SOCIALISATION
SOCIALISATION
INTRODUCTION:
Socialisation is a processes with the help
of which a living organism is changed into a social being. It is a process
through which the younger generation learns the adult role which it has to play
subsequently. It is a continuous process in the life of an individual and it
continues from generation to generation.
The term "socialization" refers to the process of interaction through which an individual (a novice) acquires the norms, values, beliefs, attitudes, and language characteristic of his or her group. In the course of acquiring these cultural elements, the individual self and personality are created and shaped. Socialization therefore addresses two important problems in social life: societal continuity from one generation to the next and human development.
Meaning of Socialisation:
Socialization, the process whereby an
individual learns to adjust to a group (or society) and behave in a manner
approved by the group (or society). According to most social scientists,
socialization essentially represents the whole process of learning throughout the
life course and is a central influence on the behaviour, beliefs, and actions
of adults as well as of children.
The newborn is merely an
organism. Socialisation makes him responsive to the society. He is socially
active. He becomes a ‘Purush’ and the culture that his group inculcates in him,
humanises him, and makes him ‘Manusha’.
The process indeed, is
endless. The cultural pattern of his group, in the process gets incorporated in
the personality of a child. It prepares him to fit in the group and to perform
the social roles. It sets the infant on the line of social order and enables an
adult to fit into the new group. It enables the man to adjust himself to the
new social order.
Socialisation stands for
the development of the human brain, body, attitude, behaviour and so forth.
Socialisation is known as the process of inducting the individual into the
social world. The term socialisation refers to the process of interaction
through which the growing individual learns the habits, attitudes, values and
beliefs of the social group into which he has been born.
Socialisation is the process of learning a
particular cultures norms and values.
Definitions
Green defined Socialisation “as the
process by which the child acquires a cultural content, along with selfhood and
personality”.
According to Lundberg, Socialisation consists of the
“complex processes of interaction through which the individual learns the
habits, skills, beliefs and standard of judgment that are necessary for his
effective participation in social groups and communities”.
Peter
Worsley explains Socialisation
“as the process of “transmission of culture, the process whereby men learn the
rules and practices of social groups”.
H.M.
Johnson defines Socialisation
as “learning that enables the learner to perform social roles”. He further says
that it is a “process by which individuals acquire the already existing culture
of groups they come into”.
The heart of socialisation”, to
quote kingsley Davis.” is the
emergence and gradual development of the self or ego. It is in terms of the
self that personality takes shape and the mind comes to function”. It is the
process by which the newborn individual, as he grows up, acquires the values of
the group and is moulded into a social being.
According to Horton and Hunt, Socialisation is the
process whereby one internalises the norms of his groups, so that a distinct
‘self emerges, unique to this individual.
The term Socialisation means the process by which we learn
acceptable cultural beliefs and behaviour. Through
the process of socialisation, the individual becomes a social person and
attains his personality.
Socialisation takes place at different stages such as
primary, secondary, Anticipatory and re socialization.
TYPES OF
SOCIALISATION
1. Primary
Socialisation:
Primary socialisation refers to socialisation of the infant
in the primary or earliest years of his life. It is a process by which the
infant learns language and cognitive skills, internalises norms and values. The
infant learns the ways of a given grouping and is moulded into an effective
social participant of that group.
The norms of society become part of the personality of the
individual. The child does not have a sense of wrong and right. By direct and
indirect observation and experience, he gradually learns the norms relating to
wrong and right things. The primary socialisation takes place in the family.
2. Secondary
Socialisation:
The process can be seen at work outside the immediate family, in the ‘peer group’. The growing child learns very important lessons in social conduct from his peers. He also learns lessons in the school. Hence, socialisation continues beyond and outside the family environment. Secondary socialisation generally refers to the social training received by the child in institutional or formal settings and continues throughout the rest of his life.
