Socialization from Infancy - Research Paper Example

The majority of the characteristics adopted by human beings are because of socialization. Socialization is said to begin at birth, and others suggest that it begins even before birth. In the context of gender roles socialization, there are remarkable features at each stage of development that define the gender roles of a male or female. However, traditional gender roles are changing and the playing field between men and women has been leveled.

Socialization from infancy to old age/adulthood is dominated by the various roles that men and women play.  Socialization from InfancySocialization is defined as the process of learning to engage in group life by the acquisition of culture. Socialization is one of the significant processes. Without socialization, human beings cannot take part in group life and thus cannot develop the majority of the characteristics that human beings are associated with. Socialization at levels of human development (infancy, adolescence, and childhood) makes a significant contribution to the development of personality and an individual’s capability to engage in social life (Shepard, 2004).

Socialization is suggested that the process may even start before birth. This is because parents are capable of knowing the gender of the child at the fetus level and begin to speak to the unborn child. In the childhood stage, socialization is marked by learning through play. When parents identify the sex of the baby, the life of the child is largely defined by his or her sex/gender. At the age of two, the child begins to realize that certain activities and objects are appropriate to particular gender roles.

In other words, modeling behavior starts to emerge at this stage. The child’s rules are not flexible, but they are universal, for instance, men are the only people who can shave their faces. Early in childhood, homosocial play begins; that is, the play is characterized by gender segregation. The children play more interactively and actively with same-sex playmates. It is important to note that during the school years, gender roles among the children are used as the measure through which their peers judge them.