Socialization and its stages. Stages of social development and their socio-pedagogical characteristics

The process of personal socialization consists of three phases.

In the first, the individual adapts, i.e. mastering various social norms and values, he must learn to be like everyone else, become like everyone else, and “lose” his personality for a while.

The second phase is characterized by the individual’s desire for maximum personalization, influence on people, and self-actualization.

And only in the third phase, with a favorable outcome, does the individual’s integration into the group occur, when he is represented in others by his own characteristics, and the people around him have a need to accept, approve and cultivate only those of his individual properties that appeal to them and correspond to their values, contribute to overall success, etc.

Any delay in the first phase or hypertrophy of the second phase can lead to disruption of the socialization process and its negative consequences. Socialization is considered successful when a person is able to protect and assert his individuality, and at the same time he is integrated into a social group.

However, it is important to take into account the fact that throughout his life a person belongs to different social groups and, therefore, goes through all three phases of socialization many times. Only in some groups can she adapt and integrate, but in others - not; in some social groups her individual qualities are valued, but in others - not. In addition, social groups themselves and individuals are constantly changing.

Socialization includes various stages and stages. In modern sociology, this issue is resolved ambiguously. Some scientists distinguish three stages: pre-labor, labor and post-labor. Others, as mentioned above, divide this process into two stages: “primary socialization” (from birth to a mature personality) and “secondary socialization” associated with the restructuring of the personality during the period of its social maturity.

Primary ones begin in childhood, when a person’s personality is mainly formed. These are very important and significant periods in which the closest environment (parents, other relatives and friends) plays a significant role; this is the formation and development interpersonal relationships. The primary periods of socialization are periods of comprehension and mastery of interpersonal communication; they contribute to the fact that a person becomes a full-fledged member of society.

Later stages of human socialization are usually called secondary. They relate to the second half of his life, when he encounters various social institutions - the state, the army, educational and production teams, the influence of which on the formation and development of the individual is more significant and noticeable already at a conscious age. Secondary stages of socialization are stages that allow an already socialized personality to comprehend new social roles and enter unknown but important areas of the objective world.

As a rule, it is generally accepted that the stages of socialization of an individual replace each other when he achieves political, economic and social independence, namely, obtaining a passport, profession and work, starting a family, etc.

The process of socialization is a complementary and two-way process. Entering and understanding the system social connections, the individual acquires experience that is significant for himself, on the other hand, in the process of actively assimilating the social environment, he does not passively accept the experience gained, but transforms it into his own attitudes, values ​​and orientations.

Socialization necessarily takes place with someone else's participation and help. The people and institutions that a person encounters while comprehending social experience are called agents of socialization. Just like the stages of socialization, agents are divided into primary (close significant environment) and secondary (public institutions and institutions, their administration, representatives, etc.).

Socialization is not just a process of growing up, it is a consistent comprehension by an individual of unfamiliar but significant norms and roles, which continues throughout life. The stages of socialization coincide with the main life cycles of a person, which indicate the main events of his biography.

As a process of its development, human socialization includes three interrelated stages:

  • · formation - the formation of a person as a member of certain social communities;
  • · functioning - the individual’s fulfillment of social roles in accordance with his social status;
  • · change - the acquisition of new individual, individual and personal properties over a certain period of functioning.

Socialization of a person can occur both unconsciously, spontaneously, spontaneously, and consciously, purposefully, and in an organized manner. The concept of “education” is best suited to denote the conscious, purposeful and organized socialization of a person.

On the basis of “attitude to labor activity» there are three stages of socialization (sociological approach):

  • 1) The pre-labor stage covers childhood, adolescence and youth and has several independent stages:
    • · early socialization (children’s imitation and copying of adult behavior);
    • · play activity, when children recognize behavior as playing a role;
    • · group games, in which children learn to understand what a whole group of people expects from them;
    • · education.
  • 2) The labor stage is associated with the maturity of the individual, the realization and deepening of his social experience.
  • 3) The specificity of the post-work stage of socialization lies in the realization of the potential of people of retirement age.

In the above periodization, the most controversial issue is precisely the third stage of socialization. A number of scientists believe that the very concept of personal socialization is incompatible with that period of an individual’s life when all his social functions are curtailed. Others, on the contrary, are convinced that the retirement period of a person’s life is the age that continues to make a certain contribution to the reproduction of social experience.

American social psychologist E. Erikson, in accordance with the psychosocial crises in personality development he identified, proposed eight phases (periods) of socialization: infancy, early childhood, playing age, school age, youth, youth, adulthood, old age. Domestic sociologist ME AND. Gilinsky initially proposed to distinguish between three periods of socialization: pre-labor, labor and post-labor. He further clarified that within the first stage two more should be distinguished: “preschool” and “school”. Thus, in his opinion, there are four stages of human socialization:

  • · early (from birth to school entry);
  • · training (from the beginning of studies to the end of full-time forms of general and vocational education);
  • · social maturity;
  • · completion of the life cycle (from the moment of termination of employment within official organizations).

