Context, Content, Processes and Consequences of Socialization

Society is a group of individuals engaged in continuous social interaction, or a large

social group sharing the same or special social territory, often governed by the same political
authority and same cultural expectations govern. Culture provides people with the norms,
values, expectations, and other information needed to live with other members of the group.
The values and norms of a society are imparted or internalized by its members through
socialization or cultural processes.
Socialization is the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable like the
values and customs of our society or social group. We can distinguish three main aspects of;
the contexts in which it occurs, the actual content and processes people use to socialize
others, and the results that arise from those contexts and processes.
Socialization refers to the coaching of novices to end up contributors of a current crew
and to think, feel, and act in approaches the team considers appropriate. Socialization is a
central process in social life. Its importance has been noted by sociologists for a long time, but
their image of it has shifted over the last hundred years.
Socialization is learning on how our society and specific communities, or groups works
so we can be a part of them. It’s a process of working together in developing responsibility in
our community. Individual learns to conform to the norms and values in a group and develops
his/her own self by learning and knowing about his/her own self from the others.
Socialization focuses on the following.
1. Acquisition of Knowledge
2. Language
3. Values
4. Habits
5. Skill in the Society

TYPES OF SOCIALIZATION
1. Primary Socialization- occurs early in a child’s lifestyle and is primarily due to have an
impact directly from the family and close friends. Through fundamental socialization, a baby
learns basic societal norms and customs. Example Mano or pagmamano as an "honoring-
gesture" to the elders.
2. Secondary Socialization -occurs when a person learns on appropriate behavior to be
displayed within a smaller group which still part of a larger society. Example joining a club or
organization in college, getting employed in a new workplace.
3. Anticipatory Socialization-Adolescence is initiated between the ages of childhood and
adulthood. During this stage, children start to participate in Anticipatory Socialization. They
also learn about their group culture and what they should expect in the future.
4. Professional or Developmental Socialization- This process of socialization occurs during
the early years of an individual's life. It develops his skills and attitudes for the future and
prepares him for the various roles and responsibilities that he will assume as an adult.
5. Re-Socialization- When an individual moves to a new group, he has to learn the new
values and beliefs of the new group. This process of re-socialization helps him to get used to
the new ways of life.

THREE PARTS OF SOCIALIZATION

1. Context- denotes culture, language, social structures, and the individual’s rank within them.
It includes the history and roles played by the people and institutions in the past.
2. Content and Process- the work or activity in socialization. Content refers to the details of
what passed from a member to a new member. While process means the interactions and
ways these new norms, values and customs are thought to a novice.
3. Results and Outcomes-refers to what happens to an individual after being exposed to a
particular contents and process.
CONTEXT OF SOCIALZIATION
Biological Context- Sociobiologist suggest that some human capacities may be "wired into"
our biological makeup. Some hormones (i.e. vasopressin and oxytocin) encourage human to
interact and socialize with other people.

Psychological Context- composed of (1) emotional states and unconsciousness

(2) cognitive theories of development (3) social and historical events (4) social position as part
of the context
Socialization is also known as enculturation. Enculturation occurs when cultural knowledge
is passed on to the next bearer which will perpetuate and ensure the continuance of their
traditions and practices (Santarita and Madrid, 2016).
For an individual to become a member of a society he/she must go through these two
processes: socialization / enculturation. For instance, act of courtesy and hospitality of
Filipinos are acquired through socialization because these two learned with their nearest group
like family and friends. On the other hand, enculturation takes place when one culture or
tradition is
adopted.
Socialization to refer to the process by which an individual is oriented and taught by his or her
society's norms.
Overall enculturation and socialization process results to:
Identity formation – An individual’s identity is formed through his interaction with other
people. A person’s socialization with individuals or groups allows him or her to imbibe certain
characteristics and interests that contribute to his/her identity. (Idea derived from Newman,
2012). For example, the centuries of Philippine Chinese expose to Filipino culture made them
imbibe facets of Filipino character in the same way Filipinos learned to love Chinese culture
like food (e.g. preference for noodle-based cuisine like pancit).
Individuation - The compilation of the values, attitudes, and beliefs that individuals receive
from their family, peers, and community enables them to create a personal identity that
simultaneously separates them from the other members of the group and incorporates them in
its system. Such differentiation from the general social template.
Primary identity consists of the roles and statutes that
an individual learns as a child. This includes the core
social identities that are often ascribed to an individual
such as sex, age, and ethnicity.
This duality of identity produces the “me” and “I”
dichotomy that humans have.
This model presents a fourfold understanding of
human identity, which are categorized as follows: the
existential “I,” the doing “me,” the cultural “I,” and the
performing “me.” These categories promote a holonic
concept of the self—the self is both a whole and a part. The self in the context of the personal
pertains to the wholeness of an individual's identity. This leads back to the uniqueness of
every individual. The self in the context of it being a part of a whole reflects on the ascribed
roles that it plays within the context of society.

