Socialization is the process by which we become aware of ourselves as part of a group, learn how to communicate with others in the group, and learn the behavior expected of us; spoken and unspoken rules of social interaction, how to think, how to feel. Socialization also imbues us with a set of norms, values, beliefs, desires, interests, and tastes to be used in specific social situations. It varies significantly by race, class or gender. Socialization always changes in period of time. It occurs since our toddler, and it’s a life course.

 In “A call to man”, nowadays, men are boxed with a “Man Box”. There are eleven rules for man to learn to be a man. Those are not really written laws or rules for men to be men. However, the society, the circumstances, schools teach male to be man. For instance, a man should not cry or openly express his emotions; a man should be aggression dominance as being a protector. The most important norm to be a man is that cannot be act and behave like a girl. In the video “a call to man”, a boy thought that he would be destroyed if he cried in front of a group or in a team. In the last part of the video, another boy claimed if he can live without of the “man-box”, he would be freed.

 In “Killing us softly”, it mainly talks about the role of women in the society. As feminism rose, women are more likely shown on commercials. They show their bodies on screen and ads as they want to be more acceptable. The style of clothing of female changed a lot which demonstrated women’s bodies. However, women were from the subjects of themselves to the objects of the men for pleasing the men. As being women, they should not to take up too much space and not to be too powerful. They should not fold up their abilities as the circumstances taught us that men are more aggressive and powerful than women.

Both “A call to man” and “Killing us softly” discussed about gender in socialization. There are values and norms for men to learn to be men as for women also. Men should be always active whereas women should be passive. They are both different videos but they shown the same value in the society that men are higher than women. These two ideas came up with children since their early childhood. Their parents would teach the son to talk like a man; many advertisements claimed that women should do plastic surgery in order to please their husbands. That shows how socialization occurs in the society.

How status and roles of a person function in the society

In my last post, I talked about Jeremy Lin and "Lin-sanity" has become a subculture in New York City. Jeremy Lin is a professional of basketball so he do work-outs everyday. That is his role.
Every person has their own status and the roles they are in. Status is defined as three main status: ascribed status,  achieved status and master status. An ascribed status is a status that we receive involuntarily, without regarding to our unique talents, skills or accomplishments. In other words, ascribed status is the status that we are born with. For example, our place of birth, parents, first language, ethnic background, etc. An achieved status is a status that we attain through talent, ability, effort or other unique personal characteristics, like being in a high school or college graduate; being rich or poor; having a certain occupation. Master status is the status that when ascribed or achieved status is presumed so important that it overshadows all of the others, dominating our lives and controlling our position in society, it becomes a master status. So master status could be some statuses in ascribed status and some from the achieved status.
For example, my ascribed statuses are Chinese, male, 21 years old and heterosexual. My achieved status graduated from high school, worship team leader in church, vice president of fellowship in church a college student and a basketball player. My master statuses are Chinese, the vice president of fellowship, a basketball player and a college student because they are dominating my life and my circumstances.
I think each individual's master status is the most important because social roles are sets of behaviors that are expected of a person who occupies a certain status, and people are usually behave as their master statuses which dominate their lives.
As the society's basis are built up with people, every single person behaves in the society as of their roles that would operate up a society according to functionalism. Functionalism states that social life consists of several distinct integrated levels that enable the world—and individuals who are within it—to find stability, order, and
meaning. Individuals are integrated into society by socialization, therefore, people are functioning the society because of their roles.

Jeremy Lin and the Culture

Few weeks ago, Jeremy Lin had a leap from anonymous to be well-known after his first game in Madison Square Garden. Since Jeremy Lin's popped up in public, it changed New York City's atmosphere. We saw many make-up words for Jeremy Lin, like "Lin-sanity", "Lin-credible", "Legend In NewYork", and even "Lin-derella". It is crazy, isn't it? Jeremy Lin has overwhelmed all nations, not only in New York City, but the whole universe. People in different countries keep their eyes on Lin.
When "Lin-sanity" flooded the whole universe and I look at the society, I doubted if Jeremy Lin has become one of the strong subculture. For Lin's phenomenon, it has produced all the elements of culture: symbols, language, ritual, norms, material culture and values, and for each of those could be found in the Knicks-game, the news and magazines, the blogs and the stores.Moreover, I saw people were drowned by the Knicks once again, so I think Jeremy Lin has become the "dominant culture" in this subculture.
By the way, since I am Chinese, so I am really proud of Lin and I love Knicks right now; I haven't seen their games for years, seriously. Hoping Knicks to take over the counter-times and be the legend in NBA.
Let's Go Knicks!!! (That's what I heard in Madison Square Garden.)