1. What are the different types of socialization you could identify in Dr Kalam’s story?

Primary Socialization: As a child, Dr Kalam learnt many values, norms, and behaviors from
his family. He learnt how to be honest and self-disciplined from his father. His mother taught
to have faith in goodness and deep kindness while, his elder brother provided him the valuable
lesson of being selfless and thinking about others, not just himself.

Secondary Socialization: This refers to the social training that a child receives from an
institutional setting. Schwartz Higher School, Ramanathapuram, and Saint Joseph’s College,
Tiruchirappalli where Kalam received education in different stages of his life can be
recognized as his secondary socialization. There he learnt how to work methodically with
dedication towards studies in order to achieve his carrier goal successfully.

Anticipatory Socialization: Anticipatory socialization is a process where a person socializes

into a particular culture, and rehearses for future positions with the anticipation of joining to
the expected group later. Dr. Kalam entering Madras Institute of Technology with the
expectation of obtaining the required training, knowledge, and skills as an aerospace engineer
can be considered as anticipatory socialization in his life.

Developmental Socialization: This refers to acquiring of new knowledge and social skills to
perform new roles in order to perform delegated responsibilities. Dr. Kalam services at
Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development
Organization as a scientist, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as a project director,
and Defence Research and Development Organization as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the
Prime Minister could be recognized as developmental socialization phases in his life. Here, Dr.
Kalam learnt to undertake new duties and responsibilities while working with superiors and
subordinates.

Re-Socialization: Re-socialization is the process of discarding former behavior patterns and

accepting new ones as a part of a transition in one’s life. Changing Dr. Kalam’s occupation
from being an aerospace engineer to being the President of India can be considered as re-
socialization because it involves a complex journey of learning a completely new culture of
politics, which he was not used to him before.
2. Discuss how different socialization agents have contributed in various stages of Dr.
Kalam’s life with examples.

Socialization agents are a combination of social groups and institutions that plays an important
role in facilitating socialization. In Dr. kalam’s life, family, peer groups, educational
institutions, religious institutions, and workplaces can be considered as the key socialization
agents.

• Family:

Family is the first agent of socialization. Dr. Kalam was born as the youngest of four brothers
and one sister in a middle-class Tamil family. His family has contributed in developing values,
norms, and ethics from the early stages of his life. He was taught to be honest and self-
disciplined by his father, while Dr. Kalam’s mother taught him to have faith in goodness and
deep kindness. Even his brother has taught him the valuable lesson of having empathy,
selflessness and caring about others during difficult times which has immensely influenced in
building Dr. Kalam’s kind personality as “People’s President” in his later life.

• Peer groups:

Peer groups are made up of people who are similar in age and social status sharing the same
interests. One could meet and associate with many peer groups at different stages in his life.
Usually, peers have a significant influence in developing one’s social character. Ahmed
Jalluddin is one of the friends that had a great impact in Dr. Kalam’s life. Jalludin had a high
level of education and knowledge about the outside world with high English literacy. He
positively influenced Dr. Kalam’s life by helping him to broaden his horizons on different
perspectives of life and the world.

• Educational Institutions:

Educational institutions serve an important role as a socialization agent in a child’s life.

Directly or indirectly, educational institutions mold a child’s thinking pattern, behavior, and
future ambitions. Dr. Kalam had received education from both formal and informal institutions.
He used to learn mathematics in the early mornings from his teacher Swamiyar which led
towards his passion for mathematics.

Dr. Kalam received his secondary education from Schwartz Higher School, Ramanathapuram,
and from Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli. The path for Dr. Kalam’s future carrier as an
aerospace scientist was enlightened by his school teacher proving that educational institutions
had a direct impact on building Dr. Kalm’s social life.

