Socialization
Socialization is the process of transferring norms, values, beliefs and behavior
of a particular society from one generation to another. When people are born,
they are without any form of culture. Individuals learn from each other through
the process of socialization. It is a life long process. It is the society we live in that
makes us human through socialization. It gives us the ability to learn from the
society.
The process of socialization can be divided into;
1) Natural or Primary socialization
2) Planned or Secondary socialization
Natural or primary socialization occurs when children learn the values,
attitudes and norms of their culture from their parents or relatives. This normally
occurs in the family.
Planned or secondary socialization is a human designed process of learning
acceptable behavior, norms and values of a group in order to be seen as
acceptable members of such a group
The process of socialization takes place through individual or group of
individuals, these are the agents of socialization (sources through which
individual learn about the culture of their society). These includes: family,
neighbors, school, mass media, peer group
• FAMILY:---------------------------------------------------------------------seen as the most significant agent of socialization. Everyone is born into a family.
It reproduces the society, socially by socializing children to know acceptable
norms and behavior in the society. It also tells us who we are.
• SCHOOL: It is the next agent of socialization, here individuals are treated as
groups. The school provides formal education by teaching students a wide range
of subjects. It also provides informal education by teaching the students how to
conduct themselves in public, interact with other students, reward hard work,
honesty, competitiveness, patriotism etc. The school performs manifest functions
of formal education and latent function of informal education.
Manifest functions are the intended purposes or benefits of a persons action.
Latent functions are the unintended consequences.
•PEER GROUP: These are groups of individuals that fall within the same age group
and share similar social economic status. The impact of this group on individuals
are very visible especially during adolescent because of the urge to have a shared
identity. This group influences individuals on issues pertaining no academics,
dressing, sexual and even to culture conformity. It also affords individuals the
chance and liberty to act without direct supervision. Schools expose children to