Personality and Socialization

Personality and Socialization - Syllabus

SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - Professor Gregory Elliott - Semester II, 2001-2002Maxcy Hall, Rm. 202Tu.-Th. 2:30-3:50Ext. 3-1907

University of Virginia - Theory and Method in the Study of Personality - Syllabi for Courses on Personality and Personality Disorders.
In the 20th century, two very different perspectives have been taken on the study of personality. The psychodynamic tradition has been characterized by an emphasis on intensive observation of human behavior in clinical settings as the basis for developing and modifying theories, with little focus on defining theories in a manner that allows them to be disproven based on contrary evidence. On the other hand, the tradition of personality research has attempted to present theories which can be supported or disproven scientifically. In both cases, the usefulness of a theory in advancing knowledge about personality depends on the relationship between the theory and the method in which it was derived. For instance, a theory built and modified almost exclusively based on intensive observation of human behavior may have more relevance to actual personality functioning than a theory which was derived in part based on defining terms that can be conveniently tested. On the other hand, it may be that methods emphasizing testability allow for a more self-correcting process of developing knowledge. In fact, the history of personality research has been characterized by self-criticism and dramatic shifts in methodology as it has attempted to correct for limitations in earlier perspectives. The purpose of this course is to examine carefully the methods in which theories of personality have been developed and to evaluate the usefulness of these methods in advancing the field from an historical perspective. The course begins within an introduction to scientific method as it applies to the field of psychology. The remainder of the course focuses on a sampling of approaches to the study of personality intended to be representative of both the psychodynamic and research traditions as they have matured.

Personality Psychology Courses - socialpsychology.org/pcourses.htm

SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - Professor Gregory ElliottSemester II, 2001-2002Maxcy Hall, Rm. 202Tu.-Th. 2:30-3:50Ext. 3-1907 Gregory_Elliott@Brown.edu

This is a course which investigates the relationship between one's place in the social structure and one's own, individual personal growth. We will seek to gain some understanding of the impact of society on the individual. Recognizing that the development of the self is an ongoing dynamic process that doesnot stop with the onset of adulthood, we will be investigating the social aspects of individual growth and change throughout the life cycle.The basic premise of this course is that people must learn how to be members of society. In that vein, one of society's major functions is to facilitate the assimilation of its constituents. Successful assimilation serves two goals: it encourages the maintenance and growth of the social system, and it gives each person a sense of his or her location within the social structure. In consequence, it is to the advantage of both society and the individual that the latter comes to adopt an understanding of the social system and one's place in it that is shared by all its members; this understanding not only includes asense of personal identity, but also an appreciation of the roles one will take as a participating member of society. Part of our analysis will focus on this socialization process. Beneath this grand design, however is a gnawing awareness that is disquieting: something is basically wrong. As people experience the life course, they realize (even if they do not admit to others) that they have neither a strong sense of personal identity nor a feeling of involvement in their social roles. Although society seems to be progressing in its development, it appears to do so only at the expense of the well-being of many of its members. The remainder of our analysis will examine the proposition that there is something inherent in the structure of our society that causes pain and alienation in people's everyday lives.We will begin by examining some of the theories of personal growth developed by sociologists, including those pertaining to early socialization in childhood. Next, we will examine the development of the individual from infancy through adulthood, concentrating on the impact of family, school, occupation, and social class on personal growth and social opportunities for advancement. Finally, we will study the social antecedents to alienation.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

John P. Hewitt. 1999. Self and Society, Chapters 1-4. (for students who have not taken SO 002)

Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. 1966. The Social Construction of Reality, entire book.

Robert K. Merton. 1957. "The role set: Problems in sociological theory," British Journal of Sociology, 8, 106-120.

William J. Goode. 1960. "A theory of role strain," American Sociological Review, 25, 485-496.WEEKS 2-3:

SOCIALIZATION

Frederick Elkin and Gerald Handel. 1989. The Child and Society: The Process of Socialization (fifth edition), entire book.

GENDER AND THE SELF

Judith Lorber. 1994. Paradoxes of Gender, entire book.

Susan Faludi. 1999. Stiffed,Ch. 1: "The son, the moon, and thestars: The promise of postwar manhood," 3-47.

Gregory C. Elliott. 1988. "Gender differences in self-consistency: Evidence from an investigation of self-conceptstructure," Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17,41-57.