Theories on Identity
There are two primary theories related to the understanding of identity formation and practice.
The role learning theory promotes the argument that individuals learn a repertoire of social
roles from their society. They then reproduce this repertoire in their behavior. Roles constitute
the social facts (e.g., gender role, occupational role, family role) that inhibit, empower, and
influence an individual's actions. Conformity to these social facts is rewarded by acceptance
from members of the society, whereas nonconformity results in ostracism. The primary
argument against this theory is that it is too socialization-deterministic, as it side steps the
potential of humans to recreate roles and not just accept them.
 This weakness is addressed by the theory on symbolic interactionism, which
promotes the idea that individuals construct their notion of the self through social interactions
performed within a society. This implies that roles and their performances are part of a creative
process wherein the individual sees the behavior of others and responds to it by creating a
role that it can play. This presents humans as social actors performing within a cultural or
social field.

The concept of cultural values refers to all those ideas held in society that are
considered good, acceptable, and right. Cultural values inform the types of aspirations that
members of society aspire for, and these are labeled as social goals. A society that is rooted in
individualism would have one of its social goals to have its dependent population emancipated
from parental support at an earlier age. While a society that is rooted in extensive kinship
system would have the pooling of family members within one territory as a social goal. Such
goals are achieved through socially approved norms that constitute beliefs, behaviors, and
material possessions.

Norms and values – On the other hand, norms are culturally determined rules that guide
people regarding what is right, wrong, proper, or improper. Norms create predictability in daily
affairs and interactions, making it easier to live with other members of society (Newman,
2012). These norms are fundamental to the establishment of social order in any society
(Newman, 2012).
Using conflict theory, it can be said that these values and goals are sometimes the
source of conflict within a society, as individuals have varying access and experiences relating
to it. For example, the values which center on wealth acquisition and its accompanying
prestige and power are not held true by all individuals in a society, as these values are scarce
and unattainable for some individuals.
Another perspective on values and goals is from the functionalism theory, which
argues that values exist to create unity and harmony within
the structure and fulfill the needs of the individuals. This uses the organismic view of society
wherein its parts (organs) are interrelated and critical for its existence (organism). Values are
created and upheld because they maintain the structure that promotes social order. For
example, the values that Filipinos attach to family promote tightly knit communities that
serve as support groups for individuals.
Because a society has a plethora of values and goals, conflicts in the practice of these
are possible. The value that Filipinos put on family sometimes poses a great threat in the
practice of democratic governance in the country due to the kumpadrino system that leads to
nepotism andpolitical dynasties (McCoy, 2009). In this case, the ideal culture of a democratic
society is countered by the real culture of family-run political institutions. An ideal culture is
what a society believes that it follows, whereas the real culture is what the society actually
follows.
Reinforcing the continuity of values and goals in society are the norms that are
established. These consist of the rules and regulations on behavior. Although societies may
have similar values and goals, the norms that are created in reference to these values may
vary. For example, the values placed on family are displayed differently across cultures. The
act of placing an aging family member in a nursing home may be a norm in Western societies,
but it is almost unacceptable, or even unthinkable, in most Asian
societies.
There are four categories of norms: folkways, mores, taboos, and laws. Folkways are
the socially approved behaviors that have no moral underpinning. This includes a variety of
actions that constitute acceptable or expected behavior drawn from customs and conventions.
For example, some societies (e.g., Americans) consider it rude for a visitor to make slurping
sounds when consuming soup, whereas others (e.g., Chinese) encourage it. Mores are the
norms related to moral conventions. These include behaviors that are considered acceptable
in relation to religious practices. The use of artificial contraceptives, such as condoms and
birth control pills, is frowned upon in highly religious societies, whereas it is accepted, and
even encouraged, in others that do not strictly follow the conventional dictates of religious
doctrine. Some cultural prohibitions are strictly implemented than the others, which make them
taboo. Taboos are behaviors that are absolutely forbidden in a specific culture. Performances
of taboos are met with stricter punishments. Examples of taboos are cannibalism and incest. It
must be noted that taboos are not universal. Some societies do allow behaviors that are
considered repugnant in others. Reinforcing the non-practice of tabooed behaviors are the
laws that are enacted by the state. Laws consist of the rules and regulations that are
implemented by the state, making them the prime source of social control. Violations of laws
are met with punishments, fines, ostracism, and imprisonment.

Status and Roles

Status – position that an individual can occupy in society (Newman, 2012). It is not ranked
position, but simply a label that implies certain roles that must be performed.
A status is an individual's position in his or her society, which carries with it a set of defined
rights and obligations. Your status as a student comes with obligations and rights, which are
defined as your roles.
Roles are the sets of expectation from people who occupy a particular status. From the
vocabulary that they would use to their performance of their statuses, these are all within the
framework of roles. The behavior of an individual within a social space in accordance to his or
her status is called role performance. Sometimes, a status has multiple roles attached to
it. This multiplicity of roles within a given status is called a role set. Hence, your teacher's role
is not just to educate you. He or she also has the role of being your guardian while you are
away from your parents.
As humans are capable of occupying various statuses simultaneously, conflicts may
arise in the variety of roles that they have to perform. A single mother who is working full-time
has two equally important roles. She has the role of being a single parent who must provide for
her child. However, given her other status which requires her to perform the role of a wage
earner, a conflict on which role she needs to prioritize sometimes arises.
Role conflict stems from the divergent expectations of the statuses that an individual
simultaneously occupies. Such conflicts may create role strain on the individual. This implies
that the individual is having difficulty in performing the role required of him or her. In the case
of the single mother with a full-time job, role strain might cause her to choose which role she
will have to continue performing and which role she needs to discontinue. This process of
discontinuing with a role is labeled as role exit. Individuals would often have a role exit to
either address a role strain or to indulge in a new role set.
2 Types of Status
 Achieved status is one that a person has earned or chosen based on his/her abilities
and hard work. This is usually signified by a certain profession, such as a professional
athlete.
 Ascribed status is not earned, and it is not something that people have control over.
For instance, it can be ascribed to a person's race or sex. Also, it is not usually a choice
in most matters.