3. Anticipatory
Socialisation:
Anticipatory socialisation refers to a process by which men learn the culture of a group with the anticipation of joining that group. As a person learns the proper beliefs, values and norms of a status or group to which he aspires, he is learning how to act in his new role.
Agents-of-socialization
Agencies of
Socialization:
The process that transforms a child into a respectable individual is a long one where several agencies of socialization play their part. The culture, values, norms, behavior patterns are transmitted through these interrelated agencies. Let’s have a look at their role in life.
1. Family
One of the most important agencies of socialization is family. Its role and impact on an individual are outstanding and unimaginable. It is responsible for forming the personality of a person and its imprint is the strongest if you consider the roles other agencies also play on his personality development.
The parents use both punishment and reward to make the child learn the values, norms, and behavior of a person in a society. The truth of the matter is that the family in itself is a mini-society with simple control over its members. It often acts as a bridge between an individual and society.
The family is commonly known as an intimate as well as the primary group that effectively trains the younger generation. It uses informal methods to keep a check on the undesirable behavior of its members.
It is the family that acts as a social continuity channel by transferring cultural standards to the oncoming generation.
2.
Educational institutions
Civilized societies have developed educational institutions for formal education. These have a significant impact on the process of socialization in society because the culture, views, civic ideals, solidarity, the value of achievement, group loyalty, and norms can be formally acquired and transmitted through these agencies which include schools, colleges, and universities.
After the family and the peer group, it is the educational institutions that have the most bearing on the personality and concepts of a human being. It assists the child in learning subjects and instills the notion of time, competition, cooperation, teamwork, and discipline. The educational institutions take the help of punishment and reward to reinforce the desired behavioral pattern.
Socialization minimizes undesirable behavioral patterns with disapproval, punishment, and ridicule.
3. Peer
group
The peer group is made of the contemporaries of a child for instance children he interacts, plays, and studies with. His peer group influences a child in his growing years because they share common characteristics and are at the same stage of socialization. He learns crucial lessons from this group through spontaneous interactions with each other.
A child feels the need to exhibit the same characteristics as other members in the peer group so that he can be accepted in it freely. At this stage in life, the peer group has more influence than the family group and this is why in cases of conflict in standards the child will withdraw from the family environment and absorb the values, views, and norms of his peer group.
As time passes the influence of the group keeps on increasing and a time comes when it only takes over.
4.
Religion
Religion divides people into a secular order. It has a vital role to play in the process of socialization because it can put the fear of hell in an individual. This is an attempt on the part of society to curb undesirable activities of a person.
5.
Occupation
Occupation is an essential agency of socialization that has a significant impact on an individual. He enters into a new world where the views, norms, and culture are very different from the one which he has faced until now.
While working professionally he finds new shared goals, objectives, and interests. He learns to make adjustments in his style and behavior to suit the particular need and requirements of the new place and other employees who may be placed at equal, lower, and higher positions. A person comes to know about class divisions and how he is strategically placed in the system.
It is the professional world that gives him an identity of his own and helps to acquire a definite status in the world hence comes to mean a lot to him. The occupational socialization is sub-divided into four categories
1. Career choice – The
first phase of professional socialization is career choice which includes
selecting desired academic and related training that will be suitable for the
job he desires
2. Anticipatory – As
the name suggests anticipatory socialization deals with anticipating the career
choice and it lasts from a few months to several years. Some of the individuals
inherit their occupation from their parents and they anticipate joining the
said occupation throughout their early life. Some people realize their
occupational goal at an early age and their entire adolescence period is
focussed on the training and academic qualification that will take them near to
their goal.
3. Conditioning and commitment – The
third phase of occupational socialization is conditioning and commitment.
Conditioning takes place when an individual performs his work-related role and
starts making adjustments to the unpleasant aspects of that role profile. The
novelty wears off and the work experience becomes tedious. The commitment
refers to the enthusiastic acceptance of the positive and pleasurable tasks and
duties of the occupation.
