Multimedia and Discussion Questions

Chapter 5: Building Identity: Socialization

Discussion Questions:
1. Chua says that there are critical differences between Chinese and Western parenting styles. What are these? How do these differences affect children?

2. What reason does Chua give for “pushing” her children to excel?

3. What roles do culture and ethnicity play in the controversy surrounding Chua’s book?

4. Do we tend to think that there is a single “right” way of parenting children?

5. Near the end of the clip, Chang mentions an op-ed piece written by David Brooks of the New York Times. What criticism did Brooks level at Chua? How does this criticism reflect a difference in belief about the relative influences of family and peer groups as agents of socialization?

Discussion Questions:
1. The men are all dressed alike. From the back, it is difficult to tell one man from another—they are virtually indistinguishable as individuals. What is the purpose of this?

2. Early in the segment Koppel notes that the men are trained to be “self-sufficient.” But, following an incident, one trainee remarks that he was “surprised” that one man’s injury could take “one quarter of the team out of action.”  Discuss how looking after oneself—including avoiding injury—is something one does not only for oneself, but for “the group.”

3. What is the point of having the trainees enact potential scenarios and interactions? What terms would a sociologist use to describe these activities?

4. What is the difference between training a “warrior” and training a soldier?

5. Captain Chang made a bad decision and this cost him not only a mission, but a promotion. How did gender factor into the bad decision?

6. The master sergeant says he is looking for men who are “independent” and have the ability to “think outside of the box.” How might the training the men receive conflict with these ideals?

Discussion Questions:                                                                                   
1. In this program, the soldier’s problems are explained psychologically.  Can you explain them sociologically?

2. How has the experience of war affected their selves and identities?  Do the soldiers give you any insights into the construction of a looking glass self?  If so what are they?

3. How do you think their military socialization plays into the situation?  What are the consequences of being in, and out of, a total institution (i.e., boot camp and the military in general) for the soldiers?

Discussion Questions:
1. In this program, children’s behavior is primarily explained from a neuroscience perspective.  How might it be explained from a sociological perspective?

2. How does social class or race and ethnicity play a role in the socialization process of an adolescent?

3. Provide one example of gender socialization as seen in the program. 

Discussion Questions:
1. Were any of the habits described by Jenna familiar?

2. Why do you think that she has developed such a following?

3. How did you react to her rant? Did you find it funny? Offensive? Baffling? Explain your reaction.  

Discussion Questions:
1. Fulbeck observes—and the other panelists agree—that people are always trying to “box us in” by assigning us to particular racial and ethnic categories. But, they say that we are free to decide and no one gets to tell us who we are. Is this true? Are we free to decide for ourselves?

2. Orenstein says she once thought that it was her responsibility to teach her daughter about gender and it was her husband’s responsibility to teach their child about race and ethnicity. What was her reason for this? Why did she change her mind?

3. Orenstein says that people often asked about her daughters racial heritage and origins. When asked “Where did she come from?” Orenstein would reply “She came from my uterus.” Does this response address the question being asked? Why or why not? Why do you think people were curious?

Discussion Questions:
1. Orenstein refers to fears about not being able to raise the ideal daughter. What does she mean by this?

2. What did Orenstein learn about the emergence of the “princess” culture?

Discussion Questions:
1. Does summer camp seem like an important moment in the socialization of the kids who attend? Why or why not? If so, how?

2. How does camp affect the selves and identities of the young people in the stories?

3. What is the role of gender in the socialization experiences at camp?

Discussion Questions:
1. How are the people presented in this episode changed by what they read? 

2. How can illiteracy stifle the socialization process for those that live in developing countries? 

3. How does social class play a part, if any, in the socialization process in each story?

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