Socialization throughout the life of the average American and Resocialzation.

Essay by redhead21High School, 11th gradeA+, October 2008

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Most everyone likes to talk to friends, and while it is looked upon as merely recreational, socialization is an important part of our development. We are all born culture-less, so it falls to our parents, teachers, and other mentors to teach us what our lifestyle is (Baker, 1). To discover who we are and what is expected of us, we must socialize, that is, we must communicate with others in order to promote personal growth and knowledge. Much of our life is predefined in our genes, but the socialization process is a unique opportunity to mold our lives in different directions by being encouraged to adopt certain attitudes and being forbidden to take up others (Baker, 2). It can be conceived that if a group of people has been taught a similar set of core principles, they will likely get along; therefore, socialization can unify a society. Socialization within an age group is important as well, even if the techniques vary from age to age.

For children, the most crucial socialization occurs in the early years as this is the time frame in which language and the fundamentals of their culture are established (Baker, 5). A large portion of this socialization is done informally and under the supervision of a trusted caretaker who ensures that the child's conduct is appropriate by using phrases such as, "play nice," "share your toys," "Billy, don't hit" and the like; as the children progress in age, they will interact with others more independently. At a young age, children's relations with other children are typically centered on a game or activity and less around the company of each other.

Teens and young adults tend to socialize with more vocal communication than children. They tend to enjoy interaction during a leisure activity such as a movie...