Socialization of personality in various theoretical perspectives

Socialization concept

Socialization is the object of many studies, including in the field of sociology.
This is a two-way process, which is aimed, firstly, at the transmission by society of social norms, cultural values ​​and patterns of behavior, and secondly, at the individual’s mastery of these same cultural values, which leads to the formation of the individual’s worldview. Note 1

This term has been used to refer to the processes of formation and development of personality since the end of the 19th century, thereby being especially developed and comprehensively considered by many researchers, such as F. Giddings, E. Durkheim and G. Tarde, as well as many others.

All the many theories of socialization were built on different approaches to considering the role of objective and subjective factors in the formation of personality, as well as to the interpretation of those individual and social principles that influence the primary and secondary socialization of the individual.

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Many domestic sociologists call socialization a process that is simultaneously the result of the inclusion of an individual in the whole variety of social relations (economic, political, social, spiritual, cultural, religious and others). In the process of socialization, an individual becomes a full-fledged person, that is, he acquires the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to exist in modern human society.

That is, he masters the ability to communicate, build competent communications to interact with other members of society. Thus, terms such as “personal development”, “upbringing”, “educational process”, “training” are often offered as synonyms for the concept of “socialization”.

It is worth noting that the formation of personality cannot be limited to just the concept of “socialization” and its components, since comprehensive personal development is carried out through two processes: socialization and self-development. Thus, the personality acts as an object of social influence in the process of socialization.

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By comprehending the processes of socialization, a person adapts to the world around him. He assimilates stereotypes, social norms of behavior, and also forms his worldview based on the value guidelines of the social environment in which he lives and develops.

Stages of the process of personality socialization according to Erikson

Erik Erikson is a renowned developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst. According to him, there are the following stages of the socialization process:

Of course, this topic is much broader and more interesting, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to talk about everything in one article. However, what has been said is already quite enough to get an idea of ​​socialization, as well as draw certain conclusions about your development and the development of your children.

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Key words:1Self-knowledge

Socialization institutions

The main institutions of both primary and secondary socialization of an individual are the following: family, preschool institutions, school, informal associations, educational groups, ethnic group, religion to which the person belongs, the sphere of his professional interests (for example, a manufacturing enterprise and other place of work ).

Definition 1

Thus, the institution of socialization is directly the environment through which the processes of transfer of experience, value systems, norms and rules of behavior are carried out.

The family is the most basic and primary institution of socialization. Parents and primary educators instill in the child the basic tools, orientations and rules of action in the social world. They are also the ones who convey to him spiritual and material values, laying in him the initial socialization project that a person will implement throughout his life.

The next institution of socialization is an informal group. Throughout his life, an individual, going beyond the family institution, meets and interacts with a large number of people. Some connections are formal (with teachers at schools and universities, with the employer and other colleagues), and some are informal. These include friendly companies and friendly relationships.

Within the framework of this institution, an individual can gain both positive knowledge and experience and negative ones. Often, an informal group has non-traditional values ​​that contradict the value guidelines of society. They are called subcultures, and their distinctive feature is pronounced deviation and antisocial behavior.

Within formal groups, the individual absorbs professional experience. A formal team can carry values ​​and transmit the experience of different social groups:

1. Ethnic - belonging to any ethnic group, people, compliance with their traditions and customs, as well as norms of behavior, symbols, clothing;
2. Religious – adherence to a particular religion, observance of cults, commandments, rules, tolerant attitude towards representatives of other religions, transmission of religious values ​​to the rest of society;
3. Professional – identifying oneself with a profession, choosing an activity that will bring not only material benefits, but also moral satisfaction. The opportunity for self-realization through professional and creative activities.

What is socialization?

Socialization is the process of a person obtaining a set of personal qualities necessary for a full existence in society.
Socialization takes place during the interaction of the individual with the external environment and other members of society. The result of socialization is the transformation of a person into a full-fledged personality. The accumulated experience and knowledge of communication in society lead to personal transformations and the development of certain traits and manners of communication and behavior. At the same time, socialization is an endless process, since a reassessment of views is possible at any age.

