Socialization Of Women

As women develop within western society, they are fed various types of images and messages of the expectations of their gender. A slim build, bright blue eyes, and large breasts are not the only acceptable and glamorized qualities of women, but the life course of women also tend to be controlled by the expectations of a wide society. Young girls are socialized through parents, the media, and school. In Getting a Man or Getting Ahead: A Comparison of White and Black Sororities, Alexander Berkowitz and Irene Padavic examine the values that are withheld and passed down within college sororities, and how the messages vary within white and black college sororities. Messages of the importance of marriage is predominantly encouraged amongst young …show more content…
White college sorority members attach meanings to their relationships and thus, these meanings can affect the self concept. An example of this can be that white sorority members tend to tie their worth to whether or not they have a man or not, which can have a negative or positive impact on a woman 's self esteem. Romantic love is a highly valued sentiment - a feeling that is to satisfy the meaning of a social objective, and the importance of romantic feelings start at a grade school age, when developing adolescents begin to form feelings for the opposite sex. These forced feelings of romantic love can also be enforced through everyday media and even caretakers, such as parents, friends, siblings, and teachers. Through the media, girls are often pressured to be in romantic relationships, and lack of acknowledgement from the opposite sex can affect the self esteem of girls. Girls learn how to act around their counterparts and bring that into their adult lives. Through the influence of family and friends, parents are more likely to pass down the importance of relationships or independent living through personal experiences or through traditions. In addition, women who were not as forced upon this idea that relationships are the key to self acceptance and higher self esteem, are socialized once they are brought into the group. The socialization of white college sororities and black college sororities or group socialization can affect the self image and self concept. Meanings can be tied to the argument of femininity and worth, and following and nourishing group norms can also represent commitment to the group. Also, values are also pursued and nurtured throughout the racial socialization where at a young age, children are taught about their racial identities and the history