Theoretical and Substantive Approaches to Socialization and Inequality in Social Psychology

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the role of socialization in the production, maintenance, and reduction of social class, race, and gender inequalities. We review three prominent social psychological theories that attempt to explain socialization processes: symbolic interactionism, social structure and personality, and life course theories. While socialization processes occur across a range of contexts, we select four institutional settings—families, schools, work, and sport—to illustrate how socialization processes contribute to, and sometimes reduce, inequality. We end by highlighting some possible directions for future research. In particular, we point to the need for cross-national research on socialization processes that foster attainment and mobility, research that considers new and emerging contexts of socialization, such as the virtual world of the internet, and studies of socialization processes that engender resistance to inequality.