Socialization is a lifelong experience
Socialization is a lifelong experience. The ways people are socialized are through groups or social contexts called agents of socialization. There are several groups that are involved in the social development of a person. The groups that are recognized as agents of socialization are the family, education, peer groups, the mass media, and the work place in which all are discussed together. In Essentials of Sociololgy the authors note that "Sociologists often speak of socialization as occurring in two broad phases" (72) "The family is the main agent of socialization during this phase. Secondary socialization takes place later in childhood and into maturity."( Appelbaum, Duneier, and Giddens. 95) Together, they make certain the stability of a social structure. They all teach different things at different times during the course of ones life. Individuals learn the values, norms, and beliefs that make up the organization of the culture.
Peers become important in middle childhood and hav...
Bolivian children.
A segment of a social networkJust one group cannot be relied upon for the socialization of a person. They are designed to balance and support each other.
The family is usually considered the main socialization agent with the greatest impact on an individual. It is most prevalent during infancy and childhood because most children rely more or less exclusively on their parents for basic supplies, development, and direction. The family establishes a child's ethnicity, language, faith, rank, and political association, all of which contribute a great deal to the child's self-concept. Children learn the behavior characteristics of their parents or others in their community. The region and social class of the family of the individual affects the patterns of socialization quite a bit. "The family provides for the initial setting for social interaction" (Soroka 113), the first medium where accepted cultural and social wisdom are introduced. It acts as a vehicle...