“Assess the claim made by sociologists that human behavior results from socialization.”
The individual-society relationship has always fueled many debates, especially in the terms of human actions. Sociologists claim that human behavior is molded by socialization. Functionalists, like Durkheim sees human actions as the end products of social facts which are internalized by people during socialization. Nurture view socialization processes as vital for the proper development of a human being. As such, socialization is a lifelong process but if a human being is kept away from human contact at an early age for a long period of time (social isolation) it can cause irreversible damage to human personality. Nurture theorists have provided some evidences that support their claims. Some cases of social isolation and its effects on human personalities will be discussed in this essay.
Proponents of nurture view socialization processes as vital for the proper development of a human being. In other words, socialization refers to the transmission of social skills, values, norms and beliefs from one generation to the next. In this way, one’s personality is structured in terms of these important components and the behavior is regulated accordingly. Between the ages of 0-10, a child is learning and is adjusting to their surrounding or society, this is because they have been nurture in the home by their parents. Unlike feral children who have been isolated away from human contact from a very young age, has no experience of human care or social behavior. Because feral children did not learn to adapt between ages 0-10, they won’t be able to carry them to the anticipatory stage. The case of Anna can be taken as an example to support sociologists claim that human behavior results from socialization. She was discovered tied to a chair in a second-floor storage room, this five years old girl was born to an unmarried and mentally impaired woman. Enraged by their granddaughter illegitimate birth, the grandparents imprisoned her, feeding her milk for survival. Kingsley Davies (1978) noted on her discovery that she could not smile or speak. Ann’s behavior characterizes that a normal social being was absent. After receiving intensive social contact, she started responding, but at eight years old, her mindset was of a two years old child. Shortly after, she died of blood pressure. This case shows the irreversible damage caused by long term isolation.
The proofs assessed above have proved than human behavior is shaped to a large extent by social contact, without social contact a person’s body won’t be able to function properly. Socialization is vital for transforming a biological being into a social one. Through this social process, one is equipped with basic knowledge and skills that facilitates for future social integration. It is undeniable that social contact plays a major part in shaping one’s action. The nurture evidences provided in this work piece outweigh biological claims. Nevertheless, it will be wrong to reject the part played by biology even in an unborn baby genes and environment even it’s interaction from the moment of conception.
Share with your friends: |
