Essay on Socialization!

Socialization is the process through which the individual learns to

become an accepted member of the society. At birth the neonate is
neither social nor unsocial. Because of this helplessness at birth he has
to depend on other social beings for his care and welfare. As he grows
in a social environment and in a social context, he develops various
types of behaviour which are called social and gradually grows to
become a social animal.

The interaction of the baby with his environment and particularly

mother helps him in the above process. Thus the learning to adopt to
the social norms, values and standards is called socialization.

The human organism is a byproduct of the society and social force.

The manner in which the human child learns to become an accepted
member of the society is called the socialization process. Anyone who
does not accept or follow the dos and donots, rules and regulations,
values and norms of the society is not called a socialised individual.

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The socialization of the child takes place through action and reaction
between the child and other individual members of the society. The
child begins interaction with his mother first, then with his father and
subsequently with other members of the family.

The process of socialization is quite complex. It involves the

multiplicity of processes as it involves the multiplicity of social norms.
It involves the various roles which the individual has to play in order
to fulfil the expectations of the society. Not only the parental influence,
and the influence of other adults but also the neighbourhood is of
tremendous value in the socialization of the child.

Through the process of socialization the various values, codes, norms

and mores of the society become a part of his personality, part of his
personal values. When he accepts these willingly rather than as a
matter of compulsion he is said to be socialized. The child’s behaviour
is modified and remodified to conform to the expectations held by the
members of the groups of which he is a member.

During the first three four years and before attending school the child
is trained to meet the expectations of family members.

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They teach him to follow the socially accepted behavioural patterns

which are considered as good and reject unacceptable behavioural
patterns which are considered as bad. But when he is admitted to a
preschool or a nursery school or a primary school, he is also influenced
by teachers and friends.

The child learns to adjust with a wider world of school teachers, class
mates and play mates and a host of other persons. He learns the social
norms, how to behave with the teachers and show respect to them,
how to deal with the class mates. In this way as he grows and grows
and reaches adulthood he comes across varied agents of socialization
who mould his personality in the manner the society wants.

Not only the parental influence and the influence of the other adults
also the neighbourhood is of tremendous value in the socialization of
the child. Besides the effects of books, radio, TV and motion pictures
are of tremendous value for the moral and social development of the
child.

The child is socialized on the basis of his past and present experiences.
Thus family, neighbourhood peers, playmates and classmates etc.
mould the personality of the child according to the pattern of the
society. Fundamentally socialization is possible through affiliation.

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The early helplessness of the baby makes him dependent upon others.
So he has to affiliate himself with others for his living. Love, comfort,
respect, power, achievement and other secondary needs cannot be
satisfied in isolation. Hence the child acquires many needs through
social and affiliation learning which leads to socialization.

Major Features of the Process of Socialization:

The process of socialization is a continuous one. It continues from
birth till death. Results of various experimental studies, observations
of children in day-to-day life, interviews with parents, studies in
different cultures taken together point out the major aspects of the
process of socialization.

The dependency of the new born infant, the need for affiliation, the
role of the reference group, the need for education and therefore
admission to school, the effect of reward and punishment imposed by
the parents, school and the society, delay in fulfilment of needs,
desires and wishes, identification with the loved ones all have their
respective roles in the socialization of the human infant.

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The infant’s dependence upon the mother for food, care and nursing
provides the essential condition for socialization of personality. But
the help of reinforcement certain responses of the child are rewarded
and certain other responses are not rewarded. Sometimes, the child is
punished for not following the dos of the society. In this manner the
dependent and helpless child is taught to be a member of the society.

The child also learns many values and traditions through imitation
and incidental learning since parents do not always teach like a
teacher. When a child sees that his mother is lying at the feet of God or
Goddess he also does the same. When a child sees his mother showing
her respect to a senior person by bowing her head she also learns to do
the same.

Sears (1957) is of opinion that through dependence the process of

identification develops. The desire to identify occurs when the child is
given food and love and such reinforcements are periodically
withdrawn so that the child will be rewarded by reproducing the
mother’s behaviours.

The child also depends upon his parents and close family members for
various informations about his surrounding and about the world at
large. He also needs their help to clarify certain matters and to fulfil
his curiosity. For this he has to obey them and follow what they say.

The need for affiliation also develops out of dependency. The desire to
remain with others and be happy when one is in a group is an outcome
of the helplessness of the child during early period. The desire to
remain with others throughout one’s life has a direct link with the
process of socialization.

Schachter (1959) found that isolation produces fear and affiliation

reduces fear. Thus he concluded that persons with higher fear would
affiliate more than those with low fears as through affiliation man tries
to reduce his emotion of fear.

When a child grows up his socialization process is subject to the

influence of outside agents of the society like the play group, teachers
and peers. Now he becomes a member of several groups and clubs.
Those groups which strongly influence the child are called the
reference groups. The individual evaluates himself through the
reference groups which serves as the standard for him.

New Comb (1943) while finding out the changes in the attitude of
students that accompanied socialisation in a college observed the
important role of reference group on socialisation. Sherif and Sherif
(1964) also observe that like the family group, the reference groups
influence the conduct of the individual.

The reference group serves as a norm, standard or model for the

individual. The growing children and adolescents become a member of
many groups and are influenced by the action, model ideal and values
of such groups. A reference group serves as a standard for evaluation.
Out of the socialisation process the ‘self’ develops. The individual then
learns to perceive himself and his self concept affects his social
behaviour. A person perceives himself from three aspects i.e. from the
cognitive, effective and behavioural components. His self concept
becomes ultimately a source of motivation to him. The self concept
develops out of the interaction of the individual with others.

When others say some one beautiful, sincere and intelligent, he

develops a positive self concept and when people start saying negative
things about one’s action and behaviour, he develops a negative self
concept. A person who becomes regularly unsuccessful in examination
perceives himself as academically poor. Thus the self concept develops
through the process of social interaction and socialization.

When others say that he is an excellent boy he perceives himself as

such and tries to repeat these characteristics in future which have
brought him praise and reward. Those actions which bring him blame
are given up and unlearned. A person who continuously become
unsuccessful in an interview also develops negative self-image and
inferiority complex.

The development of self therefore depends on continuous learning

unlearning and releasing. Through the process of adjustment and
readjustment the individual’s self is socialised.

Some have tried to compare the process of socialization with the

procedures by which many human beings using raw materials
construct automobiles. Many human beings interacting with the raw
organism, the human infant, turn him to a socialized personality.

Nevertheless personality is not a mechanical by product of the society.

Socialization is never a passive process and no personality is a
mechanical by product of the society. A number of automobiles of
similar type are produced using raw materials.

But no two human personalities are equal. Every personality is unique

by itself. Every in the same family two brothers may have totally
different personalities. One brother may have a very high social status
while the other may be a delinquent and disgrace to the society.

Since no two personalities in the world are identically equal it would

be erroneous to compare living human infants with the raw materials
of automobiles which are dead materials.

When an infant undergoes the process of socialization he reacts in

diverse ways. Sometimes he resists rules, regulations, traditions and
customs of the society. At home, during training of feeding habits,
there may be conflict between the child and the mother.

The child may resist to take certain types of good, to wear dresses of
certain designs, he may like to go naked in summer, he may not like to
follow certain traditions and customs which do not give him pleasure.

Sometimes a child may find it difficult to adjust with the demands and
the needs of the society. He may find it difficult to control his
emotions. If he is scolded by parents he is adviced to remain silent. He
is not allowed to react. When he feels hungry he is not allowed to eat.
He is allowed to eat only at a schedu