EAT. Babosov, based mainly on age-related changes in a person’s life and, accordingly, the leading types of his activities, proposes to distinguish nine stages of socialization: infancy, early childhood, preschool childhood, primary school age, adolescence, adolescence, late adolescence, human maturity, after labor.

From a sociological point of view, it is advisable to agree with the conclusion of Ya.I. Gilinsky and correlate periods of socialization with the main cycles of human life in society: childhood, youth, maturity, old age (8, 37).

Both his independent creative activity and the influence on him from the agents of socialization are of great importance for the socialization of a person. Agents of human socialization are all those who help a person master future social roles, control and regulate his actions in mastering and fulfilling them. Socialization agents can be:

  • · personal - individuals (for example, parents, relatives, acquaintances, friends);
  • collective - social communities (for example, family, study group, production team, ethnic community, informal association);
  • institutional - institutions and organizations (for example, an educational institution, government bodies, facilities mass media, cultural institutions, political parties, church).

Agents of socialization influence a person both directly through personal communication with him and through means mass communication and information.

In the first years of a child’s life, the main and universal agents of socialization are his parents and relatives, and during the school period - teachers and friends. In youth and mature age Social communities and social institutions become the main agents of socialization. For older people, the role of the main agents of socialization is played by representatives of their immediate environment. Of particular importance in the process of human socialization is the media and artistic culture, which actively promote certain statutory regulations using the demonstration of visual and attractive models of social roles.

The influence of agents of socialization on a person in some cases causes a reaction of resistance, reluctance to follow their advice and instructions.

Most sociologists believe that primary socialization occurs in childhood, and secondary socialization is characteristic of adults. According to some sociologists, primary socialization occurs in the process of direct interaction with representatives of the immediate environment (parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, acquaintances, classmates, colleagues), and secondary socialization occurs through interaction mediated by the media with special agents of socialization.

Based on the meaning of the terms “primary” and “secondary,” one should understand the primary socialization of a person as the initial stage of mastering a social role, and the secondary one as the stage of correction and creative improvement of the fulfillment of a social role.

Socialization- this is an integrative process of a subject’s entry into the structure of society, through his mastery of social rules, values, orientations, traditions, the knowledge of which helps to become an effective individual of society. From its first days of existence small man surrounded by many people, he is already gradually included in collective interaction. During relationships, a person gains social experience, which becomes an integral component of the individual.

The process of personal socialization is two-way: a person assimilates the experience of society, and at the same time actively develops relationships and connections. A person perceives, masters and transforms personal social experience into personal attitudes and positions. He is also involved in diverse social connections, performing different role functions, thereby transforming the surrounding society and himself. The real conditions of collective life pose the most pressing problem, requiring everyone to connect to social structure environment. In this process, the main concept is socialization, which allows an individual to become a member of social groups and collectives.

The process of socialization of an individual into social strata is difficult and lengthy, since it includes a person’s mastery of the values ​​and laws of social life, and the development of various social roles.

Personality socialization in psychology is a topic that is actively studied by many social psychologists. After all, a person has a social essence, and his life is a process of continuous adaptation, which requires stable changes and updates.

The process of socialization provides for a high level of internal activity of the individual himself, the need for self-realization. Much depends on a person’s vital activity and ability to effectively manage activities. But this process often occurs when objective life circumstances give rise to certain needs in an individual and create incentives for activity.

The concept of personality socialization

The described process is determined by the social activity of individuals.

The process of socialization of an individual represents entry into a social structure, as a result of which changes are made in the structure of itself and society as a whole. As a result of socialization, an individual acquires group norms, values, behavioral patterns, and social orientations, which are transformed into human attitudes.

Socialization of the individual is extremely important for successful functioning in society. This process continues throughout an individual’s life, since the world moves and in order to move with it, it is necessary to change. A person undergoes constant changes, he changes, both physically and psychologically, it is impossible for him to be constant. It is this important concept, how the socialization of personality in psychology is dealt with by many specialists who study personality, society and their relationship.

In this process, no one is immune from problems arising.

Socialization problems are divided into the following three groups. The first consists of socio-psychological problems of socialization, which are associated with the formation of an individual’s self-awareness, his self-determination, self-affirmation, self-actualization and self-development. At any stage, problems have specific content and appear various ways their permissions. Only their importance for the individual remains unchanged. She may not be aware of the existence of these problems, since they are deeply “buried” and force her to think, acting in such a way as to eliminate the problem, to find an adequate solution.

The second group is the cultural problems that arise, including each stage. The content of these problems depends on achieving a certain level of natural development. These problems are associated with regional differences that arise in different rates of physical maturation, so in the southern regions it is faster than in the northern ones.

Cultural problems of socialization concern the issue of the formation of stereotypes of femininity and masculinity in different ethnic groups, regions, and cultures.

