“Socialization”
12th Grade Sociology
I.) What is Socialization?
Socialization: a process that begins at birth and is
ongoing in which individuals learn
human social behavior
How does Socialization impact our social behavior?
• Establishes self-concepts
• Creates the capacity for role-taking
• Creates tendency for people to act in socially
acceptable ways
• Makes people the bearers of culture
II.) Agents of Socialization
Agents of Socialization: Members/groups within society that
influence individual human social
behavior
 Family
 School
 Peer Groups
 Mass Media
 Social Class
Family
•Think, Speak, Norms, Values,
Beliefs, Attitudes, Relationships,
and Self-Image
Schools
• Hidden Curriculum
• discipline, order, cooperation,
conformity
• Rules & Regulations
Peer Groups
• make their own decisions
• develop self-sufficiency
• learn to get along with others
• experiment
Mass Media
• serve as role models to imitate
• teach ways of society
• can be both positive & negative
III.) Perspectives of Sociology
Functionalism: group working together (family & school) to
create a stable society
III.) Perspectives of Sociology
Conflict Theory: competition within groups causing
conformity to current class structure
III.) Perspectives of Sociology
Symbolic Internationism:
- human nature is a product of society
- behavior is based off views of oneself
based off societal influences
 Self Concept: Image of oneself separate
from others
 Looking Glass Self: what you think others
believe about you
 Perception
 Imagine
 Evaluate
 Significant Others: people whose opinions are
most important to our self concept
 Role Taking: Learned behavior through watching
then doing
The Process
 Imitation Stage (birth to 3 yrs)
(replicate what others do without understanding)
 Play Stage (3 - 8 yrs)
(acts & imagines self in
adult /real life role)
 Game Stage (8 yrs & up)
(learns to act & behave as
society does)
 Generalized Other: Rely less on others and
more on “self”
Two Parts of “Self”:
“I” unlearned/spontaneous acts  acts first!
“Me”self-created/learned acts of conformity  thinks first!
IV.) Process of Socialization
Desocialization: process in which people give
up old social behavior
Goal: to change the individual
Resocialization: process in which people adopt
new social behavior
Goal: give individual new self image
Anticipatory Socialization: preparing in advance
for new social behavior
Goal: prepare for one stage to another
Reference Group: group used to evaluate yourself
Goal: learn social behavior