What is socialization?
Socialization is the adaptation of a person to a social role in society. Let us examine in detail what personal socialization is, from the point of view of the individual’s adaptation to living conditions.
Personal socialization is an extremely popular topic in psychology. Social psychologists study the relationship between the individual and society. They observe how a person adapts under the conditions of established rules, values and orientations in society. When people integrate into a social structure, they change themselves and change the structure itself.
The term “socialization” in a close to modern meaning was introduced by the American psychologist F. Giddings in his work “The Theory of Socialization” (1887). According to Giddings' theory, socialization can be understood as the process of development and preparation of “human material” for life in society. The problems of socialization began to be actively studied in the 30s of the last century. Even in the mid-twentieth century, socialization was considered only an interdisciplinary field of science. Today, social psychology is a popular direction in human studies.
The term “socialization” is not always interpreted unambiguously. For example, Sigmund Freud believed that man is driven by his desires and reflexes. Followers of Freud's teachings tend to consider socialization exclusively the adaptation of innate behavioral attitudes to living conditions in society.
Socialization refers to the process in which a person, as he becomes familiar with social rules and traditions, integrates into society. Socialization is seen as a two-way process. On the one hand, the individual assimilates certain social experiences and enters the environment. On the other hand, a person, through his activities, influences the social environment into which he enters.
The process of socialization depends on many factors: the people around them (their age, intellectual level, etc.), a person’s own experience, characteristics of the “habitat,” upbringing, culture.
The process of socialization takes place simultaneously with the formation of personality. Socialization of an individual is an important component of his well-being and normal life in society.
Goals and objectives
The goal of socialization is the formation of a responsible and socially active generation, whose actions are regulated by social norms and public interests. It solves three main problems:
- integrates the individual into society;
- promotes the interaction of people through their assimilation of social roles;
- preserves society through the production and transmission of culture from generation to generation.
Socialization is the result of a person’s mastery and active use of traditional sociocultural heritage while maintaining and developing their individuality.
Types of personality socialization
Let's look at what socialization is like using examples of the most common types.
1. Primary socialization.
Primary socialization begins from the first minutes of a person’s life and lasts until adulthood. Primary socialization is the basis for the formation of the relationship between man and society.
Varieties of primary socialization - upbringing, children's games, studying at school and university, obtaining a specialty. Initial socialization largely depends on the family, where the child begins to receive his first knowledge about everything that surrounds him, and where this “environment” is given certain assessments.
Foreign studies have found that children whose parents treated them with warmth and understanding, while controlling their behavior, in adulthood became inquisitive, friendly and had a high level of self-confidence, maturity and independence.
Education is actually identified with socialization. The child is very susceptible to the attitudes adopted in the family. In most cases, parents are models and teachers for children in the field of relationships between people. Children internalize the value orientations accepted by their parents. A small family member develops “signal heredity” - behavioral stereotypes through imitation of adults. In most cases, children follow the norms and rules accepted in the family, accept family values and express existing “family” assessments of various events. Usually such “nested” stereotypes are very stable.
The behavior of parents determines a person’s attitude towards the surrounding reality. If the family has a negative attitude towards some social phenomenon or event, the child projects this opinion. For example, the boy’s father has an extremely negative attitude, with aggression and condemnation, towards representatives of sexual minorities. The father tries to instill in his son maximum brutality, to raise him strong and courageous. Most likely, the son of such a person will follow the vector of upbringing and will have the same attitudes as his father. However, in such situations there are exceptions. Under certain circumstances, in families with intolerance to same-sex love, children become representatives of sexual minorities.
Psychologists believe that socialization takes place most intensely in childhood and adolescence. During this period, basic value orientations are assimilated. During primary socialization, children learn how to behave, communicate, act, and react to different situations. At this stage, the child develops shame and guilt associated with the reactions of other people.
Primary socialization depends on the educational institution and the organization of the educational process in it. The relationships accepted at school or preschool educational institution become factors in the socialization of the child.
If the educational environment takes into account the child's activity level and is able to meet these needs, then this contributes to development and positive socialization. If kindergarten teachers force an active child to “calm down and sit up straight,” then there will be no harmonious personality development. A child whose activity has been suppressed may develop into a socially maladapted, anxious personality.