The third group of problems are socio-cultural, which in their content involve the introduction of the individual to the level of culture. They relate to personal value orientations, a person’s worldview, and his spiritual make-up. They have a specific character - moral, cognitive, value, semantic.

Socialization is divided into primary and secondary.

Primary - implemented in the sphere of close relationships. Secondary socialization is carried out in formal business relations.

Primary socialization has the following agents: parents, close acquaintances, relatives, friends, teachers.

In the secondary, the agents are: the state, the media, representatives public organizations, church.

Primary socialization occurs very intensively in the first half of an individual’s life, when he is raised by his parents, attends preschool, school, and acquires new contacts. The secondary one, accordingly, takes place in the second half of life, when an adult has contact with formal organizations.

Socialization and education

Education, in contrast to socialization, takes place in conditions of spontaneous interaction between the individual and environment, are considered as a consciously controlled process, for example, religious, family or school education.

Socialization of personality is a process in pedagogy that is studied inseparably from the process of education. The main task education is the formation of a humanistic orientation in a growing individual, which means that in the motivational sphere of the individual, social motivations for socially useful activities prevail over personal motives. In everything an individual thinks about, whatever he does, the motives for his actions must include an idea of ​​another individual, of society.

Social groups have a great influence on the process of individual socialization. Their influence is different at different stages of human ontogenesis. In early childhood, significant influence comes from the family, in adolescence - from peers, in adulthood - from the work team. The degree of influence of each group depends on cohesion as well as organization.

Education, in contrast to general socialization, is a purposeful process of influencing the individual, which means that with the help of education it is possible to regulate the impact of society on the individual and create favorable conditions for the socialization of the individual.

Socialization of the individual is also an important topic in pedagogy, since socialization is inseparable from education. Education is understood as a social phenomenon that influences the individual through the tools of society. From this emerges a connection between upbringing and the social and political structure of society, which acts as the “customer” for the reproduction of a specific type of personality. Education is a specially organized activity in the implementation of the intended goals of education, in the pedagogical process, where the subjects (teacher and student) express active actions in achieving pedagogical goals.

The famous psychologist S. Rubinstein argued that an important goal of education is the formation of a person’s personal moral position, and not the individual’s external adaptation to social rules. Education must be considered as an organized process of social value orientations, that is, their transfer from the external to the internal plane.

The success of internalization is carried out with the participation of the emotional and intellectual spheres of the individual. This means that when organizing the educational process, the teacher needs to stimulate in his students their understanding of their behavior, external requirements, sensual living of their moral and civic position. Then education, as a process of internalization of value orientations, will be carried out in two ways:

- through the communication and interpretation of useful goals, moral rules, ideals and norms of behavior. This will save the student from a spontaneous search, in which it is possible to encounter errors. This method is based on the content-semantic processing of the motivational sphere and conscious volitional work in rethinking one’s own attitude towards real world;

- through the creation of certain psychological and pedagogical conditions, which would actualize interests and natural situational impulses, thereby stimulating useful social activities.

Both ways are effective only with their systematic application, integration and complementarity.

Successful education and socialization of individuals young age feasible subject to the use of positive factors embedded in public relations, lifestyle, neutralization of factors that interfere with the implementation of the tasks of training, education and socialization.

Transformation of the education and upbringing system can be successful only when it really becomes a matter of society. Worth refocusing social life, cultural environment, system of training and education for the younger generation.

Socialization factors

There are many factors of socialization, all of them are collected in two large groups. The first group consists social factors, reflecting the socio-cultural side of socialization and problems relating to its historical, group, ethnic and cultural specificity. The second group contains individual personal factors, expressed through the specifics life path each individual.

Social factors mainly include: macrofactors, mesofactors and microfactors, which reflect different aspects of personal development (social, political, historical, economic), also the quality of life of the individual, the ecological situation of the area in which he lives, the presence frequent occurrences extreme situations and other social circumstances.

Macrofactors consist of natural and social determinants of personality development, which are determined by its living as part of social communities. Macro factors include the following factors:

- state (country), as a concept that is adopted to highlight a community of individuals living within certain territorial boundaries, united by economic, political, historical, social and psychological reasons. The peculiarities of the development of a state (country) determine the characteristics of the socialization of people in a certain region;

— culture is a system of spiritual aspects of ensuring people’s livelihoods and their socialization. Culture covers all aspects of life - biological (food, natural needs, rest, sexual intercourse), production (creation of material things and objects), spiritual (worldview, language, speech activity), social ( social relations, communication).

Mesofactors are caused by a person living in medium-sized social groups. Mesofactors include:

- ethnos is a historically formed stable collection of individuals in a specific territory that has a common language, religion, common cultural characteristics, and also a common self-awareness, that is, the awareness of each individual that they are united and different from other groups. An individual’s belonging to a nation determines the specifics of his socialization;

- type of settlement (city, region, town, village), which, for various reasons, imparts originality to the socialization of people living in it;

— regional conditions are features characteristic of the socialization of the population living in a certain region, state, part of the country, which has distinctive features (historical past, a unified economic and political system, social and cultural identity);

— mass media are technical means (radio, television, print) responsible for disseminating information to large audiences.

