Discussion:

 Many sociologists claim that family is the primary agent of socialization. Do you agree? Why or why not.  How is socialization different based on gender? How would your life be different if you were of the opposite sex?

Agents of Socialization: Family

A. Family: Socialization within the family varies markedly by social class and culture.

Agents of Socialization: Family

Structural Functional: Financial security, emotional expression, social identity Symbolic Interactionism: What is considered family is a matter of interpretation and of structure (urban tribes)

Agents of Socialization: Family

Social Conflict: Unpaid labor in the home, patriarchy (taking a males last name), lack of diversity in representations.

Agents of Socialization:
A. School: Socialized to be evaluated by universal cultural standards. Hidden curriculum passes on other cultural values (competition, USA is superior, and gender rules ect).

Agents of Socialization:
C. Peer groups often of people with common ages, social positions, and interests. Anticipatory socialization refers to social learning directed towards gaining a desired position. D. Mass media: Average Internet user, 3 hours a day, average television 1.7 hours per day (Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society, 2005), children at about 4 hours a day

Five Traits of Elderly Folks:

A. List 5 characteristics of old people? B. What are five characteristics you would like to have as an elderly person?

Gerontology:
 By 2030, the number of seniors will double to 71 million. The social landscape will call for an increased number of services, longer careers, and the social integration of young and old folks.  Gerontology is the study of aging and the elderly.

Resocialization:
Resocialization is the process of transforming ways of behaving or thinking based on new life experiences or circumstances. (retiring, joining the military, leaving parents home).

 A 2003 survey conducted for AARP found that many Americans between the ages of 50 and 70 plan to work far into what has traditionally been viewed as their "retirement years Nearly half of all pre-retirees (45 percent) expect to continue working into their 70s or later. Of this group, 27 percent said they would work until they were in their 70s, and 18 percent said 80 or older, never stop working, or as long as they are able to work.

 The most common reasons given by preretirees for wanting to continue working in retirement were the desire to stay mentally active (87 percent) or physically active (85 percent), and the desire to remain productive or useful (77 percent). Slightly more than half of the pre-retirees (54 percent) indicated that their motivation was based on "a need for money.

 The result of these demographic trends is the emergence of a new lifestage between adulthood and true old age which has been called the third age or midcourse or my time.

Ageism:

Ageism describes prejudice and/or discrimination against people or a person based on their age.

Veterans (1922-1945)

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

Generation X (1965-1980)

Generation Y (1981-Present)

Core Values

Respect for authority Conformers Discipline

Optimism Involvement

Skepticism Fun Informality

Realism Confidence Extreme fun Social

Family Type

Traditional, Nuclear A dream

Disintegrating

Latch-key kids

Merged families

Education

A birthright

A way to get there

An incredible expense Decrease in crime Highly adaptive to technology Standardized testing

Trends

Building institutions Highly bureaucratic Early marriage Rational, Problem solvers Sacrifice

Doing own thing Conscious revolution

Alienated Increase in crime and drugs Cynical