During primary socialization, a person is included in social relationships, and at the same time his psyche develops. If a child is deprived of experience of social interaction with other people, this negatively affects the formation of personality.
If a child has not developed social skills and abilities to the required extent, then this is called social neglect. Let us remember the so-called “Mowgli children” who were raised by animals. Such children did not know how to speak, sit, eat at the table, dress, or wash. When they are returned to human society, a long process of adaptation begins; for a long time, children continue to behave as before. The earlier social neglect is detected, the easier it is to change everything and return a person to society, to normal life in society.
2. Secondary socialization is known to many under another name - resocialization. It is easy to understand what resocialization is if you understand how the word was formed. The first part “re” - translated from Latin means “repeat, anew”, hence resocialization is the process of a person’s adaptation to new conditions. At this stage, changes occur that adapt a person to new conditions.
A striking example of resocialization is emigration - the move of a person to another country, where the customs, traditions, political and economic are different than in the place where the person lived previously. There is a weakening of connections or a break with a past life. Habitual living conditions are changing. A person is exposed to new concepts, there is a need to study the features of a new way of life and integrate into a new society. It happens that people in exile fail to complete the socialization process, and a person lives with the feeling that he is a “stranger” here.
Child psychologists highlight resocialization when a child enters a family from an orphanage. In the family, all the needs and desires of the child are satisfied quickly, whereas previously they had to wait their turn. In such cases, resocialization occurs abruptly, and not always smoothly and painlessly. This is why psychological preparation of parents who want to take a child from an orphanage is so important.
Secondary socialization, when people move to another group, society, society, is the most difficult. During secondary socialization, many psychological problems arise; specialists deal with them.
Resocialization of convicts is the social adaptation of a person after release from prison, the main goal is to minimize the negative consequences of isolation.
The Large Legal Dictionary calls resocialization the process of re-"getting used to" the convicted person into the value system existing in society.
Resocialization of convicts is the restoration of the “person-society” connection, establishing contacts, and facilitating entry into society. To resocialize a convicted person, it is necessary to change his psychology and worldview and the consent of society to accept him. It is believed that the main source of resocialization for a released convict is his family. That is why prisoners who have served their sentences and have lost their family and family relationships are at risk.
Resocialization of those convicted by law begins long before release. In places of detention, to correct and prevent them from committing repeated crimes, “corrective influence” is used - regime, community service, educational work, social influence, vocational training and education. Statistics show that criminals who received a higher education while in prison are five times less likely to commit repeated crimes after release.
The concepts of rehabilitation and resocialization of convicts should not be confused. Rehabilitation is the restoration of a person’s rights. Resocialization is the process of adaptation of an individual to the social environment. It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of desocialization and resocialization. Desocialization is the unlearning of old norms, rules of behavior, social roles and values. With resocialization, the next stage of acceptance and assimilation of new norms and values takes place to replace the old ones.
Secondary socialization is an ongoing process during which old life attitudes and behavior patterns are replaced by new ones. For example, secondary professional socialization occurs when a person needs to learn new skills and abilities to implement professional activities.
Socialization in adulthood is formed on the basis of life experience and against the backdrop of changing conditions in society. When a need arises for resocialization (mastering new knowledge and skills instead of old ones), a person in adulthood may experience deep personal feelings about his professional inadequacy and unsuitability. In addition, resocialization requires additional energy expenditure.
3. Proactive Socialization
Proactive socialization is when a person tries to change or adjust the model of his social behavior in order to secure a new role in society or easy accession to a new group in society. In this case, the person is preparing for a new social position. Or he needs to be accepted in a social group or society that is different from where the person is at the moment. This may be the so-called “high society” - an environment where in order to fit in you will need to increase your status and position.
The concept of anticipatory or anticipatory socialization was first defined by the American sociologist, the founding father of modern sociology, Robert King Merton. Based on a study of the American Armed Forces (1949), the scientist found that enlisted soldiers who modeled the behavior of officers in their attitudes and behavior were much more likely to be promoted than those who modeled their behavior as privates.