• Religious institutions:

Religious institutions play an important role in society. Religions help people to be more kind,
helpful, empathetic and have a greater understanding of life. Dr. Kalam, was a Muslim,
therefore, he used to visit the mosque and then to the Arabic school to learn the Quran every
day as a child. It immensely helped Dr. Kalam to develop values, morals, and empathy towards
others during his later life, especially when he acted as the president of India from 2002 to
2007.

• Workplaces:

One’s workplace also plays a major role as a socialization agent. It provides onboard
experience to its employees in acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors.
Working as a scientist in the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence
Research and Development Organization in Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as a
project director, and Defence Research and Development Organization as the Chief Scientific
Adviser to the Prime Minister helped Dr. Kalam to improve his leadership, communication,
and human skills in addition to the technical skills. It is clear that the skills Dr. Kalam
developed as an organizational head helped him during his presidency since he was loved and
appreciated by every citizen.
3. “Socialization is significant for both individuals and society.” Discuss the significance
of socialization towards individual development, presenting insights from Dr Kalam’s
life story.

Socialization is the process where an individual learns the habits, skills, beliefs, and standard
of judgment that is necessary for his effective participation as a responsible member of society.
Accordingly, socialization is significant for the development of both individuals and society.
The significance of socialization towards individual development can be recognized from Dr.
Kalam’s life story as follows.

Socialization plays a main role in sharpening an individual’s character and personality. As

well depicted through Dr. Kalam’s story, the morals and values one learns as a child directly
impact his future personality. Dr. Kalam was taught to be honest, kind, and selfless by his
family which led to the development of his character with an empathetic personality. It is clear
since he was known as the “People’s President”. Moreover, socialization helps an individual
to become disciplined. The lesson of discipline Dr. Kalam received as a child from his father
had a great impact on his life. Being an enthusiastic hard-working student, respecting others,
and being a leader in his carrier as an aerospace engineer in different organizations shows the
level of discipline that Dr. Kalam maintained during his life.

Moreover, socialization helps to develop the right aspiration in life. The best example could
be quoted as where Dr. kalam’s teacher guided and directed him on the right path to be an
aerospace engineer by recognizing his desires and passion towards flying. It is clear that
socialization also provides the necessary skills and knowledge towards individual
development. In Dr. Kalm’s life, different socialization agents such as educational institutions
including school, university, and also the peers like Jalluddin helped him to gather knowledge
and widened his horizons. During the development socialization stage, the social agents such
as workplaces where he worked as a scientist and a project director contributed to developing
his skills to become a successful person in life.

Overall socialization provides the scope for building a bright future. Socialization has
helped in Dr, kalam’s life in order to be successful not only as an aerospace engineer but also
as the president of India and a lecturer by providing him with the correct set of social skills
during different stages of his life.

In life, it is important to enact and adapt to different roles in society. Socialization plays an
important role in helping to recognize the duties and responsibilities embedded within each
role an individual plays during his life. Dr. Kalam learnt to play the role of a responsible son
with the advice of his elder brother in a difficult time. Being affectionately called as “People’s
President” proves that Dr. Kalam was well-developed as a kind and empathetic individual
under the guidance of his mother. Moreover, the anticipatory and developmental socialization
stages helped Dr. Kalam to adapt to his new role as an aerospace engineer more easily. Thus,
it is clear that different stages of socialization and the socialization agents acting in them helps
an individual to adapt to different roles in society.

Most importantly, socialization is vital in order to convert a man from a biological man into
a social being. When a human is born, he is a biological being without any idea about society’s
values and norms. Socialization agents in different stages of socialization mold a child into a
social being. Just like others, Dr. Kalam was also impacted to be a social being by his family,
school, peers, religious institutions, and workplaces during different stages of his life as a son,
student, employee, teacher, and president.

In conclusion, it is clear that socialization is significant towards both individual and social
development. Socialization and its agents play a vital role in developing an individual’s
personality, discipline, knowledge, skills, behavior, and thinking pattern converting a man
from a biological being to a social being with a purpose of existence.