Microfactors are determinants of socialization related to education and training in small groups (work collective, educational institution, religious organization).

The most significant thing in the socialization of an individual is the historical development of a country, group, community, collective. At each stage of development of society, different requirements for the individual arise. Thus, we often find information that an individual could find himself and fully realize himself only within a certain group.

In stable times of social development, individuals in whom group-value orientations predominated were more adapted to society, whereas in turning points, crisis historical moments, various types of people became more active. Some were those whose individual and universal aspirations simultaneously prevailed, others were those who escaped from social crises using their usual stereotypes of orientation towards group norms inherent in the stable development of society.

Under circumstances of a social crisis, the predominance of the second type leads to the search for “external” enemies, the removal of all strangers who approach the group, preferring their own (national, age, territorial, professional) group. Individual personal factors are also essential. From the psychological point of view, the process of socialization cannot be a simple and mechanical reflection of the social experience experienced by a person. The process of assimilation of such experience is subjective. Some social situations can be experienced very differently by different individuals, so each person can take out completely different social experiences from the same situations. Much depends on the conditions in which individuals live and develop, where they undergo socialization. This process occurs quite differently at various stages of ontogenesis, during a period of social crisis.

A social crisis is characterized by a violation of the stable living conditions of society, a failure of its inherent value system, alienation of people, and increased selfishness. Particularly susceptible to the negative impact of a social crisis are: adolescent children, young people on the path to personality development, middle-aged people and the elderly.

The most developed people do not accept the views imposed on them; they form their own, independent and different from the socially accepted system of values. But this also does not mean that the vast majority of middle-aged people are immune to the global changes taking place in society. However, the process of their personal socialization proceeds through a strong experience of a personal crisis, or it passes relatively easily if in calm, stable times of the development of society they were among social outsiders, but in crisis circumstances their skills were in demand.

Forms of socialization

There are two forms of socialization – directed and undirected.

Directed (spontaneous) – is the spontaneous formation of social qualities as a result of a person’s presence in the immediate social environment (in the family, between colleagues, peers).

Directed socialization represents a system of methods of influence, specially developed by society, its institutions, organizations, with the goal of forming a personality in accordance with the prevailing values, interests, ideals, and goals in a given society.

Education is one of the ways of directed socialization. It is a consciously systematic, organized, purposeful process of influencing a developing personality, its behavior and consciousness, with the aim of developing in it specific concepts, principles, value orientations and social attitudes and its preparation for active social, cultural and industrial activities.

Both forms (directional, non-directional) in certain circumstances may be consistent with each other or, conversely, come into conflict. The contradictions that arise often lead to conflict situations that complicate and impede the process of socialization of the individual.

The spontaneous form of socialization (undirected) is determined by the microsocial environment (close relatives, peers) and often contains many outdated and already outdated rules, stereotypes, patterns, patterns of behavior. Along with a positive influence on the individual, it can also have a negative impact on the individual, pushing him towards negative ones that deviate from the norms established by society, which can lead to such a phenomenon as social pathology.

Undirected socialization without the inclusion of directed means can be detrimental to the formation of a person, the social group of this individual and society as a whole. Therefore, it is very important to supplement it and transform it into targeted corrective influences of directed socialization.

But directed socialization does not always lead to a positive educational result, which is especially evident when it is used for inhumane purposes, such as, for example, the activities of various religious destructive sects, inculcation of fascist ideology, propaganda of racist sentiments. Therefore, a directed form of socialization can lead to a positive formation of personality only if it is carried out in accordance with moral rules, moral criteria, freedom of conscience, responsibility and the principles of a democratic society.

Stages of personality socialization

The process of personal socialization occurs in three main phases. In the first phase, social norms and value orientations are mastered, and the individual learns to conform to his society.

In the second phase, the individual strives for personalization, for active influence on members of society.

During the third phase, the individual is integrated into a social group, in which he reveals the peculiarities of his personal properties and capabilities.

Consistent flow of the socialization process, the correct transition to each phase leads to a successful completion and achievement of results. Each stage has its own characteristics, and if all the conditions of socialization are met, then the process will be successful.

The main stages of socialization in the work collective are identified: pre-labor, labor, post-labor.

The stages are:

- primary socialization, which occurs from the moment of birth to the formation of personality;

- secondary socialization, during which a restructuring of the personality occurs during the period of maturity and being in society.

The main stages of the socialization process are distributed depending on the person’s age.

In childhood, socialization begins at birth and develops from early stage. The most active formation of personality occurs in childhood; during this period it is formed by 70%. If this process is delayed, irreversible consequences will occur. Until the age of seven, awareness of one’s own Self occurs at a natural age, unlike in older years.

