Socializing in General Affects it Has on Shaping Character Attitude

¶ … Socialization

Effects of Socialization

Socialization by its very definition involves the assistance individuals receive when becoming members of a social group. This would include the "acquisition of rules, roles, standards, and values across the social, emotional, cognitive, and personal domains" (Grusec 1). In short, socialization is the process that prepares humans to function in social life. This includes the development of impulse control as well as a conscience, role preparation, and the understanding of a system of value. For a person to become an acceptable member of a society, they must understand what is expected of them by the other members of that society, but also adhere to those expectations. Socialization is the process by which people do this, and scientific studies have demonstrated that "personality dispositions, parent -rearing styles and social values are all related to socialization." (Garcia 1680)

As crime and violence are a blight on society, it is apparent that not everyone develops the necessary understanding of social norms. Being able to control one's impulses, whether violent or not, is an important part of living in a society. Because a society is made up of many individuals, each must curb their own instinctive self-interest in deference to the rights of all the others. And when a person understands this concept, they develop a conscience which will guide them toward the responsible behavior.

Each person must play several roles in a society, for example, gender roles, occupational roles, family roles, etc., and socialization can play an important part in a person's successful adaptation to the roles society requires them to fill. Studies have demonstrated that when it comes to the main role that each individual must play, gender, they first learn those roles inside the family unit, from the parents, but are then reinforced through childhood and into adolescence by peers, experiences, and other factors like television. (Witt) Other studies have concluded that while the parents may have an important effect in the short-term of early childhood, it is "outside-the-home-socialization" that has the most important long-term effects on the development of a child's personality. (Harris 458)