Lawrence A. Kurdek and J. Patrick Schmitt. 1986. "Interaction ofsex role self-concept with relationship quality andrelationship beliefs in married, heterosexual cohabiting,

Nancy Rule Goldberger, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Mary FieldBelenky, and Jill Mattuck Tarule. 1987. "Women's ways of knowing: On gaining a voice." Pp. 201-228 in P. Shaver and C. Hendrick (eds.),

Sex and Gender. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

FAMILY AND THE SELF

Jerome Kagan. 1988. "The powers and limitations of parents." Pp.393-405, in N.D. Glenn and M. T. Coleman (eds.),

FamilyRelations: A Reader.Chicago, IL: Dorsey Press.

William Damon. 1995. Greater Expectations, entire book.

*Sandra Pipp, Phillip Shaver, Sybillyn Jennings, Susie Lamborn,and Kurt W. Fischer. 1985. "Adolescents' theories about the development of their relationships with parents." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48,991-1001.

RACE AND THE SELF

Michael Omi and Howard Winant. 1994. Racial Formation in theUnited States, Chs. 1-4.

Margaret Beale Spencer and Carol Markstrom-Adams. 1990."Identity processes among racial and ethnic minoritychildren in America." Child Development, 61, 290-310.

Ronald K. Takaki. 1993. "A different mirror." Pp. 52-65 in M. L.Andersen and P. H. Collins (eds.),

Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology (fourth edition). Belmont, CA:

Wadsworth.Elizabeth Martinez. 1994. "Seeing more than Black and White:Latinos, racism, and the cultural divides." Pp. 108-114 in M. L. Andersen and P. H. Collins (eds.),

Race, Class andGender: An Anthology (fourth edition). Belmont, CA:Wadsworth.

SOCIAL CLASS AND THE SELF

R. D. Hess and Virginia C. Shipman. 1965. "Early experience and the socialization of cognitive modes in children," Child Development, 36, 869-886.

Melvin L. Kohn and Carmi Schooler. 1969. "Class, occupation, andorientation," American Sociological Review, 34, 659-678.

Richard Sennett and Jonathan Cobb. 1972. The Hidden Injuries of Class, entire book.

Morris Rosenberg and Leonard I. Pearlin. 1978. "Social class andself-esteem among children and adults," American Journal ofSociology, 84, 53-77.

SCHOOL AND THE SELF

Ron Suskind. 1998. A Hope in the Unseen, entire book.

Roslyn Arlin Mickelson and Stephen Samuel Smith. 1998. "Caneducation eliminate race, class, and gender inequality?"Pp. 376-388 in L. Andersen and P. H. Collins (eds.),

Race,Class and Gender: An Anthology (fourth edition). Belmont,CA: Wadsworth.*Burton Clark. 1956. "The 'cooling out' function in highereducation," American Journal of Sociology, 65, 569-576.

OCCUPATION AND THE SELF

Studs Terkel. 1974. Working,passim.

Gideon Sjoberg, Richard A. Brymer, and Buford Farris. 1966."Bureaucracy and the lower class," Sociology and Social Research, 50, 325-337.

Richard Sennett. 1998. The Corrosion of Character: The PersonalConsequences of Work in the New Capitalism,entire book.

ALIENATION

Robert K. Merton. 1938. "Social structure and anomie," AmericanSociological Review, 3, 672-682.

Melvin Seeman. 1959. "On the meaning of alienation," American Sociological Review, 24, 783-791.

Kai Erikson. 1986. "On work and alienation," American Sociological Review, 51, 1-8.

Melvin Seeman. 1983. "Alienation motifs in contemporary theorizing: the hidden continuity of classic themes,"Social Psychology Quarterly, 46, 171-184.Philip Slater. 1976. The Pursuit of Loneliness, entire book.

REQUIRED BOOKS

Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann. 1966. The Social Construction of Reality.Doubleday Anchor.

William Damon. 1995. Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Cultureof Indulgence in America's Homes and Schools.Free Press.

Frederick Elkin and Gerald Handel. 1989. The Child and SocietyThe Process of Socialization, (fifth edition). McGraw-Hill.

Judith Lorber. 1994. Paradoxes of Gender. Yale University Press.

Richard Sennett. 1998. The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism.

Norton.Richard Sennett and Jonathan Cobb. 1972. The Hidden Injuries of Class.

Norton.Philip Slater. 1976. The Pursuit of Loneliness. Beacon Press.

Ron Suskind. 1998. A Hope in the Unseen. Broadway.Studs Terkel. 1974. Working. New Press.