Sociology (9690) | Socialisation

Welcome to Socialisation! Your Guide to Becoming a Sociological Human

Hello! This chapter is one of the most fundamental in Sociology. Don't worry if it seems theoretical—it's actually about your everyday life. Socialisation explains how you learn to be a member of society, shaping everything from how you speak to what you believe is 'normal'.

Understanding socialisation is crucial because it connects culture (3.1.2.1) to social identity (3.1.2.3) and explains how social control (3.1.2.4) is maintained.

1. Defining Socialisation: Learning the Rules of the Game

Socialisation is the lifelong process of learning the culture, norms, values, roles, statuses, and skills necessary to function within a society.

Key Concepts You Must Know:

Culture: Everything created and shared by a society, including language, beliefs, and behaviors.
Norms: Unwritten rules of behavior (e.g., queuing for a bus).
Values: Core beliefs that underpin norms (e.g., respecting elders).
Status: A position a person holds in society (e.g., student, employee, parent).
Roles: The expected behaviors associated with a specific status (e.g., the role of a teacher involves instructing and grading).

Analogy: Think of society as a massive, complex football game. Socialisation is the process of learning the rulebook (norms), understanding the spirit of the game (values), knowing your position (status), and understanding what you need to do in that position (role).

Quick Review Box

Socialisation = Process of cultural transmission (passing culture from one generation to the next).

2. The Stages of Socialisation

Socialisation happens continuously, but sociologists divide it into distinct stages based on *when* and *where* it occurs.

2.1. Primary Socialisation

This is the first and most critical stage, usually happening from birth up to early childhood.

• It occurs within the family or immediate kinship group.
• Focuses on teaching the fundamental norms, values, and language of the culture.
• It is where the individual develops their sense of self and their basic personality structure.
• Example: Learning to share toys, knowing which utensils to eat with, and understanding the local language.

2.2. Secondary Socialisation

This stage occurs outside the family, introducing the individual to the wider society and more specific roles.

• It begins when the child enters institutions like schools, peer groups, and media.
• It teaches impersonal rules and prepares individuals for specific roles (e.g., occupational roles).
• Example: Learning the rules of discipline in school, realizing different peer groups have different fashions, or learning about political figures from the media.

2.3. Re-socialisation (The Major Change)

This is an intense form of socialisation that involves quickly replacing old established norms, values, and behavior with new ones.

• It often occurs in "total institutions" (a term associated with Goffman, a sociologist you will study) where every aspect of life is controlled.
• Examples: Joining the military, entering prison, moving to a monastery, or sometimes intense changes like emigration to a completely new culture.

2.4. Inadequate Socialisation

This happens when an individual fails to learn the necessary social norms and values needed to integrate successfully into society.

• This can lead to behavior that is often seen as deviant (outside the norm).
• Extreme Example: Cases of feral children who were isolated from human contact, showing a profound lack of basic human behavior and language.
• Common Mistake to Avoid: Inadequate socialisation isn't always extreme; it can be a failure to fully adopt the complex rules of modern society, sometimes leading to social isolation or crime.

Key Takeaway: Socialisation is a process of building layers—primary is the foundation, secondary builds the structure, and re-socialisation involves tearing down and rebuilding a new structure.

3. Agencies of Socialisation: Who Teaches Us?

Agencies are the groups or institutions that carry out the process of socialisation. These agencies use specific processes and methods to instill norms.

3.1. The Family

The core agency of primary socialisation.
Methods Used:

• Role Modelling: Children imitate their parents or older siblings (e.g., how to handle money or express anger).
• Sanctions: Providing positive sanctions (praise, rewards) or negative sanctions (punishment, disapproval) to guide behavior.

3.2. Schools (Education System)

A key agency of secondary socialisation.
Methods Used:

• Formal Curriculum: The subjects taught (Math, English, Sociology).
• Hidden Curriculum: The unspoken rules and values transmitted—such as punctuality, respect for authority, competition, and teamwork.

