REPLIES #1
In unit 2 the topic of socialization and the various agents and influences around the process of growing up and learning to socialize. The agents of socialization are family, peer groups, school, the workplace, religion, government, and mass media. Family is the first line of social interaction children face, the family teaches how to use objects, how to relate to people as family, friend, or stranger, and how the world works (Tonja, 2021). Peer groups are used to help children grow and form their own identity away from their parents. It starts at a young age when children are learning the simple rules of the playground and how to share, it grows into learning new activities and the social norms for their age group. School is more than just academics, it also provides children with ways to practice things like keeping a schedule, due dates, working as a team (Tonja, 2021). The workplace is more of a mature culture, but socialization is more organizational based, and the culture of the work environment changes how you socialize. Religion is where people learn more of their moral beliefs and how to worship. Religion also shapes how many people see marriages, form families, and how they will raise children. Governments are forming the age norm right of passages people experience like right to vote, taxes, and retirement benefits (Tonja, 2021). Mass media is just the release of information to a wide audience via social media or news. With the large increase of technology, mass media is used to share or even influence different beliefs, values, and social norms (Tonja, 2021).
I would say peer groups are the most important social agent in my life simply because it is still always evolving in my life even at 28. As a teenager the value of friendship taught me how to be a good friend and the importance of having close friendships. My siblings and I struggled in supporting each other, we were typical siblings that could not get along, but having close friends that showed me support pushed me to be a better supportive encouraging person. My peer group now at 28 after moving across the country and my only friend here was my boyfriend has changed how I see friendship. I have had the same best friend since I was 13, she knows every weird quirk of mine and I am thankful to be able to be myself around her. The peer group that I am more around now has welcomed me with the same way of feeling of being welcomed and not being judged for me. I has allowed me to more so grow in the way I see myself and how I no longer view the world as being more judgmental. I just truly believe that the people you surround yourself with can make a world of difference in how you see yourself and the world, and I am blessed to have such a support system that believes and welcomes me for who I am.
Socialization for any potential children I had I feel like would be completely for them compared to how I grew up and learned how to socialize. I believe this simply because of the amount of technology available today compared to when I was a child. In a study is shows that 75% of teens text and the amount text messages sent by older teens in 2009 was about 60 and the amount of text sent in 2011 by the same group was 100 (Lenhart,2012). The increase in digital communication compared to when I was a child and did not even have a smart phone until I was 16 is going to change how children communicate. Texting takes away so much from a conversation including body language, facial expressions, and the ability to assess hard conversations in the moment. Children are going to be able to use technology to avoid hard conversations and not be able to grow the confidence to have the more difficult conversations.
REPLIES #2
Explain why socialization matters? Then, describe the concepts anticipatory socialization, resocialization, and degradation ceremony and provide at least one example for each concept from your life.
Socialization refers to the process through which individuals learn and internalize the cultural norms, values, beliefs and behaviors of their society or social group. It is a lifelong process that begins in childhood and continues throughout one’s life. Socialization matters because It’s critical both to individuals and to the societies in which they live. It illustrates how completely intertwined human beings and their social worlds are. (Conerly et al., 2021). It helps uphold societies and cultures and it is also a key factor of the individual development. Socialization is the learning process wherein we develop our personality through adapting another person`s culture.
Anticipatory Socialization is the way in which a person begins to think and behave in anticipation of joining a new social group. They typically take on the values, norms, and ideas of the group to make fitting into the new role easier (Lane & Ellis, 1968). An example of this concept is me attempting to join a Sorority. You have to research the sorority to find out if their mission statement aligns with what you believe in. Also membership to a sorority is gained if you can prove you have the qualities that fit with their specific requirements. The qualities they typically look for are usually based on things like your personality, your academic achievements, community participation, and campus activity.
Resocialization- Resocialization is the concept of adapting to a new social/cultural norm or values. As a Registered Nurse, I work in Pasadena Tx, which is primarily Spanish patients which means there’s a language barrier. In school we are taught about the different cultures and how to make sure we are offering an interpreter or translator device that will help the healthcare team create a more accurate care plan. More importantly its about making that patient feel safe, and building my nurse patient relationship even with the barrier. Working in Pasadena, I’ve picked up a little Spanish on my own and I love that my patients are always educating me. However, I don’t rely on my Spanish to communicate because its not safe. But being able to say a few terms makes me happy.
Degradation ceremony- is where society makes a person “other”, demotes them from a member of society, or places them outside society altogether. The purpose of the degradation ceremony is to make the perpetrator accept external control, enforce societal expectations, and display the consequences of not abiding by said expectations. I would say an example this will be elderly patients that I see who are unable to care, or safely think for themselves are force to give up their homes and are placed in Nursing homes. For instance the courts, lawyers, power of attorneys sees this process through. Many patients have to give up their old home, many belongings, and their old routines, which are part of their identity. I believe this can be an example of a degradation ceremony.
