Aims of Socialization Agents of Socialization

Family
The continuity of society and culture is correlated with
the socialization of the individuals. The individual is not Family is the first and most important agent of
horn with ready-made solutions of problems and shared socialization. Mothers and fathers, siblings and
expectations. Through socialization the group prepares grandparents, plus members of an extended family, all
a child to become useful member of the society. He teach a child what he or she needs to know. For
learns how to satisfy the basic needs. He is taught, example, they show the child how to use objects (such
consciously, through formal and informal agencies of as clothes, computers, eating utensils, books, bikes);
socialization to coordinate his behaviour with others in how to relate to others (some as “family,” others as
different situations. “friends,” still others as “strangers” or “teachers” or
“neighbors”); and how the world works (what is “real”
Socialization is the best form of social control exercised and what is “imagined”). As you are aware, either from
for the sake of group as well as for personal growth. The your own experience as a child or from your role in
following are the aims of socialization in sociology. helping to raise one, socialization includes teaching and
learning about an unending array of objects and ideas.
Socialization covers basic disciplines of a society For example, it’s often in the family where a child first
ranging from saying “Asslam-o-Aalkaikum” to the learns gender socialization, with gender roles in the
complicated scientific methods. In disciplined domestic sphere modelled for the child from a young
unstructured and abnormal behavior is not desired in age.
society. An individual is made to understand to modify
and to adjust his original nature according to the Peers
prevailing socio-cultural environment. The normal
behavior is internalized by an individual, which lasts When you were a 16-year-old, how many times did you
throughout one’s life. This internalization becomes so complain to your parent(s), “All of my friends are [doing
deep-rooted that mostly individuals do not deviate even so and so]. Why can’t I? It isn’t fair!” As this all-too-
unfavorable situations for deviance. common example indicates, our friends play a very
important role in our lives. This is especially true during
Socialization teaches people their specified roles and adolescence, when peers influence our tastes in music,
statuses in different situations in the society. For clothes, and so many other aspects of our lives, as the
example, teachers, students, employees, employers, now-common image of the teenager always on a cell
leaders and followers play different roles. The phone reminds us. But friends are important during other
individuals are made to adjust their behavior in such a parts of the life course as well. We rely on them for fun,
way as to bring forth co-ordination in the whole society. for emotional comfort and support, and for
Further, there are rights, privileges and responsibilities companionship. That is the upside of friendships.
associated with every role, which enhances the social
welfare and keeps social order relatively stable. The downside of friendships is called peer pressure, with
which you are undoubtedly familiar. Suppose it is Friday
Socialization teaches many skills to individuals, which night, and you are studying for a big exam on Monday.
are very helpful to them to lead a normal life in the Your friends come by and ask you to go with them to get
society. The people are taught how to behave in different a pizza and a drink. You would probably agree to go with
social situations in order to receive appreciation rather them, partly because you really dislike studying on a
than negative response from others. Friday night, but also because there is at least some
subtle pressure on you to do so. As this example
Socialization results in creating aspiration for an indicates, our friends can influence us in many ways.
individual. For example, aspirations to become a good During adolescence, their interests can affect our own
mother or father, good officer or teacher are the results interests in film, music, and other aspects of popular
of socialization. culture. More ominously, adolescent peer influences
have been implicated in underage drinking, drug use,
Society transmits its cultural values as well as gives delinquency, and hate crimes (Agnew, 2007).
specific orientations like religious, political and
educational philosophies, which help an individual to School
lead a proper life.
Schools also socialize children by teaching them about These government dictates mark the points at which we
citizenship and national pride. In the United States, require socialization into a new category.
children are taught to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Most
school districts require classes about U.S. history and Mass Media
geography. As academic understanding of history
evolves, textbooks in the United States have been Mass media distribute impersonal information to a wide
scrutinized and revised to update attitudes toward other audience, via television, newspapers, radio, and the
cultures as well as perspectives on historical events; Internet. With the average person spending over four
thus, children are socialized to a different national or hours a day in front of the television (and children
world history than earlier textbooks may have done. For averaging even more screen time), media greatly
example, information about the mistreatment of African influences social norms (Roberts, Foehr, and Rideout
Americans and Native American Indians more accurately 2005). People learn about objects of material culture
reflects those events than in textbooks of the past. (like new technology and transportation options), as well
as nonmaterial culture—what is true (beliefs), what is
The Workplace important (values), and what is expected (norms).