At the teenage stage of socialization, the most physiological changes occur, the individual begins to mature, and personality formation occurs. After thirteen years of age, children take on more and more responsibilities, thus becoming more knowledgeable.

In youth (early adulthood), more active socialization occurs, since the individual actively changes his social institutions (school, college, institute). The age of sixteen is considered the most stressful and dangerous, because now the individual is more independent, he consciously decides what social society he should choose, and which society he should join, since he will have to stay in it for a long time.

Between the ages of approximately 18 and 30, socialization occurs in relation to work and personal relationships. Everyone gets a clearer picture of themselves young man or a girl through work experience, friendships and relationships. Incorrect perception of information can lead to negative consequences, then a person will withdraw into himself and lead an unconscious life until a midlife crisis.

It should be noted once again that only if all the conditions of socialization are met, then, accordingly, the socialization process will proceed as it should. It is especially worth paying attention to the teenage and young adult stages, since it is in the young years that the most active formation of personality and the choice of the social community with which a person needs to interact for many years take place.

Socialization is the process of mastering and assimilating by an individual cultural values, social norms, attitudes, patterns of behavior necessary for successful functioning in a given society. The content of the socialization process is transformation of a person from a biological being into a social being, i.e. formation and formation of personality. Socialization is not a short-term, but a long-term process that continues throughout the life of an individual and includes a number of stages: childhood, adolescence, maturity, old age. Socialization occurs most intensively in childhood and adolescence.

There are primary and secondary socialization.

Primary socialization covers the period from birth to the formation of a mature personality.

Secondary socialization - the process of development of a socially mature personality, associated mainly with mastering a profession.

Individuals, groups, and social institutions through which socialization occurs are called agents of socialization.

Agents of primary socialization personality is the immediate environment that has a direct impact on it: family, parents, friends, peers, teachers, coaches, etc.

Secondary socialization carried out by people connected by formal business relations, heads of institutions, organizations official representatives state and its bodies.

In the process of socialization, an individual goes through two phases: social adaptation(adaptation of an individual to certain socio-economic conditions that serve as the environment for his life) and interiorization(a more complex process meaning the inclusion of social norms and values ​​in inner world person). Moreover, every time in a new social environment a person has to unlearn something, and vice versa, relearn something again. Therefore, the socialization process includes two stages: desocialization - unlearning old values, norms, roles and rules of behavior and the next one after him, more important stage -resocialization, i.e. learning new values ​​and roles to replace previously insufficiently learned ones or those that do not correspond to the new situation.

American sociologist Irwin Goffman(1922-1982) identified the following signs of resocialization in extreme conditions:

  • isolation from the outside world:
  • constant communication with the same people;
  • loss of previous identification that occurs through the ritual of dressing up;
  • unlearning old habits, values, customs and getting used to new ones.

Levels and agents of socialization

Socialization as a process of self-identification continues throughout almost the entire life of an individual. Childhood is considered the period of the most intensive socialization, but adult individuals are also forced to constantly adapt to changing social conditions (changes in social status, place of residence, work, social circle, etc.), get used to new social roles (marriage, having children, class new position and so on.).

In this regard, two dynamic levels of socialization are distinguished:

  • primary, occurring in the sphere of interpersonal relationships in small groups, to which the individual is exposed in childhood, becoming a member of society;
  • secondary, occurring at the level of large social groups, with the help of which an already socialized individual is integrated into new sectors of society.

Agents of Socialization, being in direct interaction with a person, play a crucial role in how a person grows up, how his formation will go. In the sociological literature, the term “socialization agents” also means channels that ensure human socialization. For example, in relation to children and adolescents, agents of socialization are parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, peers, neighbors, and teachers. In youth, agents also include a spouse, colleagues, friends, etc. In their role in socialization, agents differ depending on how significant they are for a person, how interaction with them is structured, in what direction and by what means they influence the individual. At the same time, individuals different ages socialization is bidirectional. Not only does the older generation pass on norms and values ​​to the young, but also the youth, easily adapting to changed social conditions, teach their elders.

Since socialization is divided into two types - primary and secondary, its agents are divided into primary and secondary.

Primary agents of socialization

Primary agents socialization is the individual’s immediate environment - parents, close and distant relatives, family friends, peers, teachers, personal trainers, family doctors, leaders of youth groups, sports, and in modern times agents of primary socialization such as the media, including the Internet, etc. are gaining power. Among the agents of primary socialization, parents and peer friends play a special role. Parents want their child to strive to be like adults, and he learns to be a child from his peers. Parents punish him for erroneous decisions, misconduct, violations of moral principles, norms of behavior, and his peers are either indifferent to his mistakes or approve of them. Peers perform an important function: they facilitate the transition from a state of childhood dependence to adulthood, teach them to be a leader, to achieve dominance over others, i.e. something that is difficult for parents to teach. Therefore, parents often look at their children's peers as competitors in the struggle for influence in the process of socializing their children.

