What is Socialization?

The term socialization is used by Sociologists, social psychologists and educationalists to refer to the process of learning one’s culture and how to live within it. For the individual it provides the skills and habits necessary for acting and participating within their society. For the society, inducting all individual members into its moral norms, attitudes, values, motives, social roles, language and symbols is the ‘means by which social and cultural continuity are attained’

Norms

Values

Belief

Human infants are born without any culture.  They must be transformed by their parents, teachers, and others into cultural and socially adept animals.  The general process of acquiring culture is referred to as socialization.

During socialization, we learn the language of the culture we are born into as well as the roles we are to play in life.  For instance, girls learn how to be daughters, sisters, friends, wives, and mothers.  In addition, they learn about the occupational roles that their society has in store for them. 

We also learn and usually adopt our culture's norms through the socialization process.  Norms are the conceptions of appropriate and expected behavior that are held by most members of the society.  While socialization refers to the general process of acquiring culture, anthropologists use the term enculturation for the process of being socialized to a particular culture.  You were enculturated to your specific culture by your parents and the other people who raised you.

Reverse Socializatio

nDevelopmen

tal Socialization

Primary Socializatio

nSecondary Socializatio

n

Anticipatory Socialization

Resocialization

Primary socialization is the process whereby the people make a child learn the attitudes, values, and actions appropriate to individuals as members of a particular culture.

Secondary socialization refers to the process of learning what is appropriate behavior as a member of a smaller group within the larger society. It is usually associated with teenagers and adults, and involves smaller changes than those occurring in primary socialization.

Developmental socialization is the process of learning behavior in a social institution or developing your social skills.

Anticipatory socialization refers to the processes of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future positions, occupations, and social relationships.

Resocialization refers to the process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one's life. This occurs throughout the human life cycle. Resocialization can be an intense experience, with the individual experiencing a sharp break with their past, and needing to learn and be exposed to radically different norms and values. An example might be the experience of a young man or woman leaving home to join the military.

Family

Religion, Work Place

and The State

Family

Children hold

similar affiliation as parents

Families have

similar political views

Most important agent of

socialization

Schools pass on Americ

an political values

Similar

peer groups

Schools

Mass Media

Influenced by what

they report

Structural-functionalism: socialization perpetuates society by makingneeds of individuals match needs of society

Conflict perspective: socialization reproduces inequality• “Haves” & “have-nots” are socialized differently• “Haves” control agents of socialization

Symbolic interactionism: socialization involves learning sharedmeanings that make social action possible