Every society tries to make a responsible member out of each child who is born into it. The society socializes each member right from infancy till the last rites when s/he leaves the world, rather the process of socialization begins even from conception. This happens because the society tries to ensure that each member’s behaviour will be meaningful in terms of group norms. Thus socialization is a process which converts a living organism into a social being.
It is a continuous process which flows from one generation to another. The concept of self is developed through a gradual process, which continues throughout life. The concept of self is actually an image, which one builds with the help of others. An ordinary child whose efforts are appreciated and rewarded will get the feeling of acceptance and self worth which help shape her/his personality in the years to come.
In this Unit, we will discuss the concept of socialization and the various growing up contexts of children. This Unit also helps you understand the impact of growing up experiences upon children. The implications for teachers in understanding the various growing up experiences of children are also mentioned in this unit.
OBJECTIVES :-
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
♦ develop an understanding of the importance and types of socialization;
♦ become sensitive towards the process of socialization in different cultures leading to individual differences;
♦ identify how discrimination based on gender results in the formation of a negative self concept in girls and a positive self concept in boys;
♦ become aware of various rearing practices in different types of family structures in society;
♦ enumerate different types of issues in the growing up process; and
♦ discuss the implications for teachers in understanding the growing up experiences of children.
CONCEPT OF SOCIALIZATION :-
The word ‘socialization’ refers to the process of interaction through which the child imbibes the beliefs, values, attitudes and habits of the social group in which s/he has been born. From society’s view point, socialization is the process through which society transmits its culture from generation to generation and thrives. From the individual’s view point, the process of socialization involves learning of social behaviour and development of self. She/he learns to act according to the social expectations.
Let’s have a look at some of the basic features of socialization
★ Features of Socialization :-
1. Instills basic discipline
Socialization inculcates basic discipline in an individual. An individual, in an attempt to gain social approval, learns to control her/his impulses.
2. Controls Behaviour
From birth till death, an individual learns to conform to society’s norms and maintain social order. These rules and procedures become part of an individual’s life and control her/his behaviour as per the norms of society.
3. Unanimity among agents of socialization aids in its process
Conflict between different agencies of socialization like home, school, peer and media will result in dilemmas among the ideas, examples and skills transmitted from one agency to another. This will result in slower and ineffective socialization of the individual.
4. Formal and non-formal socialization
Formal socialization happens through direct instruction from educational institutions and non formal socialization happens through agencies like home. Family is of course the primary and the most important source of education where children learn their language, customs, cultures and values.
5. A continuous process
Socialization is a continuous life long process and does not stop even when a child becomes an adult.
In the next section, we will discuss about the importance of socialization.
★ 2.3.2 Importance of Socialization :-
Socialization is essential both to individuals and to the societies in which they live. It explains how individuals are intertwined to societies. A society perpetuates on its own based on the way how culture was taught to the new members. Socialization is an important part in child rearing. In Unit 5 of Block 2, you will study the importance of attachment relationship between a child and her/his parents. A secure attachment is central to the development of positive social relationships in the future.
We all know that parents are the first teachers of what social relationships are like. In the process of socialization, parents, peers, and others in the child’s world help the growing child in learning how to interact in proper manner according to the rules and norms of their society. For most children, schools continue and reinforce the socialization started by the family. By placing children among a variety of students in the classroom and listening to instruction of various teachers, schools teach the art of flexibility.
The newborn child, during the course of the socialization, learns the culture, skills, language, manual dexterity, which enable her/him to become a responsible, participating member of the society. The main goal of socialization is to promote the child’s acceptance and internalization of social norms. Though the self begins to take shape in childhood, it is during adolescence, that self-concept and personal identity assume more importance.
Adolescence is a period of widespread anticipatory socialization. By observing the different roles played by individuals in media, adolescents start internalizing the outlook, expectations, and role pattern of them. Thus, acquisition of the appropriate roles that an individual is expected to play is another important aspect of socialization.
As males, females, parents, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, neighbours, students, and teachers – individuals learn to play various roles as per the norms of the society. But it must be remembered that human being is not the product of socialization alone. Heredity also plays an important part. S/he generally possesses the inherited potential that can make her/him a person under conditions of maturation and conditioning. In the next section you come to know about various types of socialization.
★ 2.3.3 Types of Socialization :-
There are various types of socialization which happen at various stages of a child’s development and affect his/her thoughts, feelings and actions as s/he develops into a mature adult. Let’s examine them one by one to know more about their influence on the child’s thinking and subsequent personality development.
♦ Primary Socialization: It is the first socialization by means of which children are trained to be satisfactory members of their society. For example, if the father respects his parents, the child learns to respect him and other elderly members of the society.
♦ Secondary Socialization:It is the socialization in which a person learns to be acceptable in a smaller group which is part of a larger group. The values, attitudes and beliefs are learnt from the group. For example, a class X student wants to become a doctor in future after attending career counselling class.
♦ Developmental Socialization: In this type of socialization, focus is more on developing social skills pertaining to the culture and one’s stage of development. For example, a shy senior high school student starts to take part in ‘thought for the day programme’ in order to develop her/his verbal communication.
♦ Anticipatory Socialization: This type of socialization refers to the process wherein a person practices or accepts the values and norms of a group where s/he anticipates joining in the future. For example, teacher trainees learning how to become teachers.
♦ Resocialization: This type of socialization involves rejecting previous behaviour patterns and accepting new ones so the individual can shift from one part of his life to another. Resocialization is said to be happening throughout human life cycle. For example, when a person changes her/his job, s/he tends to pick up the culture of her/his new job.
Check Your Progress 1
Notes: (a) Write your answers in the space given below.
(b) Compare your answers with the one given at the end of the unit.
i) Explain with some examples how socialization affects our attitudes.
ii) Is socialization a daily process? Elaborate.
★ 2.4 SOCIALIZATION PRACTICES IN DIFFERENT CULTURES :-
You know that various cultures, and subcultures, differ with respect to the specific behaviours that are considered as appropriate in society. Members of the society learn those social rules, as well as how far the code may be stretched. In this context, socialization may be defined as the learning of skills and knowledge required for effective participation in the society.
Cultural socialization refers to the manner by which parents address ethnic and racial issues within the family, mainly how parents transfer and communicate the cultural values, beliefs, customs, and behaviours to the child. It also depends on the internalization of cultural norms and values and acquisition of skills by the child to be a functional member in a multicultural society.
One of the most important factors that shape the personality of an individual is the process of socialization s/he undergoes through accepting or rejecting values, beliefs and attitudes. Socialization is a continuous process of acquiring norms, values and behaviours.
This process begins when we grow up, when the influences around us shape our behaviour as to what is acceptable and what is taboo within our culture. For example, a young man from Texas might be instructed in the culturally proper way to greet someone. First you remove your hat, then you look them in the eye, extend out your right hand and say ‘Hello, ma’am, it’s nice to meet you.’ Now let’s say that years later this cowboy gets a job in Japan, where they avoid eye contact and physical contact in their greetings. He will have to go through the process of socialization to adapt to this new environment.
Mode of greeting is different in various parts of our country. A child born in a Sikh family will learn to say “ Sat Shri Akal”, in a Hindu family s/he will join his/her hands and say,”Namaste” and in a Muslim family s/he will say “Aadaab or As-salamu alaykum”. Our food habits, dressing styles, celebration of various festivals all are determined by our socialization process.
Check Your Progress 2
Notes: (a) Write your answers in the space given below.
(b) Compare your answers with the one given at the end of the unit.
i) Explain with some examples how socialization process happens in different cultures.
ii) Why do people in different cultures have different social norms?
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