Conformity and Deviance

Conformity is the act of following the roles and goals of one's society. This behavior is often
met with rewards and acceptance from other members of the society.
Deviance is the act of violating the prescribed social norms. Acts of deviance are often
associated with a stigma. A stigma is a strong sense of disapproval on nonconforming
behavior from members of a society. When deviance is within the context of legal structures, it
may even be considered a crime or a violation of a law. Because deviance is always
juxtaposed with a norm, which changes based on environmental factors, it is also constantly
changing. As it is socially constructed, the actions that are considered deviant vary per society
and per social status.
There are several theories that explain the existence of deviants (humans/groups) and
deviance (acts). These are as follows:
Social control theory – Deviance is primarily caused by a lack in stronger social bonds within
a society. As an individual feels less attached to his or her society, there is a higher chance for
him or her to deviate from social norms.
Rational choice theory – The individual's decision to follow or to go against social norms is
de following a norm. If following a norm would cost them more than what they could spare,
such a norm is set aside and they would choose to perform a deviant act.
Differential association theory – Conformity or deviance is learned by an individual from
those he or she associates with. Hence, if an individual has stronger associations with a group
of deviants, then it is most likely that he or she would conform to deviant behavior than that of
what the general public considers as a norm. Interestingly, what is deviant for the general
public may be considered as a norm among a group of deviants.
Labeling theory – Actions are initially not considered deviant until they are labeled as such by
members of the community. Based on this theory, there are two stages of deviance: primary
and secondary.
Primary deviance is a type of act that does not end with the individual being labeled as such.
This is due to the age and intensity of the deviance committed.
Secondary deviance is the type of act that results from being labeled by society as a deviant.
This presents the theory's key argument that humans who are labeled as deviants would often
commit deviant acts due to societal pressure brought about by stigma. Hence, a person who is
labeled a thief may resort to being one as a response to economic ostracism caused by social
stigma.
Conflict theory – Society consists of opposing groups of people whose access to power is
unequal. The group that has access to power determines which actions are deviant based on
their perceived advantage. Usually, the set of behaviors of the elite is created and reproduced
as the norm, and those of the powerless are considered deviant.
Structural-functionalist theory – This theory proposes two perspectives in the formation of
deviant behavior. On the macro level, deviance is a product of the breakdown of social norms
which produces anomie or social disorganization. On the microlevel, deviance is a product of
the role strain that an individual experiences due to lack of resources to cope with the
demands of the social norms.
Based on this perspective, Merton (1957) created a model
illustrating the types of responses that individuals have
toward social norms with regard to two variables: cultural
goals and institutional means. Cultural goals consist of the
values that are important for the society. Institutional
means are the processes that have been established through social structures such as the
government, school, church, and even family.
In Merton's typology, individuals who accept their society's cultural
goals and that of the process to accomplish it are labeled as conformists, whereas those who
accept the goal but not the process are called innovators. Such individuals are bent toward
achieving the same social goals using an alternative approach. Individuals who reject the goal
but accept the process are prone to ritualism, as they perform the social norms without
subscribing to the social goals that such lead to. Those who reject both the goals and the
approach are in the process of retreatism, which would redefine the goals and processes in a
society in the form of rebellion. Nevertheless, this theory argues that deviance is important in
maintaining the social structure of a society; it bonds members of the society in their common
rejection of a deviant behavior. It also provides members of society with guidelines on
appropriate behavior with the display of unacceptable and stigmatized actions.
Social Control
To maintain social order and stability, social control is needed. The two elements that promote
social control are internalization and sanctions. Internalization is an integral part of
communicating and incorporating social norms to an individual's personality. It is in this
process that an individual is made to automatically conform to the dictates of his or her society
through a cost-benefit orientation. One key element in ensuring that individuals are able to
internalize social norms is the establishment of sanctions.
Sanctions are powerful in leading an individual to conform to social norms. Despite an
individual's disinclination to conform, when the sanction is strong, there is a high possibility
that he or she will decide to follow the norm. Sanctions can be categorized into four types.
Formal sanctions – These are the rewards or forms of punishment that are formally awarded
by an institution such as a government, a council, or an establishment.
Informal sanctions – These are the rewards and forms of punishment that are spontaneously
given by an individual or a group of people as a response to a behavior that was either
accepted or disapproved.
Positive sanctions – These are actions or statements that reward a particular behavior,
which reinforce its repetition.