Different jobs require different types of socialization. In  By acting as a source of ideas, news, and
the past, many people worked a single job until information that shape an individual’s sense of
retirement. Today, the trend is to switch jobs at least the self.
once a decade. Between the ages of eighteen and forty-  By providing a platform for individuals to create
six, the average baby boomer of the younger set held and ‘perform’ newer selves through social media
11.3 different jobs (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and
2014). This means that people must become socialized LinkedIn. 
to, and socialized by, a variety of work environments.
Types of Socialization
When we absorb the work culture, norms, and rules of a
workplace over time, it is considered secondary Primary socialization – Primary socialization occurs
socialization. On occasions when an employee is during the formative years of an individual’s life  and is
required to upskill or reskill to advance to a different role related to the construction of the most elemental
within the organization, it becomes a case of aspects of an individual’s personhood. 
developmental socialization. When we switch to a
different job that has very little in common with the Secondary socialization – Secondary socialization
previous job, it is a case of resocialization.  occurs later on in life, and is affected by agents that are
usually outside of the family, but still exert a
Government considerable influence on their lives. Examples include
the workplace, clubs, and fraternities.
Although we do not think about it, many of the rites of
Developmental socialization – While most kinds of
passage people go through today are based on age
socialization are subtle, unconscious processes,
norms established by the government. In mainstream
developmental socialization is undertaken deliberately
America, to be defined as an “adult” usually means being
for the purpose of developing or enhancing certain skills.
eighteen years old, the age at which a person becomes
For instance, socialization undertaken to improve public
legally responsible for him- or herself. And sixty-five
speaking skills, or personality development programmes
years old is the start of “old age” since most people
are developmental socialization. 
become eligible for senior benefits at that point.

Anticipatory socialization – Anticipatory socialization is

Each time we embark on one of these new categories—
undertaken in the hope of acquiring the skills needed to
senior, adult, taxpayer—we must be socialized into our
be a part of a social group in the future. For instance, 
new role. Seniors must learn the ropes of Medicare,
being a part of boy/girl scouts as preparation for a
Social Security benefits, and senior shopping discounts.
career in the armed forces later on in life. Unlike
When U.S. males turn eighteen, they must register with
developmental socialization, anticipatory socialization
the Selective Service System within thirty days to be
may or may not be deliberate or premeditated. 
entered into a database for possible military service.
Resocialization – Resocialization is the process of
shedding previously acquired social behavior and
learning newer norms and behaviors. For most
individuals, resocialization is a continuing, lifelong
process. For instance, migrating to a new country or
retiring from a career in the army and returning to civilian
life all require varying degrees of  resocialization. 

Who is Albert Bandura?

Albert Bandura is a renowned Canadian-born American

psychologist who is most well-known for his social
learning theory. His work in the field of psychology has
focused on the areas of social cognitive theory, self-
efficacy, moral disengagement, and self-regulation. He is
most well-known for his Bobo doll experiments, which
demonstrated how children learn through imitation and
modeling. Bandura has received numerous awards and
honors for his contributions to the field of psychology.

Bandura believed that we absorb information by first

observing the behavior of others in a social setting. After
observation, we then decide to imitate the behavior, but
only if we believe that this will produce a reward. Finally,
a set of cognitive factors known as Bandura’s 4
principles of social learning will influence whether or not
observed behavior is imitated. Let’s take a look at these
three components – observation and imitation, reward
and cognition.