Childhood Socialization - Essay Example

If a person lives in American culture, he socializes himself according to the culture of American society. Similarly, if a person lives in an Asian country, he will socialize himself according to the culture of that Asian country. Agents of Childhood Socialization Socialization takes place in all stages of life. Childhood socialization usually takes place in family, in kindergarten, and in school, which are the three primary agents of childhood socialization. All of these socialization agents are extremely important for a child’s proper growth and development.

Children learn different behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics from these socialization agents and act accordingly in the society. Let us discuss the influence of each of these agents of socialization on the initial life of a child. Family – First Socialization Agent The first and the most influential childhood socialization agent is the family of a child. A child starts learning different behaviors right from the birth stage. Family includes mother, father, siblings, and other close relatives of a child.

This agent of socialization starts working when a child is unable to do anything on his own and depends on parents for everything. Family socialization is very important for a child because of several reasons. . Parents are the first and the most important trainers of a child. Parents not only educate children how to deal with different people but also make them learn the ways to use different feelings and emotions in different situations. Parents also tell us how to control our emotions and behaviors.

There are two main factors, which make family the most effective primary agent of socialization for a child. First of the two factors is the motivational bond that exists between a child and his family. That bond not only motivates a child to learn different behaviors and attitudes from the parents but also socializes a child properly according to the norms and values of the society. The second factor is the control of parents over a child in the initial years of the child’s life. In the initial years, a child is completely dependent on the parents and the parents teach everything to the child, such as, how to speak, how to walk, and how to show different expressions.

Socialization of a child is not an easy task for the parents. Parents give proper attention to the child in the early stages of life in order to make him a useful part of the society in future. Therefore, we can say that family is the most effective and valuable agent of socialization because it helps a child perceive and exhibit different behaviors and expressions properly. Peers – Second Socialization Agent Peer groups are the second most important socialization agent for a child. Peer groups include other children of almost the same age.

Children influence each other’s minds in the initial years of life. In the earliest years of childhood, parents closely observe the interactions of children with their classmates and other children in order to keep