My Own Socialization: Social Processes and Links
Introduction
“No man is an island”. This saying tends to be one of the clichés always heard and said in every part of the society. It also serves to be a reminder to every individual in the society, as each seems to be interdependent and dependent on the existence of one another. In addition, this saying also serves to emphasize that organisms, most especially human beings tend to form groups in order to function better in the society. It can also be stressed that an individual who tends to dissociate him or herself from the society or from his or her group is most likely to feel loneliness and isolation. In this sense, from the moment each of us has been formed in the wombs of our mothers, each of us has already been socialized. As such, it can be perceived that the process of socialization serves to be an important milestone in the development of the personality, behavior, attitudes, and values of individuals, and determines his or her responses in the community and the larger society.
Personal Socialization: Concepts and Links
It has been reported that socialization is the process by which people learn the expectations of society, and involves learning roles and expected behavior associated with a given status in society. It is also the process wherein people absorb their culture, including customs, habits, laws, practices, and means of expression. Thus, the process of socialization serves to be the basis for identity, which is how an individual defines oneself, and helps establish one’s personality, being the relatively defined pattern of behavior, feelings, and beliefs of an individual ( and 2006). In this sense, because each of us has a unique pattern of personality and behavior, it can be perceived that each of us has our own form or process of socialization. Thus, it can be deduced that the type of socialization process an individual employs or is exposed to dictates and influences ones behavior, personality, attitudes, and values.
In the process of socialization, the essential and significant influence of the society can be observed in children. Particularly, there is the debate over the influence of the environment on the individual, which emphasizes the nature versus nurture controversy, as to whether a child should be considered a ‘tabula rasa’ or whether one can be considered to have certain innate developmental qualities ( 1973). In this sense, the fact that each of us has our heredity and own environments, the nature versus nurture controversy serves to be influential in terms of understanding the process of our own socialization. This is because in further understanding the process of socialization, one would be led to gathering relevant and significant information regarding one’s heredity and environment, for the reason that heredity serves to be one’s distinct characteristics that sets him or her apart from other individuals. On the other hand, the environment serves to be the cast that molds one’s behavior, attitudes, values, and totality of personality and dictates one to be regarded as is. In this sense, it can be perceived that the interaction of both heredity and the environment is essential, as it serves to establish one’s individuality and survival in the world. Naturally, this would not be gauged and tested without leveling it through the process of socialization. Through this process, what heredity has dictated in an individual would either be enhanced or arrested depending on the type of environment one has. In this sense, the process of socialization is integrated in an individual’s interaction with the environment, and thus, is considered one of the most crucial elements in the gene-environment interaction. In relation to my personal socialization, I believe that the previous facts stated have been important to my personality as a whole. I believe that the process of socialization has done a lot for me in becoming the person that I am right now, most especially in observing and paying respect for my culture, traditions, and practices. In this sense, because my environment, society and community have a significant role in the development of my personality, I strongly believe that the process of socialization, which involves all the individuals around me made me who I am today.
, a feminist sociologist defined the process of socialization as the transmission of behaviors, roles, attributes and beliefs to the next generation and has four main aspects, namely, the process of learning, the use of models, identification with the same-sex parent, and self-socialization ( and 2005). I believe that the view of seems to be the most relevant definition of the process of socialization, as it involves all the aspects that develop one’s individuality, personality, and behavior, such as learning, self-socialization and sex identity roles. This is because I believe that through learning, I was able to obtain all the information, skills, and knowledge that are essential for me to cope with all the changes and pressures that I have been able to encounter in my environment. Through learning, I was able to learn languages, cultures, skills, and other intellectual, mental, and physical capabilities that serve to be both my advantage or disadvantage among the community. Through self-socialization, I am able to evaluate and assess myself in terms of how I level myself from the rest of my peers. Through this process, I am able to further understand myself better, allowing me to have “self-talk”, which allows me to have the chance to assess my feelings and emotions regarding a particular situation. Similarly, through knowing my sex roles, I am able to determine my responsibilities, which would help me perform tasks in relation to my gender.
In relation to the major factors that determine one’s socialization are social processes, which refer to activities, actions, and operations that involve the interaction between and among people (‘’ 1996). It has been stressed that every adult is a member of a nuclear family and that every child must begin his or her process of socialization in a nuclear family ( and 2002). Based on this, it can be argued that socialization in the nuclear family serves to be the most important form of socialization, as the family is where the earliest human contact occurs ( 2000) and serves to be the primary agent from which a child learns all the things he or she has to learn. Through the family, one of the most significant social processes is being encountered. This social process is Education and Training, which involves the development of new skills and knowledge in the individual (‘’ 1996). As mentioned earlier, one of the major factors in the process of socialization is learning, and the social process of Education and Training is under this major factor. As also mentioned, learning involves acquisition, improvement, and development of skills, knowledge and talent, such as toilet training, respect to parents, language, and behavior, which defines an individual from the rest of the society. Aside from education and training obtained from the family, this form of social process can also be obtained from the school and the church, wherein formal training can be experienced. The school and the church serve to be the second family of an individual, and with which friendships and companionships can be attained. The second social process that is significant to identify is Experiencing, which is the apprehension or participation of an object, thought, emotion, or event through the senses or the mind (‘’ 1996). Through experiencing, an individual enables to gain new insights regarding the world around him or her or gain new insights on the people in the community or society. The process of experiencing is a personal process, which individually and subjectively allows an individual to assess his or her own capabilities, emotions, and behavior, thus, helping one to develop and improve as an individual. Experiencing new things, events, feelings, and emotions teach an individual to appreciate life, and determine his advantages and disadvantages as a human being.
Conclusion
Given the concept of socialization and the two significant social processes, it can be deduced and understood that considerable links between them can be recognized. As frequently mentioned in the discussion, the different events in the environment and the society produce effects or impacts on behavior, attitudes, and feelings of individuals as well. In this sense, it can be seen that the environment has links to individuals. Likewise, socialization tends to affect the development of human beings in the community or society. In addition, socialization has major influences on racial discrimination, inequality, and social injustice. This is because the society dictates the major events that would influence the response of individuals. Through socialization, classes of individuals are being emphasized, thus, creating social stratification. In terms of gender, roles are also being altered, such as the in today’s generation; members of the Third Sex are being recognized, most especially in terms of the emphasis on equality among genders. In this regard, gender-related activities are now also being altered, not becoming gender-specific and exclusive. Socialization also paved way to the continuous development and improvement of communication and technology, which further enhanced the process of globalization. This further led to the improvement of education, which also drastically changed the forms and kinds of information used to mold the young minds of children. However, socialization also led to many different negative aspects of the society, such as the increase of crimes, social injustice and stratification, and abuse. From this, it can be concluded that the process of socialization is a double-edged sword. It presents both benefits and disadvantages, which human beings can use for their advantage. At the end of the day, the power lies in the hands of human beings, if they would be utilizing all the influences of the society through the process of socialization.
References
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