Medical students who try to behave like qualified doctors, people in adulthood preparing for retirement, an ordinary employee “trying on” the chair of a manager, preparing to take a higher position - all these are examples of proactive socialization.
The desire of parents to find out the gender of the child before his birth can also be considered a manifestation of proactive socialization. Knowing who will be born - a boy or a girl - prepares the future mother and father to interact with the child in a certain way.
One of the methods of selecting employees in organizations is proactive socialization. In this case, when selecting and appointing a specific position, the employee’s promotion plan at work, his professional and career growth are taken into account.
4. Organizational socialization
Many people have to deal with organizational socialization. Modern corporate culture requires maximum immersion of employees in the philosophy, image and mission of the company.
Organizational socialization presupposes a person’s comfortable “entry” into the organization: his training in performance standards, the formation of contacts, and adherence to the corporate “spirit” of the company. In addition, in any work rules and behavioral standards that must be followed while performing their duties.
Familiarization with all components makes it easier for workers to adapt to a professional environment and makes their work more efficient and effective. The success of each employee is determined not only by the content of the work, but also by the social conditions in which this work is carried out. Organizational socialization also aims employees at long-term cooperation by forming the foundations of certain corporate behavior, training and identifying individual abilities.
There is also a reverse process to organizational socialization. Its name is individualization, when the active actions of certain employees are aimed at changing the corporate culture of the company. This usually happens when an employee, holding a high position, has the opportunity to influence the social system, and his actions come into conflict with the principles and fundamentals of the company.
The process of organizational socialization is aimed at the relationship between the interests of the individual and the company. The stability and efficiency of an organization depends on how well it is able to socialize new and old employees. The success of socialization determines how a person will work, how his interaction with other employees will be structured, and how productive his work will be.
Ideal socialization in an organization leads a person to success. And achievements in work in this case will be felt as success in life.
5. Group socialization
People's personalities are always formed through interaction. This can be seen in group socialization. A person living in society is included in various social groups. This is group socialization, examples are a company of friends, a work team, a group of students. In each group, a person has some position and status. In each team, a person masters a certain role; this is an important component of the socialization of the individual.
Thus, group socialization is when the process of adaptation occurs in a certain group, in a community. In such conditions, people actively accept the models, norms and standards of behavior adopted within this group. In the process of group socialization, a person adapts to the orderliness and peculiarities of interaction between people in a group. Members of groups develop common (group) habits, develop certain identical manners of behavior and similar communication etiquette. In the process of socialization, each group member develops his role function.
An example of group socialization is a sports team or any community where participants are united by the same idea, the same lifestyle and interests.
The complexity of group socialization lies in the fact that each person, in one way or another, is a member of various public social groups. And each such group has its own foundations and rules. Therefore, additional socialization awaits a person in every society.
In the process of socialization, a teenager belongs to several groups. The values that are instilled at school often differ from the attitudes accepted in his company of peers. Sometimes such differences lead to internal conflict and make the child worry about such “disagreements.” But at the same time, such experiences and the search for the right attitudes lead to the self-development of the individual.
An example of how important the role of the group is in the socialization of the individual is service in the army. A young man, having barely reached conventional maturity, follows the strict conditions of army life for a long time. Along with the honorable task of acquiring skills in the service of the Fatherland, young people sometimes gain invaluable experience of living in difficult conditions. Military service helps many children with social adaptation in civilian life. The young man returns from the army noticeably stronger physically, disciplined and independent.
Mechanisms
Every society has socialization mechanisms through which people convey information about social reality to each other. In sociological terms, there are some “translators” of social experience. These are means that transmit accumulated experience from generation to generation, contributing to the fact that each new generation begins to socialize. Such translators include various sign systems, cultural elements, educational systems, and social roles. Socialization mechanisms are divided into two categories: socio-psychological and socio-pedagogical.
Socio-psychological mechanisms:
- Imprinting is the imprinting of information on the receptor and subconscious levels. More common in infancy.
- Existential pressure - the assimilation of language and norms of behavior at an unconscious level.
- Imitation is following a model, voluntary or involuntary.
- Reflection is an internal dialogue during which a person critically thinks about and then accepts or rejects certain social values.
