HOW ARE WE
SOCIALIZED?
Family, Work and Media: The Forces that Shape Us
Terms
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Socialization – the process through which an
individual acquired a self-identity and the social
skills for survival
Takes place during your entire life
Learned through interaction and not from direct
instruction
Begins very early in childhood
Strongly influences the kind of person you will
become
Strongest in childhood to early adulthood
Agents of socialization
Primary – the means by which an individual
learns the basic norms of society during
childhood
 Secondary - The means by which an individual
learns further social behavior and norms
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Family
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Family – primary agent
 Direct
orders/commands
 Praise or punishment
 Unconscious actions of our parents or guardians as
role models
 Telling and reading of stories
 Choosing playmates
Secondary Agents of Socialization
Schools
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Schools: Why are schools so important in the development of young
people’s socialization?
first time you are away from your parents
First time someone other than your parents disciplined you
Peers and Reference Groups
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Define the following terms:
 peer group – a group of people of similar age and status with
whom a person interacts socially
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reference group – a group of people one mentally refers to
when needing a solution to a problem
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identity crisis – the period during adolescence when an individual
is trying to answer the questions who am I? What do I want to do
with my life? (in your teens)
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identity confusion – when an individual has not formed a strong
personal identity and remains dependent on peers (when they
are in early adulthood)
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Work Place
Define the following terms and give an example for each
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workplace culture – the values, norms, attitudes, ways of
relating to others and presenting oneself that are common
to an organization
anticipatory socialization – the behaviour expected of
individuals when they become doctors, police officers,
lawyers, and so on
Examples -
Secondary Agents of Socialization –
The Media
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Why is TV so popular?
Continuous rapid movements and loud sounds cause the
viewer to be completely oriented to the screen,
activating the nervous system, activating the nervous
system to a high degree
Interactions between people and events are short and
vivid
Several senses are stimulated
Action is vivid and emotional reaction is greater than
with other media
Rapid presentation of events and material give little
opportunity for processing and reflection
How is it different from other agents
of socialization?
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Does not require interaction with actual people
One way communication
No influence over the message being delivered
How is TV different for children?
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Young children are not able to distinguish fantasy
from reality
Have trouble distinguishing between a story line
and a commercial – this fact is exploited by
advertisers