Meaning and Theory of Socialization (2024)

Introduction

As a great Greek philosopher said, Man is a social being. We human beings cannot live in a vacuum. Socialization is a process through which an individual learns and internalizes their society's norms, values, beliefs, and customs. Every culture demarcates desirable and undesirable behaviour in different social contexts. Socialization shapes an individual's personality, behaviour, and social interactions.

Characteristics of socialization

• Socialization is a lifelong process that starts from birth and continues until death.
• It is a process through which an individual learns their society's norms, values, beliefs, and customs.
• It is a complex and multifaceted process that involves various stages and agents of socialization.
• Socialization plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's personality, behaviour, and social interactions.
• It is a two-way process, with individuals influencing and being influenced by their social environment.
• Socialization is culture-specific, with different cultures having different norms, values, and beliefs learned through socialization.
• It involves formal and informal socialisation agents, including family, peers, schools, religious institutions, and the media.
• Socialization is a gradual process, with individuals learning and internalizing social norms and values over time.
• It is a dynamic process, with socialization continuing throughout an individual's life as they encounter new social situations and environments.
• Socialization is a process that involves stages of moral development, as proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg.

Theories of Socialization

Erikson's psychosocial theory

Erikson's theory is not a social theory but a psychosocial theory. This means that it combines the influence of social and psychological factors on human development. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development consists of eight stages from infancy to old age. Each stage involves a psychosocial crisis that the individual must resolve to achieve a healthy personality and a sense of basic virtue.

The eight stages are:

1. Trust vs mistrust
2. Autonomy vs shame and doubt
3. Initiative vs guilt
4. Industry vs inferiority
5. Identity vs role confusion
6. Intimacy vs isolation
7. Generativity vs stagnation
8. Integrity vs despair

Lev Vygotsky's theory

Based on web search results, Lev Vygotsky's theory is the sociocultural theory of cognitive development. This theory is not specifically on socialization, but it does have implications for how children are socialized. This theory proposes that children learn and develop through social interactions with more knowledgeable others, such as parents, teachers, and peers. Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the role of culture, language, and tools in shaping children's thinking and problem-solving abilities. Some of the critical concepts of Vygotsky's theory are:

The zone of proximal developmentis the gap between what a child can do independently and what they can do with guidance or collaboration from a more knowledgeable other.

The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO): Someone with more experience, knowledge, or skills than the learner and who can provide assistance or feedback. The more knowledgeable other can be an adult or a peer who can model, explain, or demonstrate how to perform a task or solve a problem.

Scaffolding:When someone is learning something new, they might need help from MKO. This help is only temporary and stops once the learner can do the task independently without any assistance.

Freud's psychoanalytic theory of socialization

Sigmund Freud proposed that socialization is based on the resolution of psychological conflicts that arise from the interaction of three components of personality:

Id:-which is the instinctual and pleasure-seeking part.

Ego:-which is the rational and reality-oriented part.

Superego:-which is the moral and conscience part.

Freud also identified five stages of psychosexual development:

Oral Stage (Birth - 2 years):-Where gratification comes from oral activities such as sucking and biting.

Anal Stage (2 - 3 years):-Children experience a sense of enjoyment when their excretory organs are stimulated. For instance, they might feel pleased by controlling and releasing their urine and stool.

Phallic stage(3 - 6 years):-Children become more aware of their genitalia and associate it with pleasure. Children may develop a strong attachment to the parent of the opposite sex and experience feelings of jealousy towards the same-sex parent. This stage is an important part of a child's development as it shapes their attitudes towards sexuality and gender roles in later life.

Latency stage (7-12 years):-Where sexual impulses are repressed and sublimated into social and intellectual activities.

Genital stage (13-19 years):-Where sexual maturity is achieved, and intimate relationships are formed.

Bandura's social learning theory

Albert Bandura proposed that socialization is based on observational learning, meaning people learn from observing and imitating others' behaviours, attitudes, and emotions. His theory is also known as the Social cognitive theory.

Bandura argued that observational learning involves four factors:

1. Attention:- This is paying attention to the model's behaviour.
2. Retention:- This is remembering what was observed.
3. Reproduction:- This is reproducing what was learned.
4. Motivation:- This is being rewarded or punished for one's behaviour.

The Process of Socialization:

Socialization is a complex and multifaceted process involving various stages and socialisation agents. The following are the key stages of socialization:

1. Primary Socialization- This is the first stage of socialization, which starts from birth and continues until early childhood. During this stage, an individual learns their society's basic norms, values, and beliefs from their parents, siblings, and other family members.
2. Secondary Socialization- This socialisation stage starts in childhood and continues throughout adolescence and adulthood. During this stage, individuals learn more complex norms, values, and beliefs from their peers, teachers, and other social institutions such as schools, religious institutions, and the media.
3. Tertiary Socialization- This is the final stage of socialization, which occurs in adulthood. During this stage, an individual learns new norms, values, and beliefs specific to their professional or occupational roles.

The following are the key agents of socialization:

1. Family:The family is the primary agent of socialization, which plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's personality, behaviour, and values.
2. Peer Groups:Peer groups are another important agent of socialization, which influences an individual's behaviour, attitudes, and values.
3. Schools:Schools are a formal agent of socialization, which plays a significant role in shaping an individual's cognitive, social, and emotional development.
4. Religious Institutions:Religious institutions are another formal agent of socialization, providing individuals with moral and ethical values.
5. Media:The media is an informal agent of socialization, which influences an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours through various forms of communication, such as television, movies, and social media.

Conclusion:

Socialization is a lifelong process that starts from birth and continues until death. It is a complex process involving various stages and agents of formal and informal socialisation. Socialization plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's personality, behaviour, and social interactions. It is culture-specific, with different cultures having different norms, values, and beliefs learned through socialization. Theories of socialization, such as Erikson's psychosocial theory, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, Freud's psychoanalytic theory, and Bandura's social learning theory, provide insights into how individuals develop and learn through socialization.