Social and pedagogical mechanisms:
- Traditional - a person’s assimilation of prevailing stereotypes, which occurs, as a rule, at an unconscious level.
- Institutional - triggered by a person’s interaction with various institutions and organizations.
- Stylized - functions when included in any subcultures.
- Interpersonal - turns on whenever there is contact with persons who are subjectively significant to a person.
Stages of personality socialization
Soviet psychologist L.S. Vygotsky, who left behind an outstanding scientific legacy, identified the following stages of socialization:
- Early - psychogenetic - is when the first forms of need satisfaction are developed.
- Middle - symbolic, figurative - when habitual actions are influenced by symbols and sounds.
- The highest - intellectual - when a person controls himself and other people with the help of his learned experience, while simultaneously acquiring new skills.
Socialization is a natural process; it is subject to the laws of social development. The initial stages of human socialization take place in childhood.
In adulthood, people continue to socialize. As an example, a new place of work and associated changes in life. Changing jobs is almost always stressful for a person, even if the person does not think so. In a new place you have to get used to the conditions and people again. If a person is a socialized person, then the process of adaptation and adaptation to the conditions of society, from the point of view of psychology, proceeds much easier. Here a lot depends on the person himself, how much of an accomplished person he is. But no less important is organizational socialization, which was discussed above.
The process of socialization of an individual occurs throughout life. A person changes his attitudes, behavior patterns, and adapts to new conditions. Characteristic criteria for socialization in adulthood are stabilization of personal qualities and adjustment of one’s own lifestyle. In maturity, there is a re-evaluation of what has been lived. At this time, a person more often begins to think about the meaning of life and look for ways for self-realization in society.
American psychiatrist, MD Roger Gould believed that the socialization of an adult is the processing and overcoming of psychological attitudes that developed in childhood. He argued that the main thing in adult socialization is to overcome the childhood belief that everyone should take care of you. The scientist believed that at the stage of socialization in adulthood it is necessary to dispel the “illusion of security” formed in childhood. As a result, realistic expectations will be formed, people will become less vulnerable, kinder and more tolerant.
In moments of crisis, when the stable development of society is disrupted and people’s living conditions change, a lot of negativity appears in socialization. During difficult periods, a person’s self-preservation instincts “switch on,” selfishness becomes more pronounced, and alienation and disunity become more pronounced.
It is believed that progressive, developed individuals are not inclined to fully accept the principles imposed on them. Such individuals will try to form their own life position and value system, independent of the generally accepted one.
One of the most famous psychotherapists of the last century, the American scientist Milton Erickson considered several psycho-social crisis “stages” that a person experiences throughout his life. The professor called the “crisis” that young people experience in their search for sexual intimacy an important stage of socialization. If a young person does not have appropriate relationships, then this situation often leads him to isolation and withdrawal.
Recently, the Internet has had a noticeable impact on adaptive social processes. The Internet is an important factor in the socialization of an individual. The global network provides users with a variety of communication and information services. The capabilities of the network force a person to spend a lot of time in the virtual space, this affects the socialization and behavior of a person.
The Internet helps in study and work; it gives people the opportunity to learn to communicate with a large number of people and correctly express their thoughts. The Internet helps self-expression and develops a person creatively. A fundamentally new type of relationship between people has emerged on the Internet. However, there is also a downside to the influence of the Internet, associated with human socialization. People who “live” their lives online often experience dissatisfaction and difficulties in communication in real life. When real life begins to be replaced by virtual space, it turns into a social problem.
Examples of personality socialization
We figured out why socialization of the individual is so important and how it develops; the examples above illustrate the process at different stages.
In order to better understand the essence of socialization, I will continue to highlight the significance of this process at different stages of life.
Knowledge of social norms does not always guarantee compliance with them. A criminal steals and takes someone else’s property not because he doesn’t know that this is not contrary to the law. It’s just that the norm “you cannot appropriate someone else’s property” was not adapted and did not become the norm of this person’s behavior.
The socialization of a child begins from the first days of life. Parents try to instill certain skills in their child, teach him to evaluate his own and others’ actions, and behave in society. From birth, young children have no need to brush their teeth, eat with a spoon, clean up after themselves, or say hello to adults. But gradually such actions become the baby’s habit, and he already feels the need for them.
