Socialization - Article Example

Socialisation of Children: Summary and Evaluation of Article Exercise a When searching the internet for obtaining information on this topic, I would use the keywords such as “children’s socialisation,” “peer pressure,” “influences in children’s social skills” etc. 2. I would trust government and NGO websites as well as scientific journals, reports and articles appearing on the internet. On the other hand, I would be wary of commercial sites and blogs apart from those with no proper credentials about the author or site. 3. Peer group refers to a group of people who are from the “same social position” who often interact among themselves in classrooms, friend circles, workplaces or other social venue such as clubs etc (Blundell 2001:9).

I agree with the statement that though children learn socialisation from many sources, the interaction with peer groups has the most significant influence on the development of social skill in them. The validity of this notion can be evidenced from the article, Socialisation, by Jonathan Blundell, in which the author contends that peer groups including classmates and friends “exert very strong pressures” on children (8). The article, referring to other evidences, further suggests that young children closely observe their peers and attempt to “learn” from them “how they should behave” (8).

Since children spend most of the time in their classroom or with their friends, it can be construed that peer group is the most influential factor in determining the socialisation aspect of children. 4. Other sources of socialisation include parents, media such as TV, teachers, religion etc from where children learn through observation. 5. I would first write an introduction, where I would identify the topic and provide a brief definition of the term socialisation, and identify the sources from where children learn social skills.

In the body passages I would offer an explication of each how source and illustrate how they impact the socialisation of children. In the last body passage I would identify one among the sources as the most significant and explain why I believe so, with supporting evidence from published literature that are credible.Stages of Active Reading:Step-1:First paragraph of Page-9 relates directly to the question while some information other parts of the article is also relevant to the question. Setp-2:Vocabulary:1.

Socialisation2. Learn3. Culture4. Attitude5. Skills6. Media7. Peers8. Peer Group9. Social Position10. Peer Pressure11. Observe12. Conform13. Behave14. Norms15. Values Step-3:Does environment or nature not play a role in socialisation of children? For example, a child may be interacting with another in a homely environment. But he may not do so in a park or other social gathering. Similarly, nature is also a source from where children learn the skill for socialisation. For example, when the child observes a flock of birds, it makes the child think why they are all going together.

The article overlooks this aspect. Step-4:The article has been written by a single male author and there appears to be no bias on his part. The article is published in an anthology of non-fiction works and the author uses a formal tone, while being conversational at paces. The work can cater for an audience comprising both scholars as well as laypersons. Step-5/Summary: The author initially explicates on “primary socialisation” that occurs early in a child’s life, through the interaction with parents and other relatives.

He goes on to illustrate secondary sources of socialisation and discuss each in brief details. The articles finally identifies peer group as the strongest influence for socialisation of children and demonstrates the key aspects that can exert pressure on children. Overall, the article provides a clear idea as to how children develop social skills that is highly significant for their success in adult life. ReferencesBlundell, J. 2001. Active Sociology for GCSE. London: Longman.