Family is the most important agent of socialization, since it constitutes the child’s first and closest social environment, which itself is part of a larger social environment and bears its imprint. It is with the help of the family that the child fits into society. The family will give him a name and include him in a family tree that goes back several generations. Thus, it is in the family that the primary social essence of the individual is formed. The social status of the parents determines social status child during the first 20 years of his life. The profession of parents determines the cultural and educational level of the family. In the family, the child becomes familiar with the rules of behavior in society and communication with other people, with gender role stereotypes, and goes through the process of gender identification.

At the same time, family is the one social institution, which can have a negative impact on the socialization process. The low social status of parents, alcoholism, conflicts and strife, their subordinate position at work, social alienation, single-parent families (absence of one of the parents), cruel treatment of children by parents - all this leaves an imprint on the character, worldview and social behavior of the child, ultimately on his social status and the social roles that he has to perform now or that he will have to perform in the future.

The reasons for the increase in depression among adolescents are associated with many factors, including the financial disadvantage of the family, conflicting relationships in the family and with others, and hereditary predisposition. The development of this disease in adolescents can lead to a tragic outcome - suicide (in Russia there is a high percentage of suicides among adolescents and young people).

Thus, it is the family that is at the center of all problems related to the mental, physical and social health of young people. Of course, there is no direct hard connection here, since socialization also depends on other agents, as well as the personal qualities of the individual, his innate personality traits and other circumstances. Therefore, children subjected to cruel punishment can grow up to be sadists, but they can become humane people, active fighters against cruelty.

Sport as an agent of socialization provides positive influence on the formation of a physically and spiritually healthy personality. According to researchers, sport should be given more attention in the context of its socializing function. There are many reasons why children do not pay enough attention to physical activities, and among them: workload at school and, accordingly, lack of time, low sports motivation of children, lack of sports clubs in their area of ​​residence, etc.

The development of sport in society and the strengthening of its position as an agent of socialization of the younger generation constitute one of the most important areas for improving the health of society. It is known that sport gives a person a healthy routine, charges him with energy and requires the person involved in sports to limit negative style habits (drinking alcohol, smoking, etc.). In short, sport disciplines the individual, builds willpower, focus and dedication, and is also the key to a person’s healthy mental activity, vigor and cheerfulness. The process of socialization through sports differs from the process of socialization in the family and school, forming a positive focus on maintaining, consolidating and transmitting certain social values ​​and attitudes that form a culture of self-preservation behavior that is vital for modern youth.

School as an agent of socialization fundamentally different from the family in that it is an emotionally neutral environment, where the child is treated not as the only and beloved, but objectively, in accordance with his real qualities. At school, a child learns in practice what competition, success and failure are, learns to overcome difficulties or gets used to giving up in front of them. During the school period of socialization, a child develops self-esteem, which in many cases remains with him for life. Because a school is part of a larger social system, it usually reflects the dominant culture with its values ​​and prejudices. Thus, the French sociologist P. Bourdieu showed that a serious obstacle for a child at school is the parents’ belonging to a non-prestigious class, a non-prestigious profession, poverty, etc. At school, the child begins to understand what social injustice is.

Socialization in the process of upbringing in the family and school has a dual character - not only regulated and purposeful, but also uncontrollable and spontaneous. Of course, in a lesson at school important knowledge is acquired, many of which have direct social significance. However, the student learns not only the lesson material and not only those social rules that are declared by the teacher in the process of training and education. The student enriches his social experience through actually experienced or observed experience social interaction teachers and students, both among themselves and within a social group. This experience can be either positive, i.e. coincide with the goals of education (in this case it lies in line with the purposeful socialization of the individual), and negative.

Internet as an agent of youth socialization has a strong impact on the individual and his moral state: the virtual world into which a young man finds himself gives him additional freedom to express his emotions, feelings, life positions, moods, views, overcome various kinds of internal and external conflicts that arise in real life V family relationships, relationships with peers. The Internet, enhancing the process of mediated communication, has an impact on the mental state of the individual in terms of the formation of Internet addiction.

The problem of influence on the socialization of the individual, such as the spread of games with elements of violence in global networks, deserves special attention. In particular, there are known cases where teenagers, under the influence of these cruel online games, shot their classmates. Thus, the environment functioning in global networks can have a significant impact on the formation of negative psychological and behavioral attitudes of adolescents, which actualizes the appeal to the basic agents of socialization, primarily the family.

Secondary agents of socialization

Agents of secondary socialization - these are formal organizations, official institutions: administration of a school, university, enterprise, army, police, church, state, media workers, party leaders, etc. If agents of primary socialization most strongly influence a person in the first half of life, although their influence persists throughout life, then agents of secondary socialization (they are also called institutions of socialization) predominate in the second half of a person’s life and, as a rule, perform one or two social functions ( for example, in the media it is information and indoctrination).