It is also necessary to take into account the two-way nature of socialization. It involves not only the accumulation of certain experience and knowledge by a person, but also ensures the formation of relationships. The social experience gained in this way is transformed into personal preferences and preferences. The individual also assumes the role functions characteristic of society.

In conditions of collective life, the question of the individual’s entry into the social structure continues to remain relevant. Socialization is the process that ensures a person’s integration into existing social groups.

Social education in the history of ancient civilizations. Part 2

Civilization is a community of people with spiritual values ​​and ideals, special features in social and political organization, economics and culture. In the history of knowledge about man, his relationships in society, information about the socialization of the individual came to us from the history of education in the states of the Ancient East.

Ancient China

At the center of Confucius’s philosophy is man and society, the moral law of the DAO, according to which the education of the individual should be only humanitarian, based on love for man. The ideal person for him is a noble husband, not by birth, but by cultivating high moral qualities and culture. This is humanity and humanity, love for people, justice, loyalty and sincerity.

The ethical principles developed by Confucius were the basis of human relations in society. Subsequently, these commandments formed the basis of the philosophical treatises of the “seven wise men” of Ancient Greece, in the Bible, in Kant, Solovyov. Confucius considered the education of a person based on its nature, and the purpose of education is to instill noble qualities, knowledge necessary for life, and develop mentally, ethically and physically. The duty of the state is to provide universal education. This was part of his idea of ​​​​raising an ideal person, a noble husband, a support

The philosophy of Confucius was incorporated into the set of rules for raising a child in a family. A person in a family must follow the principle of strategic nuclear weapons. This is filial piety, respect for parents and elders, from which society and the country will prosper. A father must give his son an education, a profession and instill rules of behavior.

Ancient Japan

Education in Japan was carried out mainly in the family. The training and education of the clan nobility and community members differed sharply with the decomposition of the clan system. With the emergence of the state, the massive settlement of Chinese and Korean settlers and the influx of Buddhist missionaries influenced the socialization of the individual. This was the process of the emergence of a national culture. The role of cultural and national centers was played by Buddhist monasteries, providing social education in society. The social tasks of education were carried out by schools at monasteries. These were the first schools, then secular schools for training officials were created.

Ancient Greece

During the archaic period of Greek history, Greeks could be proud of their education. From 7 to 16 years of age, children studied in private paid schools, where a humanitarian education was given, aimed at training worthy members of the national assembly, generals, and public figures. Mathematical knowledge, physical development, learning to read and write, studying Homeric poems, playing music and sports were important.

In Sparta, the art of war was elevated to the rank of politics. To improve the health of the nation, sick children were doomed to death at birth. Until the age of 7, children were raised at home, and until adulthood - in state schools. With modest food, cold and punishment, boys were taught to endure hardships. They learned to wield weapons, played sports, and literacy was reduced to basic numeracy and writing skills. Girls were raised like men: healthy children should be born to healthy mothers.

As for Athens, Athenian pedagogy put forward the concept of a harmoniously developed personality - a combination in a person of a beautiful and strong body, high morality and mental development. It is believed that the founders of social pedagogy were the ancient Greeks.

Ancient Rome

The history of Rome during its slave period was characterized by family education. The father received the child at birth and, if the child was healthy, he raised him, thereby giving him life. If the child was weak and ugly, he was left on the ground, doomed to death. However, under Emperor Constantine from 318, killing children was considered a crime. Raising a child in a family was accompanied by his participation in all household chores and labor. Moral education was laid in the reverence of God, parents and elders. My father taught me how to wield a weapon, ride a horse, swim and fight, and sometimes read and write.

The social functions of education were strictly limited: young men from wealthy families studied law and prepared for public life. At the age of 17-18, the young man went to serve in the legion for 1-3 years and took part in campaigns. Adoption and guardianship were common. The wife in the family was completely subordinate to her husband, his power extended to the extent of selling her into slavery or putting her to death. A girl could get married at 12 years old, a man was examined before marriage. Marriage between patricians and plebeians was prohibited; marriage was recognized only after the bride and groom had lived together for a year, since at that time divorces became common.