3.3. Peers (Friends and Age Groups)

Peers become increasingly important in adolescence.
Methods Used:

• Conformity: Pressure to adopt the group's norms (e.g., dress, music taste).
• Exclusion: Used as a negative sanction if individuals do not conform, reinforcing group behavior.

3.4. Media (Mass Media and New Media)

Includes television, film, music, social media, and newspapers.
Methods Used:

• Representation/Modelling: Providing images and narratives of what is 'normal' or 'desirable' (e.g., showing stereotypical gender roles or consumer lifestyles).
• Transmission of Values: Spreading shared cultural values globally (e.g., through international news or popular culture).

3.5. Religions

Agencies that transmit moral and ethical guidelines.
Methods Used:

• Moral Codes: Providing absolute rules (e.g., the Ten Commandments, the Five Pillars).
• Rituals and Ceremony: Reinforcing collective belonging and shared identity.

3.6. Workplace (Occupational Socialisation)

The process of learning the required skills, culture, and expected behavior of a job.
Methods Used:

• Formal Training: Official rules and job descriptions.
• Informal Culture: Learning the unofficial norms of the office (e.g., who makes the coffee, how to address supervisors).

Did you know? The concept of the Hidden Curriculum is a classic sociological idea, suggesting that school teaches obedience and acceptance of hierarchy more effectively than it teaches academic subjects.

4. Sociological Perspectives on Socialisation

Different sociological theories explain *why* socialisation happens and *whose interests* it serves.

4.1. Functionalism (Consensus View)

Functionalists, like Parsons, see socialisation as vital for the stability and continuation of society.

• Purpose: Socialisation instils shared norms and values (the collective conscience) into individuals, creating social order and consensus.
• View of the Individual: We are socialised into conforming members who understand and accept their place in the social structure.
• Key Outcome: Harmony. Because everyone shares the same basic culture, society runs smoothly.

4.2. Marxism (Conflict View)

Marxists argue that socialisation is a tool used by the ruling class to maintain power.

• Purpose: Agencies like schools and media transmit the dominant ideology—a set of beliefs that justifies inequality and capitalism.
• View of the Individual: We are socialised into becoming obedient workers who accept that the current system is fair. They see the family as an agent of social control that reproduces class inequality.
• Key Outcome: Control and the reproduction of class differences.

4.3. Feminism (Conflict View)

Feminists focus on how socialisation reinforces patriarchy (male dominance) and maintains inequality between genders.

• Purpose: Socialisation teaches children specific gender roles (e.g., girls are taught to be expressive and nurturing; boys are taught to be instrumental and competitive).
• View of the Individual: Socialisation constructs identity based on sex, leading to different expectations and limits placed on men and women.
• Key Outcome: The perpetuation of patriarchy and gender inequality across society.

4.4. Social Action / Interactionism (Micro View)

Interactionists disagree that socialisation is just passive 'programming'. They focus on how individuals interact and negotiate meaning.

• Process: Socialisation is a continuous, active process where individuals interpret and respond to the actions of others.
• View of the Individual: Individuals have agency (the ability to act independently and make choices). We don't just blindly accept norms; we negotiate our roles.
• Key Concept: Sociologists like Mead suggest that socialisation is how we learn to see ourselves through the eyes of others, developing the "Self."

Quick Review Box: Perspectives

F: Creates stability (Consensus)
M: Maintains ruling class power (Conflict)
Fem: Maintains gender inequality (Conflict)
SA/I: Active, negotiated meaning (Interaction)

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Congratulations!

You have now grasped the foundational concepts of Socialisation. Remember to use specific examples of agencies and processes in your essays, linking them back to the overall goal: explaining how society shapes the individual.

Keep these concepts clear as you move on to 3.1.2.3 (Social Identities) and 3.1.2.4 (Social Control), where you will see the *results* of the socialisation process.