Agents of Socialization
Agents of Socialization are…
• People and groups that influence our self concept,
emotions, attitudes and behavior
• Major agents of socialization that we’ll focus on:
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The family
Media
School
Peer groups
Family as a Socializing Agent…
• How many kids are in your family?
• Where do you fall in terms of birth
order?
• Were you raised in a single parent
home? With step parents? Step
siblings?
• What role do you play in the family
dynamic? What roles do your
siblings/parents play?
Birth Order: The Only Child
• Child may be pampered and spoiled
• Feels incompetent because adults are more capable
• Is center of attention; often enjoys status; may feel
special; self-centered
• Relies on service from others rather than own efforts
• Feels unfairly treated when doesn't get own way; may
refuse to cooperate
• Plays "divide and conquer" to get own way
• May fail to relate to peers well
Birth Order: The 1st Born
The first born child is usually the child with the most attention directed at him/her.
This common event is part of the reason this particular child turns out the way he/she
does. The first born usually typifies these traits:
Traits:
• People Pleasers
• Crave Approval
• Nurturers
• Caregivers
• Reliable
• Conscientious
• Assertive
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Want things their way
Natural leaders
Perfectionists
Driven
Conventional
Always have things under
control
Birth Order: The 2nd Born
(more than 3 kids)
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Never has parents' undivided attention.
Always has sibling ahead who's more advanced.
Acts as if in race, trying to catch up or overtake first child.
If first child is "good," second may become "bad." Develops
abilities first child doesn't exhibit. If first child successful, may
feel uncertain of self and abilities.
• Often doesn't like position; feels "squeezed" if third child is
born.
• May put down other siblings.
• May be rebellious.
Birth Order: Middle Child of 3
• Middle children are quite
often the most difficult
children to both read and to
raise. Middle children are
quite often referred to as the
"Mysterious Middle Child.”
Middle born children are
quite difficult to pin down,
however they tend to be the
opposite of their older sibling
Traits:
•Quiet
•Shy
•Flexible
•Diplomatic
•Rebellious
•Attention seeking
•Competitive
•Peacemakers
Birth Order: Youngest Child
• Last born children tend
to be the easiest to
define when it comes to
the correlation between
birth order and
personality, this is
mostly due to the fact
that there is only one
main type of last born.
Traits:
•Risk takers
•Idealists
•Good sense of
humor
•Immature
•Attention seeking
•Secretive
•Sensitive
•“Class Clowns”
Birth Order & Career Choices
1stBorn:
• Often choose careers that require a high degree of precision such as: law,
medicine, computer programming, or architecture, no gray area in work field,
in control, often the boss or owner of company.
Middle Born:
• Choose careers that allow them to be creative such as: sales, art, advertising, or
a career that requires negotiating, well suited for management because of level
headedness, and the ability to be unbiased.
• Do not do well with a hierarchy system, don't like strict rules, prefer to work at
their own pace, and therefore may not complete tasks on time.
Last Born:
• Careers in sales, want to be the boss, and just do their own thing at their own
pace. Do not like to be tied down to commitment
NPR: Siblings Share Genes, But
Rarely Personalities
• Do you ever ask the question: “How am I a
part of this family? No seriously, how are
we related?”
• According to the story, why are siblings so
different? What are the 3 theories?
Tom & Eric
Hoebbel