Theories of Socialization

Text - Chapter 5

Socialization is a life long learning process in which individuals develop a sense of self and acquire the knowledge, skills, values, norms, and dispositions required to fulfill social roles. Family, school, peer groups and the media affect they way you are socialized.

Mead believes the self is reflexive. The individual notes, selects, and determines the responses and actions he or she will take. Therefore the individual is interpreting, selecting and then acting. Children role-play and act out the same responses that these roles would. The child then takes on the role of the generalized other, which are the attitudes of the community as a whole. Family background and schooling influence the socialization process as primary and secondary roles.

Shutz believes the self, language and interpretations of objects and situations through the copying of social types is how socialization works. We must understand how individuals act in the context of their common sense knowledge.

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory relies on biological factors to explain the development of identity, personality, and behaviour. Early childhood experiences determine adult socialization.

Piaget emphasized the development of perceptions and thought processes. Behavioural standards are the result of the child’s identification with his or her parents. Human behaviour is a mixture of biological and environmental factors.

The social learning theory focuses solely on environmental factors. The child is influenced by rewards and punishments for expected behaviour. Children also learn by imitating behaviour, beliefs and norms held by people close to them.

Teacher Expectations
Children get put into groups based on ability level, which is usually based upon standardized tests. Once students are put into a group, that’s what they believe they are. Therefore if they are in the low group they think they’re dumb and if they’re in the high group they think they’re smart. Once the groups are formed, they are usually rigid and these groups contribute to the child’s own definition of him or her self. Teachers also assess students’ character based on appearance, language ability, conformity to discipline, acceptance of academic role, general likeableness, and relations with peers.

Moral socialization is when schools instill an idealized version of society’s values. Political socialization is the role schools play in inculcating the values and norms that support the prevailing structure of society. A sense of national identity may be formed through school and the media.

The hidden curriculum is the norms, values, and dispositions that occur through students’ participation in social experiences in routine school activities. Students’ social experiences in school are important factors in analyzing the learning process.

Some argue that peer group values and behaviours might be more important in students’ behaviour than school or parental values, as subcultures develop. Popular culture may also affect school performance.

When talking about socialization I believe there are many many factors that contribute to the way a child is socialized. I believe it has a lot to do with what goes on at home in family life, as well as what happens at school and during extra curricular activities or clubs that children partake in. I also partially agree with Piaget that it has to do with environmental factors as well as biological factors.

In discussing the whole children being put into ability levels and getting stuck there, I really don't agree with that. I whole heartedly hope that teachers don't put children in groups and then leave them there forever. For one it might have been a false identification of the children's abilities. Two, every unit might be different for a student as we all have different strengths and weaknesses, especially in subjects such as math and science. And three, children do grow and also with what I just said they might start off in a unit that they are strong in but the next unit they are not therefore they shouldn't be left in the same group. We always need to be assessing the students and making sure they are being challenged and that they can also be successful.

I also agree that student subcultures are extremely important to students. I'm not sure if my friends would trump my family in the ways of my values and beliefs but they definitely could have an effect on my behaviour. Friends are very important to students at all ages but especially as students get older. Therefore subcultures are something we need to be aware of.