Socialization Socialization is predominately an unconscious process by which a new born child learns the values, beliefs, rules and

regulations of society or internalizes the culture in which it is born. New borns are not born humanat least not in the social or emotional sense of being human. They have to learn all the nuances of proper behaviour, how to meet expectations for what is expected of them, and everything else needed to become a member of society. A new born in the presence of others, interacting with family and friends typically acquires their socialization by the time they reach young adulthood. Socialization, in fact, includes learning of three important processes: cognitive; affective, and evaluative. In other words, socialization includes the knowledge of how things are caused and the establishment of emotional links with the rest of the members of the society. Socialization, therefore, equips an individual in such a way that he can perform his duties in his society. Who are the agents of socialization? The agents of socialization vary from society to society. However, in most of the cases, it is the family which is a major socializing agent, that is, the nearest kinsmen are the first and the most important agents of socialization. The other groups which are socializing units in a society vary according to the complexity. Thus, in modern complex society, the important socializing agents are educational institutions, while in primitive societies, clans and lineages play a more important role. Socialization is a slow process. There is no fixed time regarding the beginning and the end of this process. However, some sociologists formulated different stages of socialization. These are oral stage, anal stage oedipal stage, and adolescence. In all these stages, especially in the first three, the main socializing agent is the family. The first stage is that of a new-born child when he is not involved in the family as a whole but only with his mother. He does not recognize anyone except his mother. The time at

which the second stage begins is generally after first year and ends when the infant is around three. At this stage, the child separates the role of his mother and his own. Also during this time force is used on the child, that is, he is made to learn a few basic things. The third stage extends from about fourth year to 12th to 13th year, that is, till puberty. During this time, the child becomes a member of the family as a whole and identifies himself with the social role ascribed to him. The fourth stage begins at puberty when a child wants freedom from parental control. He has to choose a job and a partner for himself. He also learns about incest taboo. Agents of socialization are believed to provide the critical information needed for children to function successfully as a member of society. Some examples of such agents are family, neighborhood, schools, peers, religion, sports, the workplace, and especially the mass media. Each agent of socialization is linked to another. For example, in the media, symbolic images affect both the individual and the society, making the mass media the most controversial socialization agent. No one is immune from the effects of the agents of socialization that exist in our modern society. Anyone and everyone who is part of a society is a product of socialization. Within every advertisement, clothing store, toy store, arcade, music store, etc, there is a gender preferred subliminal message being sent. The way toys are divided into male sections and female sections and the way advertisements portray all men and women in a certain way contribute to societies "norm" of gender roles. The mass media is one of the most influential agents of socialization and our society is filled with it. The messages given through the media act as the teachers of gender roles, values, ideologies, and beliefs, and individuals who pick up on these messages eventually take on, whats thought to be, the normative roles of society. Both boys and girls rely on society's expectations in regard to both masculinity and femininity in order to interpret interaction and to develop expectations for themselves and those around them. It is because of these agents of

socialization, that gender roles are created. Your family is the most important part of who you are. Your family is there for emotional support. The family is where we acquire our specific social position in society. If your family is rich then you are in a different social class than if they are middle class or poor. The type of family you descend from will determine how people view you and how you view yourself. Poor people should not even be in school, they should not even care about anything because they are born into a poor family and should think it will always be that way. I do think that most offspring of a poor family will stay that way be. The main agents of socialization are the family, school, peer groups, work, religion, and the mass media. The main methods of socialization are direct instruction, rewards and punishment, imitation, experimentation, role play, and interaction.

Many people today live on the guidelines of these elements. Family is one of the most important agents of socialization. Having a family gives a person certain needs such love and nurture. Seeing that certain needs are made helps a child social, physical, and emotional growth for the society. The role of a parent is very important to influence the childs development of all the other agents, The school and peer agent is also important because it helps a child learn social, friendship, loyalty, values, and patriotism skills with other peers. I think these two agents are very similar due to the fact when you go to school and get peers and this is where you learn about peer pressure at school and many other places. Learning to be social could be very hard on certain kids who dont have a family that didnt help them met some of their needs as a toddler or as a young adult. What makes socialization in the family so important and influential? Foundation for all civilized behavior, Language abilities, Emotional control Rules of public conduct, Moral values.

Somewhere around the age of two or three, children in our society first encounter the media as an agent of socialization in the form of TV. Socialization comes through from children's shows, cartoons, and, most especially, commercials.specifically acts to be an agent of socialization (e.g., children's programs such as Sesame Street) but most only strive to be entertainment. Today the media seriously challenges the family. Children spend as much or more time in front of the TV as interacting with parents. Messages and values carried by the media are powerful and seductive. Many of those messages and values challenge or directly contradict what parent's teach their children. Media influence continues and strengthens in adolescence based on a merger of teen subculture, pop culture (music & movies), and corporate marketing. Sports, increasingly a branch of marketing, become especially influential for teenage boys. The internet (web pages, e-mail, chat rooms) have emerged as another media source important to teens, again especially boys . The power of the media declines in adult years but still remains strong. Pop culture continues strong but loses its subculture support. Sports and the internet continue as agents of socialization, especially for males. News (both TV and print) emerge as new agent of socialization in the adult years.Peer Groups Peers are people of roughly the same age (same stage of development and maturity), similar social identity, and close social proximity. They're friends, buddies, pals, troops, etc. Typically, children encounter peer group influence around age three or so. Usually these are neighbors, family members, or day care mates. With peers, the child begins to broaden his or her circle of influence to people outside of the immediate family. Often peer interaction in the earliest years is closely supervised by parents so it tends to parallel

and reinforce what is learned in the family. What is added to socialization, even in these closely supervised situations, are social skills in group situation with social equals. Before this time children basically dealt with people in a superior position. As childhood progresses, peer group interactions become more autonomous (less observed and supervised by adults). The lessons learned also progress from basic rules of group interaction to more complex strategies of negotiation, dominance, leadership, cooperation, compromise, etc. These lessons are learned first in play and later through games. Peers also establish the platform for children to begin challenging the dominant power of parents and family. In adolescence, peer group relationships become extremely important, rising up to directly challenge the family. In direct alliance with the media, teenage peers form their own subculture. They learn how to navigate the complexities and nuances of group interaction largely without adult guidance or supervision. Peer group socialization also becomes linked to puberty and the all important role of sexuality and sexual relations in life. Peer groups are where teens largely learn about sex and being sexual and practice the skills of sexuality. Paralleling this, the gender role socialization begun in the family is extended, deepened, and reinforced. In the adult years the demands of work and family overwhelm most peer group relations and the influence of peers seriously declines as an agent of socialization, only to return during the elderly years.