Among the agents of secondary socialization, a special role belongs to the media, primarily television. Their influence on all groups of the population is enormous: under the influence of the media, in a short time a real revolution in mass consciousness can occur, value systems and ideological stereotypes that have been embedded in this consciousness for decades can collapse. Movies and especially television series form in individuals behavioral stereotypes that they cannot see in the family and immediate environment - scenes “ beautiful life»rich and idle, physically attractive people, as well as scenes of violence that abound in modern television. With all this, the positive educational role of the media is enormous, going beyond. Thanks to modern media, the gap in opportunities to broaden one’s horizons that separates people from the wealthy and the poor, residents of cities with a population of millions and the population of remote villages and hard-to-reach geographical regions is largely compensated.

In industrial societies, an important factor of socialization is work activity, which ensures the social integration of the individual into the world of adults, helps to find one’s place and be recognized in social system, i.e. endows the individual with social significance and gives him a sense of prestige. For many, profession serves as the main means of self-identification.

Socialization at work is predominantly secondary socialization, affecting adults, already formed people. This leads to difficulties associated primarily with the need to find the right balance between already internalized values ​​​​and the values ​​​​that the work requires to follow. For example, people raised in the spirit of independence and independent judgment often experience difficulties due to the need to visibly show signs of subordination to superiors at work. People who value creative initiative are often poor performers, and good performers often suffer from lack of initiative. Typically, an adult is critical of the values ​​offered to him by work and does not accept all of them, but only those that seem acceptable to him. In this regard, the French sociologist E. Schein identifies three types of individual reaction to industrial socialization:

  • protest - rejection of all values ​​and norms;
  • creative individualism - accepting only basic values ​​and norms;
  • conformism is the unconditional acceptance of all values ​​and norms, suppressing creative potential.

Socialization concept implies the process of a person’s assimilation of rules of behavior, social norms, moral values, abilities, skills, knowledge and psychological attitudes that give him the opportunity to interact normally with other people. If in animals all relationships are determined by biological motives, then in humans, as a biosocial being, the process of developing social skills is important. People are constantly born and die, and the process of renewal of society is ongoing. New members of society initially do not know either the norms or rules of behavior in it. This is where it begins socialization process.

Factors of socialization.

Socialization factors- these are the mechanisms through which the process of socialization occurs. The main factors identified by social educator A.V. Mudrikom, three:

  1. Macro factors are global mechanisms that influence the social development of an individual (planet, space, state, country, society, government).
  2. Mesofactors are conditions that influence socialization, mainly on a territorial or ethnic basis (place and type of settlement, region, town, city, people, ethnicity).
  3. Microfactors are factors that have a direct impact on a person’s socialization (family, peers, school, place of study and work).

Each factor has an active element, thanks to which socialization occurs. For example, in a family there are parents, brothers, sisters, in school there are teachers and classmates. These elements are called agents of socialization.

Types and stages of socialization.

Types of socialization, as a rule, are classified by time period, which is why they are called stages of socialization.

  1. Primary socialization. The period from birth to the formation of an adult. This stage is very important for child socialization. He usually receives his first knowledge about society from his parents.
  2. Secondary socialization(or resocialization). The process of replacing previously established methods of behavior with new ones characteristic of an adult. The secondary stage often means breaking old patterns and learning new ones. Remember how at university they told you: “Forget everything you learned in school”? The secondary stage lasts a person’s entire life.

Other types of socialization:

  1. Group socialization. Socialization within a specific social group. That is, in which environment the child spends more time (parents, teachers or friends), he learns the rules and norms of that environment first.
  2. Gender socialization. Socialization by gender. Boys learn how boys should behave, and girls learn how to be girls.
  3. Organizational socialization. The process of socialization during work (how to behave with colleagues, superiors, subordinates, how you feel about work, is it okay to be late for work, etc.).
  4. Early socialization. A type of socialization that is a kind of rehearsal future activities, which is too early to start (girls playing mother-daughter).

The main institutions of socialization are.

From birth, a person is surrounded by different people, so it can be argued that he is part of social interaction. During his life, he acquires different experiences, adapts to life in society, as a result of which the socialization of the individual occurs. It has several types that differ from each other.

What is personality socialization?

This term is understood as the process of a person’s assimilation of social experience from the society to which he belongs, and the active implementation and increase in the number of social connections. Throughout life, people not only perceive social experience, but also adjust it to their own concepts and values. Personal socialization is a kind of experience that consists of many components, for example, this includes the norms and values ​​of the social environment, and work culture different types activities.

Personality socialization – psychology

A person has a need to belong to society, that is, to identify himself with the people who surround him. The socialization of personality in psychology occurs as a result of fulfilling the requirements of society, which forces one to develop one’s own line of behavior in different situations, and it will depend on the concepts and character of the person. The formation of a socio-psychological type occurs during contact with society and the influence of the micro- and macroenvironment, as well as culture and different values.

