Personal socialization is the process of integrating a person into the social system by mastering norms, rules, skills and knowledge that will help him function normally in society. If the behavior of animals is determined by instincts, then a person needs socialization for normal life.
In the online program “Self-Knowledge” you will be able to find out your characteristics, strengths and weaknesses and adjust the vector of your development.
Types and phases of socialization
There are two basic types of socialization:
- Primary socialization. This is the period of socialization from birth to the formation of a mature personality. It is of exceptional importance because... is the foundation for further socialization of the individual. The main source of primary socialization is the family. The child adopts the behavior patterns of his parents, their worldviews, etc. The first idea of behavior in society is laid down by the family. Friends and school are also important sources of primary socialization. A person at any age depends on the influence of the environment, and in childhood this manifests itself especially strongly. An individual can continue to follow the rules and norms that he learned in childhood for a long time.
- Secondary socialization. This is a kind of degeneration in social terms. A person gets rid of some old patterns of behavior and worldviews and forms new ones. This process occurs throughout life.
There are also additional types of socialization:
- Group – socialization within a specific group, for example, in the company of friends.
- Gender – the acquisition of specific social knowledge and skills of male or female gender.
- Early – socialization that does not correspond to the current level of development of the individual. Simply put, this is a “rehearsal” for future social roles.
- Organizational – acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to perform one’s organizational function. This is, for example, familiarization with corporate rules and norms of interaction between colleagues.
As for the phases, the main phases of personality socialization are as follows:
- The first phase is the assimilation of the values and norms of the social environment in which the individual finds himself. A person strives to fit into society.
- In the second phase, the process of self-actualization and personalization takes place. A person tries to influence other people in some way.
- In the third phase, a person integrates into a certain social group, where he gets the opportunity to reveal his abilities and demonstrate them.
In addition, in the process of socialization a person also goes through several stages.
Socialization institutions
The main institutions of both primary and secondary socialization of an individual are the following: family, preschool institutions, school, informal associations, educational groups, ethnic group, religion to which the person belongs, the sphere of his professional interests (for example, a manufacturing enterprise and other place of work ).
Definition 1
Thus, the institution of socialization is directly the environment through which the processes of transfer of experience, value systems, norms and rules of behavior are carried out.
The family is the most basic and primary institution of socialization. Parents and primary educators instill in the child the basic tools, orientations and rules of action in the social world. They are also the ones who convey to him spiritual and material values, laying in him the initial socialization project that a person will implement throughout his life.
The next institution of socialization is an informal group. Throughout his life, an individual, going beyond the family institution, meets and interacts with a large number of people. Some connections are formal (with teachers at schools and universities, with the employer and other colleagues), and some are informal. These include friendly companies and friendly relationships.
Within the framework of this institution, an individual can gain both positive knowledge and experience and negative ones. Often, an informal group has non-traditional values that contradict the value guidelines of society. They are called subcultures, and their distinctive feature is pronounced deviation and antisocial behavior.
Within formal groups, the individual absorbs professional experience. A formal team can carry values and transmit the experience of different social groups:
- Ethnic - belonging to any ethnic group, people, compliance with their traditions and customs, as well as norms of behavior, symbols, clothing;
- Religious – adherence to a particular religion, observance of cults, commandments, rules, tolerant attitude towards representatives of other religions, transmission of religious values to the rest of society;
- Professional – identifying oneself with a profession, choosing an activity that will bring not only material benefits, but also moral satisfaction. The opportunity for self-realization through professional and creative activities.
Stages of the process of personality socialization according to Erikson
Erik Erikson is a renowned developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst. According to him, there are the following stages of the socialization process:
| 1 | Infancy (from birth to one and a half years). At the earliest stage of socialization, the formation of basic trust in the world occurs. The main role in this is played by the child’s mother, and the dynamics of the development of trust depend on her. If there is too little communication with the mother, the child’s psychological development will slow down. |
| 2 | Early childhood (from 1.5 to 4 years). The child’s independence and autonomy are being formed. The child begins to walk, can already clean up his toys, etc. Parents gradually teach their child to be neat and tidy. |
| 3 | Childhood (from 4 to 6 years). During the game, the child develops a sense of enterprise and initiative, he develops his creativity, memory, logical thinking, and gains ideas about the interaction of people with each other. He is actively expanding the scope of his knowledge about the world. If you deprive a child of the opportunity to develop and socialize through play, this will be reflected in passivity, lack of initiative and lack of self-confidence in the future. |
| 4 | Junior school age (from 6 to 11 years). At this stage, socialization no longer occurs only with the participation of parents. The school introduces the child to the norms of behavior, and in communicating with classmates he receives the social experience he needs. Success or failure in studies can affect the further development of the individual. If, for example, a child is unable to study, and instead of help he receives reproaches from teachers and parents, this can lead to uncertainty, loss of interest in studies and even a feeling of inferiority. |
| 5 | Adolescence (from 11 to 20 years). At this stage, the individual is very concerned about how he appears to the people around him. This is partly due to puberty. A teenager faces the need to self-determinate and find his professional calling. |
| 6 | Youth (from 21 to 25 years old). A person is looking for a life partner, actively interacting with other people, especially within his social group. Feelings of closeness and unity with other people appear, and often the individual begins to identify himself with a social group. At the same time, due to an identity crisis, a person often feels lonely and isolated. |
| 7 | Maturity (from 25 to 55-60 years). A person invests himself in what he loves and develops a sense of identity. Interaction with other people, especially children, is of great importance. |
| 6 | Old age (from 55-60 years to death). This stage is characterized by rethinking one’s life and reflecting on the past years. A person understands that life is coming to an end. In this regard, he can distance himself from what is happening around him. |
Of course, this topic is much broader and more interesting, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to talk about everything in one article. However, what has been said is already quite enough to get an idea of socialization, as well as draw certain conclusions about your development and the development of your children.
