Family
School
Peers
Mass Media
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What are the important functions of the family?
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They are the primary focus for procreation and
socialization
We form a sense of self and acquire beliefs and
values from the family
We learn about the dominant culture and those to
which our family belongs.

Why is the family especially significant to
young children?

Because young children have little social experience
beyond it’s boundaries, and no basis for comparison
or evaluating how they are treated by their own
family.

How do conflict theorists see socialization?

Socialization contributes to a “false consciousness”, a
lack of awareness and distorted perception of reality.
Socialization reaffirms and reproduces the class
structure in the next generation rather than
challenging the conditions that currently exist.
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Examples:
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Why have schools come to play a larger role in
the socialization of young people?

Because of the amount of time children in an
educational setting has increased.

Why have pre-school and daycare programs
increased in the last two decades?

Because of the increase in the number of one parent
families or families in which both parents work.

70% of Canadian preschool children are in daycare.

How have children benefited from daycare and
pre-school programs?


Studies have shown that they have a positive effect
on the overall socialization of the child.
Especially beneficial for children from less
advantaged backgrounds, as they provide learning
experiences they might not learn at home.

VIEWS OF SCHOOL
FUNCTIONALIST
Schools are responsible for:
CONFLICT
-Students have different
experiences in school
-Teaching students to be
depending on their social
productive members of
class, ethnic background,
society.
gender, etc…
-Transmission of culture
- “Hidden Curriculum”
-Social control and personal Competition, materialism,
development
work over play, obedience
- Selection, training and
to authority and
placement of individuals on attentiveness
different rungs in the
- Education is more based
society.
on child’s ability to
conform.


A group of people who are linked by common
interests, equal social position and usually similar
age.
In what ways are peer groups important agents of
socialization?
Function as agents of socialization by contributing to our
sense of “belonging” and feelings of self-worth.
 Provide adolescents with some degree of freedom from
authority
 Teach about acceptable behavior
 Reflect larger culture and pass that on to others
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Large scale organizations that use print, electronic
means (such as radio, television, film and internet)
to communicate with large numbers of people.
5 ways in which mass media serve as an agent of
socialization:
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Inform us about events
Introduce us to a wide variety of people
Provide an array of viewpoints on current issues
Make us aware of products and services
Entertain us- provide us with the opportunity to live
vicariously through other peoples experiences

Consequences of watching television:
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
-Can enhance children’s
-Lower grades in school
development by improving: -Read fewer books
-Exercise less
Language development
-Obesity
Concept formation skills
Reading skills
Encouraging prosocial skills
-TV violence (average child
will witness approximately