If we imagine a unique situation where a person lived his life in the same city, worked in the same team and lived in the same family, this does not mean at all that he will not encounter socialization. Society is constantly changing, and human adaptation occurs constantly. However, with gradual, not abrupt transformations and changes in society, human socialization proceeds slowly. During periods of global and revolutionary changes, the normal social rhythm is disrupted. At such moments, people with strong “old” attitudes and an inflexible psyche may experience psychological problems, discomfort, and confusion.
A person’s life is connected with his social position and the place he occupies in society. Being in society, communicating, people feel more important, needed, express their emotions more easily and do not suffer from loneliness.
Let's turn to the literature. Using the example of the protagonist of a novel about a shipwrecked sailor, writer Jules Verne describes a man who has lived for years in complete isolation and loneliness. Robinson Crusoe experiences different feelings: fear, joy from being saved, freedom and melancholy from lack of communication. To avoid going crazy from loneliness on a desert island, Robinson Crusoe talks to animals, fills out a calendar, and keeps a diary. But nothing replaces his communication with people.
Robinson Crusoe
It has been proven that people living outside society often feel depressed and are prone to depression. People with strong leadership qualities are less able to tolerate isolation and life outside society.
A striking example of the socialization of a child is his presence in kindergarten. Previously, parents simply “dropped” their child to kindergarten. Because everyone had to go to work and because it was customary. Today, a kindergarten or other preschool institution, where children communicate in groups, is assessed from the point of view of the socialization of children.
In a group, a preschooler gets to know people, learns about new concepts, games, patterns, tries on certain “roles”, learns to control his emotions and correctly take a place in the group. A large family and the child’s active communication in the format “with peers in the yard” partly replace attending preschool institutions. However, in single-parent families, only children, or children from disadvantaged families, psychologists recommend that they attend kindergarten.
With an unprofessional approach, disinterest or negligent attitude of kindergarten teachers towards the educational process, desocialization may occur: children cry and do not want to go to kindergarten, the child’s character deteriorates, and bad habits appear. Here parents need to be attentive and not let everything take its course. Kindergarten is just one option among many places where children learn to interact with peers and gain essential social experiences. The well-known expression that “the environment shapes” largely refers to the choice of an educational institution for a child.
It happens that the socialization of both adults and children in a new place is affected by lack of knowledge of the language. If a child does not understand well the speech (language) spoken by his peers, he experiences problems in socialization, and in a group of children he may become an outcast. As an example, children of migrants.
As a demonstration of proactive socialization, I will give an illustrative example. Often, teenagers from economically disadvantaged families or areas strive not to become scientists or artists, but drug dealers. They are usually criticized and accused of lack of motivation. But sociologists explain this phenomenon by the fact that such teenagers have virtually blocked access to the artistic or scientific environment. Therefore, young people reject the norms of this group and begin the process of proactive socialization with more “receptive” communities - they become involved in the processes alongside which their primary socialization takes place. Thus, difficult teenagers pragmatically adjust the opportunities that they have.
As soon as a person understands his gender, gender socialization begins. The right guidelines will help a girl become a woman, and a boy - a man. A simple example is that girls wear dresses and play with dolls, while boys are interested in cars and other “brutal” toys.
Deviant behavior
Deviant behavior is behavior that deviates from socially accepted norms, principles and standards.
Deviant behavior is not always a sign of something bad: for a patriarchal society, in which it is accepted, for example, that a woman does not have the right to vote, is obliged to hide her face, wear a skirt and remain silent, the behavior of an ordinary European woman will be regarded as extremely deviant, while in Europe they simply will not pay attention to it, since it fits into the standards of behavior accepted there.
The socialization of individuals can occur with disturbances, and then psychologists also talk about deviant behavior - it is because of improper socialization that people become criminals, they show a tendency to violence, cruelty, and illegal actions. Teenagers who are trying to stand out from the crowd and express their “I” also show signs of deviant behavior.
Deviant behavior is always the result of problems with the socialization of the individual, but, unfortunately, the socialization process cannot be written down as a plan and strictly followed.
