What Are Some Examples Of Racial Socialization

What is socialization?

A concept that describes the process in which an individual (is forced to) learn to fit in with her social and cultural environment. This process happens in different stages, according to sociologists, following the child’s development with family, peers, teachers, larger society and so on. A few agents of socialization include: family, school, media, cultural texts.This process can be conscious and subconscious, like the child picks up on her parents talking pattern, or she knows that she needs to learn to behave a particular way. This process can also be very violent when socialization acts in an imposing way, teaching individuals values that are the norma but going against individuals’ own self interests or experiences: for e teaching transgender kids that they can't switch genders because biological bodies are definitive, or teaching gay kids that heterosexuality is normal and homosexuality is wrong.

What are social issues, and what are some examples?

There are multiple dimensions of social issues. A few examples are systemic racism, health and wage disparities among racial, ethnic, and gender minorities, and social power hierarchies. You probably experience them in everyday day encounters without even knowing it. Social expectations for women to be feminin or for men to be masculine, socialization of gender which perpetuates inequity is a good example. Wage gaps that discriminate against women in the workforce and pay them less because of the assumption that women will be taking more time off to care for her family is another example. Racial educational disparities are another. Schools in poorer neighborhoods (often neighborhoods predominantly comprised of racial minorities) typically have poorer quality of education which limits opportunities for upward mobility through limiting opportunities for attending college. Additionally, it creates a “school to prison pipeline” (I cannot recall the author of this, but I'll look it up and edit this to include the author’s name). Schools in impoverished neighborhoods are also typically populated with “high risk” students, and any act of aggression or violence violates many schools’ zero-tolerance policies on violence. When those are violated, schools will suspend or expel students, which leaves them out of the learning environment. Many parents in impoverished neighborhoods work, which leaves students unsupervised out of school, and an abundance of time on their hands to get into trouble. When the student does return to school, their reputation as “dangerous” causes them to be watched more closely by school staff, (again, I will look for the reference on this concept) so even minor infractions are escalated to additional suspensions, which again leads to even more time unsupervised, and less time learning. It's a pretty vicious cycle. I hope that helps.

What are some examples of examples of racial profiling by law enforcement?

The truth is profiling goes on everyday but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with race. Let me give you some examples. I went straight from high school (when students aren't allowed to have long hair) into the military then into law enforcement. Because of these occupations I wasn't allowed to have a beard or long hair. So when I retired I decided to grow out both. I now substitute teach. I have students ask me on a regular basis if I own a motorcycle or if I smoke dope. They profile me and make assumptions. My son, who has long hair used to have a Mustang. When we lived in south Texas, it was not unusual for him to get pulled over when he was driving to north Texas. He would get stopped for not signaling a lane change. But what he really got stopped for was long haired guy in a fast car driving north and probably has drugs. Next time you go somewhere and see some guy wearing a vest with patches on it you will probably assume he belongs to a motorcycle gang, even though he may belong to a Christian group. Or if you see an overweight woman in Wal-Mart you will make certain assertions. I'm not saying racial profiling doesn't exist. I am saying we all stereotype others based on our own experience.

What are the factors of political socialization?

Factors (or agents) of political socialization are the things that influence your political ideas or values. They're typically listed as: family, media, peers, education, religion, faith, race, gender, age and geography. Each of these has an influence, or at least a correlation to, certain political parties, values, and ideologies. For example: having an advanced degree, being a female, and being a minority all correlate with a higher likelihood of being a Democrat, whereas being an older, white, Protestant male means youre more likely to a Republican.The importance of each of these may change throughout your lifetime. As a child, your family has the greatest influence over your political and party preferences. Then as you age, your peers and educaction will begin to influence you even more so. The party you claim by young adulthood will likely stay with you through life, although your ideologies may shift over time (such as how individuals tend to become more conservative as they age). Obviously this is far from conclusive and there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, these hold to be true.