Types of socialization

From a sociological point of view, socialization can be primary or secondary. A similar classification was proposed by P. Berger and T. Lukman.

Primary socialization is built around the family acting as an agent. From childhood, a child acquires his first values ​​from his parents and other family members. This stage is considered fundamental, because it is in childhood that the foundation is formed, on the basis of which personal development will be built for the rest of one’s life.

Secondary socialization is realized through a variety of social institutions, including educational institutions. The school plays an important role, where every child acts as an agent of socialization. In fact, any association or group of which an individual is a member influences the participants with its rules and norms.

Socialization in modern Western philosophy

Modern Western philosophy views socialization within the framework of psychoanalysis and interactionism.

Approaches to socialization can be divided into two groups, the basis of which is the passivity or activity of the individual in the process of relationships with the environment, as well as the position of an object or subject occupied by the individual:

• Adaptive socialization concept
• The concept of emphasizing subject-subject relationships.

Representatives of the biological movement believe that personality development is carried out under the influence of the internal nature of a person. Representatives of the sociological movement, on the contrary, believe that socialization is a product of interpersonal relationships.

Separately, we should highlight E. Durkheim, who believed that a person’s personality is formed in society in the process of adaptation to culture in accordance with the accepted norms and ideals of this society. He believed that through parents and relatives, a child can develop the necessary skills for existence.

Interactionism views socialization as the process of a person’s assimilation of a system of certain social roles.

J. Mead identifies three stages of socialization:

• imitation or imitation of children by adults
• game stage or understanding of actions as role playing
• stages of group play or understanding group expectations

Examples of socialization

One of the simplest examples of socialization is the process of a child’s interaction with peers in kindergarten, during which he learns the first rules of communication. The child sees that if you share toys with other children, you can make friends, and if you are greedy, then other children will not want to communicate with you. Such assimilation of the peculiarities of interaction in society is socialization.

Another example is school. At school, a teenager learns the peculiarities of communication with other children, understands the essence and mechanism of conflicts, begins to communicate with the opposite sex, show interest, and think about how to interest him himself. As part of such interaction with peers, the teenager not only learns certain social norms and becomes aware of cultural values, but also begins to better understand himself.

Socialization also manifests itself in everyday life. A person learns the established rules of behavior in society, realizes that giving up a seat to an elderly person in transport is good and correct, that it is important to treat other people with respect, regardless of their nationality, skin color and ethnicity.

Thus, socialization helps a person to learn the basic rules of behavior in society, to become aware of social and cultural values, to better understand other people and to recognize himself.

Socialization factors

We have figured out what socialization is, and it’s time to find out what factors influence the process of its formation. Today, the factors studied are combined into four separate groups.

• Megafactors. A set of global factors that affect the entire population of the Earth.
• Macro factors. Factors affecting the population of a particular state, nationality or ethnic groups living in a certain territory, and guided by common principles.
• Mesofactors. Impact factors at the level of individual groups of people, for example, living in the same locality, belonging to a common subculture, and so on.
• Microfactors. A set of phenomena that directly affect an individual from his immediate environment, for example, family members, classmates at school, public organizations, religious associations.

Stages of socialization

During his life, an individual goes through several stages of socialization.

• The first stage: early (primary or initial) socialization, covers the period of childhood and adolescence. Associated with the acquisition of general cultural knowledge, with the development of initial ideas about the world and the nature of human relationships. A separate stage of early socialization is adolescence. The particular conflict potential of this age is due to the fact that the child’s capabilities and abilities significantly exceed the rules and limits of behavior prescribed for him.
• Second stage: secondary (continued) socialization is professional socialization, which is associated with the acquisition of special knowledge and skills. At this stage, the individual’s social contacts and the range of his social roles expand, and the individual is included in the system of social division of labor. This assumes adaptation to a professional subculture, as well as belonging to other subcultures.
• The third stage: conditionally associated with the onset of retirement age or loss of ability to work. Characterized by a change in lifestyle due to exclusion from the production environment.

The speed of social change in modern societies leads to the need for resocialization, i.e. mastering new knowledge, values, roles, skills instead of previous, insufficiently mastered or outdated ones.