Agents of Socialization

Agents of Socialization Family

Why is family so important? • The family is the earliest and without question the most influential agent of socialization. It grabs the child at birth, when the child is most helpless and dependent, and doesn't let go for a whole lifetime. Socialization via the family goes from cradle to grave.

Major task of the family • Teach Language: ability to talk and communicate effectively

Within the family the child learns to: • Think and speak • Internalize norms, beliefs, and values • Form some basic attitudes • Develop a capacity for intimate and personal relationships • Acquire a self image

Think and Speak • Child is able to learn and grow in their knowledge but also start to communicate through words.

Internalize norms, beliefs, and values • Example: if a value is hard work a child will learn to value hard work and use this value throughout their life. • Also norms such as: • Don’t throw food in public • Moral aspects: “lying is a sin”

Form some basic attitudes • Attitudes such as gender roles or race relations or how to deal with situations.

Develop a capacity for intimate and personal relationships • Children are able to uphold and develop intimate relationships and friendships with people other than their family.

Acquire a self image • Children are able to create and gain an image of themselves through the socialization done by their family.

Family • Gender roles and race ideals through family socialization also is seen.

How does the family get the power? • Twofactors: • 1. The family has almost exclusive control of the person during the first years of life and preeminent control during the childhood and adolescent years Preeminent control = Cultural norms and the law recognize the parent's right to determine what is best for their children as trumping the rights of almost any institution • 2. Parent-child emotional bond motivates the child to be socialized and the parents to do the difficult, messy job of socialization

Agents of Socialization