Personal socialization is a two-way process, which manifests itself in the fact that a person not only adapts to certain conditions and norms, but also forms his own. People strive to become part of a group in order to understand what “we” is and to get rid of loneliness. Interacting with others gives you self-confidence and makes you influence your social life.

What contributes to the socialization of an individual?

A person is influenced by a number of factors that shape his values, concepts and attitude towards the world.

  1. The process of social adaptation begins with early childhood, where parents instill both physical and mental skills.
  2. Education occurs from kindergarten to university. As a result, different knowledge is accumulated, thanks to which the world, society, and so on are learned.
  3. Self-control in the socialization of the individual has great importance, since a person must have the qualities to react correctly in different situations. Psychological protection of a person is important, contributing to a better understanding of the differences between the internal and external world.

Types of personality socialization

There are several types of socialization, which depend on different factors. Mechanisms of personality socialization can be divided into two groups:

  1. Primary– implying the perception of society in childhood. The child is socialized, focusing on the cultural position of the family in which he is raised, and on the perception of the world by the adults around him. From this we can conclude that parents shape the first social experience of their child.
  2. Secondary- have no duration and last until a person enters a certain social group. With age, the child begins to enter different formations, for example, kindergarten or sport sections, where he learns new roles and, on the basis of this, learns to perceive himself from a different perspective. It is worth noting that socialization and personality often encounter certain inconsistencies, for example, family values ​​do not correspond to the interests of the selected group, and then a person goes through self-identification and makes a choice based on experience and feelings.

Gender-role socialization of personality

This type is also called gender socialization, and it involves a person’s assimilation of the peculiar differences between men and women. There is an acceptance of existing behavior patterns, norms and values ​​of both sexes, as well as the influence of the public and the social environment in order to instill a number of rules and standards. This continues throughout life. The concept of personality socialization in gender terms highlights the following mechanisms for its implementation:

  1. Socially acceptable behavior will be rewarded, and deviations from the norm will be punished.
  2. A person chooses suitable gender role models in close groups, that is, in the family, among peers, and so on.

Family socialization of personality

A child learns to perceive the world not only through the direct influence of adults, that is, upbringing, but also by observing the behavior of people around him. It is important to note that often the development and socialization of the individual in the family comes across a discrepancy between the behavior patterns of parents and the requirements that they put forward for the child. An example would be a smoking ban, but one of the parents or other family members has such bad habit. The main factors of personality socialization are:

  1. Family composition and structure, that is, how relatives interact with each other.
  2. The child’s position in the family, for example, he may be a grandson to his grandmother, a brother to his sister, a son to his father, and a stepson to his stepmother. It has been proven that the socialization of a child raised in full family and a single mother is different.
  3. The chosen parenting style, so parents and grandparents can instill different values ​​in the child.
  4. The moral and creative potential of the family is no less important for the socialization of the individual.

Professional and labor socialization

When a person gets to work, there is a change or adjustment in his character and behavior during activities. Features of the socialization of the individual in the labor sphere are expressed in the fact that adaptation is carried out both within the team and in professional stratification. To improve one’s own status, the availability and development of labor skills is of great importance.

Subcultural-group socialization

Each person must master social roles that are related to the culture of the environment where he lived, studied, worked, communicated, and so on. The essence of personal socialization is based on the fact that each region has its own distinctive features, thanks to which society is formed. If we focus on subcultural-group socialization, then nationality, religious affiliation, age, field of activity and other factors will be taken into account.

Functions of personality socialization

For an individual and society as a whole, socialization is important and its main functions include:

  1. Normative and regulatory. Everything that surrounds a person in greater or less to a lesser extent influences him. These include: family, country politics, religion, education, economics, and so on.
  2. Personally transformative. The process of personal socialization occurs when a person communicates with other people, showing his individual traits and separating from the “herd.”
  3. Value-oriented. This function has a connection with the first one in the presented list, since a person adheres to the values ​​that are characteristic of his immediate environment.
  4. Information and communication. While communicating with different people a person receives information that, to one degree or another, influences the formation of his lifestyle.
  5. Creative. With proper social education, a person will strive to create and improve the world around him. When faced with various problems, he will find solutions based on his own knowledge and experience.

Stages of personality socialization

The process of personality formation in society takes place in several stages:

  1. Childhood. It has been proven that at this age approximately 70% of personality is formed. Scientists have determined that up to the age of seven, a child understands his own “I” much better than in older years.
  2. Adolescence. During this period, the most physiological changes occur. From the age of 13, most children strive to take on as many responsibilities as possible.
  3. Youth. Describing the stages of personal socialization, it is worth noting that this stage is the most intense and dangerous, and it begins at the age of 16. During this period, a person makes important decisions in which direction to move next, which society to become a part of, and so on.
  4. Adulthood. Starting at the age of 18, most people's main focus is on work and personal life. A person gets to know himself through work and sexual experience, as well as through friendship and other areas.


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