and Piaget), Erik Erikson listed Eight Stages of Development through which people progress as they conquer life's challenges.

1. Infancy- the challenge of trust: when we learn whether or not the world is a safe place.
2. Toddlerhood- the challenge of autonomy: when we learn self-control.
3. Preschool- the challenge of the initiative: when we learn to engage with those around us and meet expectations.
4. Preadolescence- the challenge of industriousness: when we learn to stand on our own without as much assistance from parents and teachers.
5. Adolescence- the challenge of gaining identity: when we establish our identity as unique while still associating with others.
6. Young Adulthood- the challenge of intimacy: when we learn how to establish and perpetuate intimate relationships.
7. Middle Adulthood- the challenge of making a difference: when we learn to contribute to the lives around us.
8. Old Age- the challenge of integrity: when we learn to be satisfied with our past and current roles.

Sociology favors the nurture side of the nature-versus-nurture debate. But despite these theories, we have not fully shaken off this debate as is demonstrated by the way we describe people as being "born that way" or "naturally another way."  As scientists cannot ethically isolate humans to prove either side of the debate in an experiment format, it is likely the debate will continue through our lifetimes.  But psychologists have conducted tests with animals. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Harry Harlow, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted a study on how rhesus monkeys responded to isolation from their mothers. After determining that isolation from a mother was harmful to the social development of the monkeys, he created a new experiment. By constructing two surrogate mothers- one made out of wire with a feeding tube located where the mother's breast would be and the other out of soft cloth but without a feeding tube- Harlow allowed the monkeys in his experiment to choose which mother they preferred. The baby monkeys preferred the cloth mother that provided contact comfort over the wire mother that provided food. In subsequent experiments, Harlow determined that monkeys raised with only nourishment without a mother figure suffered physically (with digestive issues), emotionally (with exhibited behaviors suggesting fear), and socially (with an inability to interact with other monkeys).  Coinciding with experiments on animals, sociologists have found examples of quite a few cases of individual humans that have been removed from society that help support the "nurture" reasoning also.  (If you are interested in reading about the experiences associated with trying to resocialize children that have been neglected or isolated during their childhood, please see the links in the sidebar under the More Resources heading.) While many psychologists and sociologists deliberate over the exact steps involved in the development, the one thing that they do not argue over is the importance of human contact and the quality of that contact within the development process.

Socialization Key Term Review Activity

 

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