4. Continuous commitment – The
fourth phase of occupational socialization is continued commitment. This stage
starts when the job becomes an indispensable part of a person and he is
satisfied with his role. At this point in life, any violation of proper conduct
is unthinkable and unimaginable to him.
6. Mass
media
The mass media plays a very crucial role in the process of socialization. Its essential tools for communication are television, social media platforms, newspapers, and radio through which they transmit messages and information to the masses.
The words are written by editors, authors, advertisers, economists, and reformers who are the instrument of social power. The communication media can influence the thought-process and decision-making abilities of the individual as well as large groups,
7.
Political parties socialization
Political parties try to seize power and maintain it by socializing the citizens for change and stability of the political system. They try to win the support of society members based on socio-economic policies and in the process, socialize the people by spreading their political norms and views.
Features of Socialisation:
Socialisation not
only helps in the maintenance and preservation of social values and norms but
it is the process through which values and norms are transmitted from one
generation to another generation.
Features of socialisation may be discussed
as under:
1. Inculcates
basic discipline:
Socialisation inculcates basic discipline. A person learns to control his impulses. He may show a disciplined behaviour to gain social approval.
Infuse basic discipline : Socialization integrates basic discipline in a person from the beginning of his life cycle. He gradually learns to control his impulses to gain social approval.
2. Helps
to control human behaviour:
It helps to control human behaviour. An individual from birth to death undergoes training and his, behaviour is controlled by numerous ways. In order to maintain the social order, there are definite procedures or mechanism in society. These procedures become part of the man’s/life and man gets adjusted to the society. Through socialisation, society intends to control the behaviour of its-members unconsciously.
Control Behaviour : Socialization helps society to control the behavior of
its members both consciously and unconsciously from birth to his dying days.
There are set rules and procedures which become a part of his life s that a
person can adjust with the established norms and values
3. Socialisation
is rapid if there is more humanity among the- agencies of socialisation:
Socialisation takes place rapidly if the agencies’ of
socialisation are more unanimous in their ideas and skills. When there is
conflict between the ideas, examples and skills transmitted in home and those
transmitted by school or peer, socialisation of the individual tends to be
slower and ineffective.
4. Socialisation
takes place formally and informally:
Formal socialisation takes through direct instruction and
education in schools and colleges. Family is, however, the primary and the most
influential source of education. Children learn their language, customs, norms
and values in the family.
5.
Socialisation is continuous process:
Socialisation is a life-long process. It does not cease when a child becomes an adult. As socialisation does not cease when a child becomes an adult, internalisation of culture continues from generation to generation. Society perpetuates itself through the internalisation of culture. Its members transmit culture to the next generation and society continues to exist.
6. Unanimous ideas and skills:
An essential feature of socialization is transferring of unanimous ideas and skills to individuals in a society. When there is a conflict the result is either ineffective or slow
Formal and informal : In socialization, Family is the primary source of education, followed by schools and colleges. Children start at an early age to learn the language, values, norms, and customs from family and society through formal and informal socialization
The elements of socialization are as follows-
1. Investigation
As the name suggests, the investigation is the stage where one searches for information. A person looks at various groups to determine which one will help him to fulfill his needs, whereas the group tries to estimate the worth of the potential member. The investigation stage ends when the group offers an individual entry and he accepts it.
2. Socialization
When a potential member becomes a new member he must accept the culture, perspectives, values, and norms of the group whereas the group tries to accommodate the various needs and requirements of the new member. If both of them react positively to each other acceptance is reached but in case it is not as per the desired outcome, for instance, both respond to each other negatively, then the transition is delayed.
3. Maintenance
This stage is also considered a role negotiation because both the individual and its new member negotiate the expectations of the group from the individual. Some people fail to satisfy others in their role and leave the group, and some remain in it lifelong
4. Re-socialisation
In case of divergence, a member is re-socialized by resolving the differences and he becomes once again the full member of the group. If it fails he is either expelled or he leaves the group voluntarily
5. Remembrance
In this stage of socialized, the former member of a group considers his memories and tries to reason with himself about the reason for his departure.
