Socialization allows persons learn to act efficiently in their social settings. When does the
socialization process happen? How do we learn to use the artifacts of the
material culture of our society? What are the ideals, values, and principles
that reflect the non-material society adopted? This learning takes place
through contact with numerous socialization agents, such as peer groups and
friends, plus both formal and informal social institutions.
Social Group Agents
The first
socialization opportunities are also given by social networks. Families, and
later peer groups, share desires and strengthen standards. In these contexts,
individuals first learn to use the physical artifacts of material culture, as
well as to introduce themselves to society's ideals and values.
Family
The first
agent of socialization is kin. Moms and dads, brothers and grandparents, plus
extended family friends, all tell a kid what he or she wants to do. "They
show the child, for instance, how to use items (such as clothing, machines,
eating utensils, books, bikes); how to relate to others (some as "family,"
some as "friends," others as "strangers" or
"teachers" or "neighbors"); and how the world operates
(what is "real" and what is "imagined"). If you are aware,
socialization includes training and learning about an unending variety of
artifacts and concepts, either from your own experience as a child or your role
in helping to raise one. However, it is important to bear in mind that families
do not socialize in a vacuum with kids. Several social variables influence how
a family raises its children. For example, to understand that human actions are
influenced by the historical period in which they take place, we should use
sociological creativity. Sixty years ago, if he misbehaved, it would not have
been considered overly strict for a father to beat his son with a wooden spoon
or a belt, but today the same behavior may be known as child violence.
In
socialization, sociologists understand that ethnicity, social status, religion,
and other cultural influences play an important role. For example, when raising
their children, poor families typically prioritize loyalty and conformity,
whereas wealthier families emphasize judgement and imagination. This may be
because parents in the middle class have less qualifications and more
repetitive occupations for which the desire to obey and comply with laws
benefits. Wealthy parents tend to have higher schooling and often work in
management roles or in occupations that involve innovative problem solving, so
they impart habits that would be helpful in these positions to their children. This
suggests that children are socialized and raised successfully to take on the
sorts of work their parents already have, thus reproducing the class hierarchy.
Children are also socialized to abide by gender norms, race perceptions, and
behaviors related to class.
Peer Groups
A peer
community consists of individuals who are equal in age and social class and who
share interests. Socialization in peer groups starts in the early years, such
as when children instruct younger kids on a playground the conventions of
turning or the rules of a game or how to shoot a basket. This process continues
as kids mature into adolescents. For teenagers, peer groups are important in a
new way, as they begin to establish an identity that is distinct from their
parents and exercise independence. A peer group consists of people who are
equal and share values in age and social status. In the early years,
socialization in peer groups continues, such as when children teach younger
children on a playground the spinning norms or a game's rules or how to shoot a
basket. When infants grow into adults, this trend continues. For adolescents,
as they begin to develop an identity that is distinct from their parents and
exercise freedom, peer groups are relevant in a new way.
Institutional Agents
Our
socialization is also influenced by the social structures of our society.
Formal institutions educate people how to act in and manage these structures,
such as classrooms, workplaces, and the state. By inundating us with messages
about norms and aspirations, other structures, such as the media, contribute to
socialization.
School
Most kids
spend about seven hours a day at school, 180 days a year, which makes it impossible
to ignore the value of school to their socialization. The obvious function of
this method is not just for students in school to learn algebra, reading,
science, and other topics. By socializing children through activities such as
teamwork, following a timetable, and using textbooks, schools often serve a
latent role of society. Rituals in school and classroom, led by teachers who
act as role models and mentors, consistently improve what society wants from
children. This part of schools is defined by sociologists as the secret
curriculum, the informal teaching that schools do.
The Workplace
Much as kids
spend most of their day at school, many American adults spend a large amount of
time at a place of work at some point. While socialized since birth into their
society, employees need fresh socialization in a workplace, both in terms of
material culture (such as how to use the copy machine) and non-material culture
(such as if it is okay to talk directly to the supervisor or how to share the
refrigerator). Various occupations require various ways of socialization. In
the past, before retirement, several persons worked a single career. The
tendency nowadays is to move jobs at least once a decade. Between the ages of
18 and 44, the younger set's average baby boomer worked 11 different positions.
This suggests that people ought to be socialized in a number of job settings
and socialized by them.
Religion
While
certain religions may prefer to be casual, this section focuses on activities
related to formal institutions. For certain individuals, faith is an important
avenue of socialization. There are mosques, temples, churches, and similar
religious groups in Pakistan, where people assemble to pray and read. These
sites, like most institutions, show people how to communicate with the material
culture of religion. Significant ceremonies related to family structure, such
as marriage and birth, are linked to religious celebrations for certain
citizens. Many of these organizations maintain gender roles and, through
socialization, lead to their compliance. Religion fosters a common collection
of socialized ideals that are passed down through society, from ritual rites of
passage that support the family unit to power relations that strengthen gender
norms.
Government
While we do
not think about it, many of the passage rituals that people go through today
are based on the government's age norms. To be defined as a "adult"
commonly means to be 18 years of age, the age at which a citizen becomes
legally responsible for himself. And 60 is the beginning of "old
age," because at that point, most persons become eligible for senior
benefits. We need to be socialized into this new position any time we embark on
one of these new categories: senior, adult, taxpayer.
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