We hope you found this article helpful. We wish you success!
We also recommend reading:
- Storytelling
- Social groups: signs, types, functions
- Social setting
- Genetic psychology
- Types and forms of education: a brief educational program
- “I-concept”: characteristics, features, meaning
- Personality criteria
- Piaget's theory of cognitive development
- Formation of self-awareness
- Socialization, or How to become a person, not Mowgli
- Psychosocial development theory
Key words:1Self-knowledge
History of the understanding of socialization in the works of philosophers
Personal socialization is a complex process of relationships between the individual and his environment, therefore the understanding of this process is ambiguous.
The socialization of the individual in philosophy is considered as a system of relations between the individual and the outside world.
Note 1
The issue of a philosophical understanding of socialization was considered by ancient Greek philosophers. For example, Plato considered the process of personality formation as the education of a person by the state in the interests of the latter. Aristotle also believed that the education and development of the individual is the central task of the state. The result of such state education should be a free and independent person included in society.
Are you an expert in this subject area? We invite you to become the author of the Directory Working Conditions
Philosophers of the ancient period considered socialization as a person’s readiness to perform social functions.
In modern times, socialization was considered as a person’s self-identification, his desire to create and transform the outside world.
The Age of Enlightenment noted the influence of social conditions on the individual development of man and his personality. So, John Locke We have already completed an essay
John Locke noted in more detail that knowledge is formed from social experience, the volume and content of which depends on upbringing and living conditions.
Based on the philosophical and pedagogical views of D. Locke, the French philosopher of the 18th century. a test on this topic
Option 9. K. A. Helvetius “On Man” argued in more detail that a person is formed only under the influence of environment and upbringing. Both Locke and Helvetius, focusing on the role of the environment in human development, paid serious attention to the importance of the sociocultural factor in education.
Finished works on a similar topic
Course work Socialization of personality in philosophy 470 ₽ Abstract Socialization of personality in philosophy 220 ₽ Test work Socialization of personality in philosophy 230 ₽
Receive completed work or specialist advice on your educational project Find out the cost
J.-J. Rousseau also notes the dependence of man and his development on the environment, upbringing and other conditions of society. Education is carried out by society taking into account the equal rights of all people to self-determination and the realization of their potential.
German classical philosophy also does not ignore the idea of the social essence of man. So, I. Kant We have already completed an essay
Immanuel Kant believed in more detail that a person becomes a part of society as a result of a directed process of awareness of the interests of society and social norms. Scientific knowledge should help make a person a part of society.
an essay on this topic
G. Hegel and his contribution to philosophy distinguishes in more detail two sides of a person’s personality - individual and social. A person needs to find a path that will allow him to transform from a natural being into a spiritual, social one.
L. Feuerbach reveals the essence of man as the unity of man with man, through communication. He believed that a person in communication self-realizes and socializes. a test on this topic
K. Marx and F. Engels noted in more detail that the involvement of a person in the system of social relations is an important condition for the formation of his personality. From these positions, it became possible to see the social development of an individual as an interaction between the individual and society, as a two-way process.
Russian philosophers also noted the interaction between man and the world. A.N. Radishchev believed that a person needs social connections. A person’s ability to empathize, be sensitive, and be sensitive to the interests of others were considered a natural gift.
Note 2
Thus, the main idea of philosophers is the connection between the development of the individual and external social factors and the conditioning of the development of the individual by interaction with society.
Socialization in modern Western philosophy
Modern Western philosophy views socialization within the framework of psychoanalysis and interactionism.
Approaches to socialization can be divided into two groups, the basis of which is the passivity or activity of the individual in the process of relationships with the environment, as well as the position of an object or subject occupied by the individual:
- Adaptive socialization concept
- The concept of emphasizing subject-subject relationships.
Representatives of the biological movement believe that personality development is carried out under the influence of the internal nature of a person. Representatives of the sociological movement, on the contrary, believe that socialization is a product of interpersonal relationships.
Separately, we should highlight E. Durkheim, who believed that a person’s personality is formed in society in the process of adaptation to culture in accordance with the accepted norms and ideals of this society. He believed that through parents and relatives, a child can develop the necessary skills for existence.
Interactionism views socialization as the process of a person’s assimilation of a system of certain social roles.
J. Mead identifies three stages of socialization:
- imitation or imitation of children by adults
- game stage or understanding of actions as role playing
- stages of group play or understanding group expectations
Socialization factors
We have figured out what socialization is, and it’s time to find out what factors influence the process of its formation. Today, the factors studied are combined into four separate groups.
- Megafactors. A set of global factors that affect the entire population of the Earth.
- Macro factors. Factors affecting the population of a particular state, nationality or ethnic groups living in a certain territory, and guided by common principles.
- Mesofactors. Impact factors at the level of individual groups of people, for example, living in the same locality, belonging to a common subculture, and so on.
- Microfactors. A set of phenomena that directly affect an individual from his immediate environment, for example, family members, classmates at school, public organizations, religious associations.