The advantages of socialization are as follows-
·
Learning and socialization are
interlinked and go hand in hand
·
Socialization helps people to become
independent
·
Educational institutions are an integral
agency of socialization and it helps a person to learn the norms of society. It
teaches a person to speak freely, form opinions, and develop an individual
personality of his own.
·
Socialization helps to gain valuable
insight into the personalities of other people
·
Socialization helps to build your
presence in society
·
Socialization helps an individual to
form life-long friendships
·
The peer group enables a person to have
a steady support group outside of his family
·
Socialization helps to boost the
likeability factor of a person
·
Socialization helps to expand your
network through interactions and get-together with colleagues, peer, and
seniors in the professional workplace
·
Socialization increases the feeling of
togetherness and teamwork in a workplace
·
Socialization strengthens bonds within a
team and assists in boosting the efficiency and
productivity level of a person
·
Socialization assist in gathering
necessary knowledge about all the aspects of life
·
An essential advantage of socialization
is that it introduces a person to numerous people some of whom may play a vital
role in your life and benefit your career as well as personal experience to a
great extent
·
Mass media is an agency of socialization
that helps a person to be socially aware of the happenings in the society and
their surroundings
·
Mass media provides people with the
option of communicating with other people via text, and emails
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of socialization are as follows-
·
Too much of socialization can damage
your respectability and image especially if you are one of those people who
love to party
·
The peer group is an integral part of
socialization and can influence an individual to rebel against his upbringing
and his family by encouraging bad habits like drinking and smoking
·
Religion is an agency of socialization
and it can create conflicts and difference even between two friends
·
Mass media can cause stress and
anger in other people and make then anti-social
Stages of socialization
he first stage or
the oral stage
The first stage or the oral stage of socialization starts with the birth of a child and lasts until he is one year old. Before delivery, the child sleeps peacefully in the womb and is warm and comfortable. He does not have to do anything but as soon as he is delivered in the world; he must start breathing to survive. He must be protected from outside elements like heat, cold and wet so that he remains comfortable.
The child established oral dependency by crying and making people understand that he needs the attention of some kind. Either he might have wet himself or he might be hungry. He develops certain expectations about his feeding time and learns to give out signals via crying or gestures.
At this stage in life, the child is involved with himself and his mother who is his primary caretaker and he merges both the identity as one.
2. The
second stage or the anal stage
The second stage or the anal stage of socialization starts after the first year and lasts until the third year. Here the child makes an essential realization that he cannot depend entirely on his mother and he has to take some care of himself and depend on other people for his caretaking. He learns to do some essential tasks like toilet training, not wetting his pants, and keeping his clothes clean.
This is the stage when the child starts internalizing and separating his role from his mother’s. He learns to receive love and care and return it to the people who take care of him the primary person being his mother. He understands the difference between correct and incorrect actions because the former is rewarded and the other is not.
In this stage, the mother helps the child to interact with other people and make him a part of the social group
3. The
third or the Oedipal stage
The third stage or the Oedipal stage of socialization starts from the fourth year and lasts until puberty. Here the child becomes a member of the family and starts identifying himself with the ascribed social role based on sex. A boy develops the feeling of love towards mother and jealousy towards father whereas the case is vice-versa for a girl.
Here a boy is rewarded for behaving like a boy and the girl like a girl. As time passes the girl identifies herself with the mother and the boy with his father. The boy and the girl internalize their roles clearly and realize that the father is the dominant role player in the family.
4. The
fourth or adolescence stage
The fourth or the adolescence stage of socialization starts from puberty and has great importance because of numerous psychological and physiological changes that take place within the people. Both the girl and the boy try to become free of parental control.
They cannot escape the family dependence entirely and experience conflict in themselves. The adolescent child accepts new responsibilities and learns new behavioral patterns to meet the demands of society.
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