Topic > The main agents of political socialization

Socialization and resocialization are social processes that individuals experience throughout their lives, which involve the teaching of norms generally accepted by society as a whole and is the way in which one inherits these norms, customs, ideologies, skills and/or habits to be able members of society. (OpenStax College, 2015) Socialization is achieved through social interaction with the world around us. Essentially socialization is what makes you you. Everything from your beliefs to the cultures you are taught to the religion you choose. Many social institutions play a role in the socialization process such as family, education, religion, work, and government. There are several agents of socialization that are presented to an individual that enable them to become productive members of society, such as primary socialization, secondary socialization, religious socialization, political socialization, resocialization, etc. Resocialization is when socialization learnings are influenced by the individual's social environment which introduces new values ​​and beliefs. (OpenStax, 2015) All of this makes us who we are today. Along with these different types of socialization, there are three different perspectives that sociologists aim to view these types of socialization processes which include functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first form of socialization you can expect to be introduced to is primary socialization. Primary socialization comes from family or guardians and includes an individual's first experiences with the language, values, beliefs, and norms of society. Parents or guardians teach everything from learning to make your bed, brush your teeth in the morning, etc., to religion and how you as an individual view society. (OpenStax College, 2015) this type of socialization aims to teach young children about family culture and norms. However, theoretical perspectives view the family differently. Functionalists believe that the family is a fundamental social institution that stabilizes and develops society. While conflict theorists aim to see the family as “private entities”, struggling for power within themselves and in government and consequently diminish the status role of the individual, while interactionists see the family as a symbol that implies respect and passion, which flows with social norms and social changes. (OpenStax College, 2015) However, families are responsible for primary socialization. Primary socialization is important because it prepares for other types of socialization, such as secondary socialization. Secondary socialization is where young children are socialized outside of the home within the society around them, usually in a school setting. Schools introduce socialization by providing diversity, peer groups, and hidden agendas. This is something that cannot be acquired in a primary socialization context alone. Children interact with other children from all different types of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, even children with disabilities. (OpenStax, 2015) Schools expect students to arrive on time, turn in work on time, or even raise their hand before speaking. But not only do they have expectations that shape an individual for a working society, they also have hidden agendas that help shape children for the real world. Hidden curriculum is a non-academic curriculum that children learnthrough informal learning. (OpenStax College, 2015) For example, a group of students may need to present their project on photosynthesis to a class, demonstrating teamwork, time management, problem solving, and presentation skills. All of these are hidden in the classroom curriculum and are not formally taught. Access to education is not always guaranteed and varies by social class for many Americans. Those from richer backgrounds are more likely to have a better education than those from poorer backgrounds. (OpenStax College, 2015) Theoretical perspectives also vary across the education field. Functionalists believe that education is the foundation of individuals' performance for their specific roles in society. Conflict theorists believe that education sheds light on social inequality. Interactionists study interactions between teachers and students and how those relationships affect daily life. (OpenStax College, 2015) Another agent of socialization is religion, religion is a system of beliefs, values, and/or practices that are believed to be spiritually significant or sacred. (OpenStax College, 2015) Religion plays a huge role in an individual's direction in life and is primarily influenced by parents. Exposure to religion can influence early socialization that is passed down from generation to generation. (OpenStax College, 2015) Parents can faithfully participate in religious ceremonies with their children, which instills the ways of that specific religion. Children who grow up religious will most likely have religious children. (OpenStax College, 2015) This institution allows people to socialize in a recognizable environment such as churches, mosques, and Hindu temples, etc. However, not all religious beliefs and practices are considered socially acceptable, practices of polygyny, cults and denominational churches are viewed negatively by society. (OpenStax College, 2015) Theoretical lenses can provide additional perspectives on religion. Functionalists believe that religion offers emotional support, creates a place for socialization, and answers spiritual mysteries. The conflict theorist sees religion as a form of control and power that highlights patterns of social inequality. While interactionists believe that beliefs and experiences are not sacred unless religious people believe they are. (OpenStax College, 2015) The workforce is another social institution that an individual can expect to experience socialization. Work is defined as the mental and physical effort required to perform a task that reproduces goods or provides a service that meets the needs of other people. (OpenStax College, 2015) Some important factors of workplace socialization are the interactions an individual has with people in a shared work environment. These relationships help employees learn the company culture, increase skills and motivation. In the workplace an individual learns the norms of the social institution which include how an employee views working with another employee (teamwork), sharing information and work habits. All of these elements work together to improve the overall work environment (OpenStax, 2015). In addition to the positive aspects in the workplace, the workforce also experiences some negative aspects such as outsourcing (moving jobs overseas because it costs less and profits are higher). ) and automation (replacing workers with machines). (OpenStax College, 2015) Which contributes to job losses for Americans. The different sociological perspectives candevelop our understanding of the workforce. Functionalists would say that the workforce is designed to reward those who work hard and complete their work effectively, which improves motivation. While, conflict theorists argue that hard work does not guarantee success due to social capital, and that the path to success and well-paying jobs is through education. (OpenStax College, 2015) Political socialization is also a way to socialize, the social institution that contributes to socialization within our society is the government. Political socialization is how an individual acquires their political beliefs. (OpenStax College, 2015) Political socialization can usually be influenced by family, peers, and other environments such as school, media, or even religion. So, whether an individual chooses the liberal or conservative beliefs of society, most of the time it is because of the surrounding environment. Sometimes these opinions change as the surrounding environment changes. (OpenStax College, 2015) For example, if you were raised with conservative beliefs as a child, and as you grew up and experienced or acquired different beliefs, you might expect your political beliefs to change. Another factor influencing political socialization that can influence an individual's beliefs is globalization. When someone thinks of globalization, they might think of global trade. However, when someone who studies politics examines the political views of other nations that do not practice the death penalty, they might fight for changes in the United States that change our political thinking about the death penalty. (OpenStax College, 2015) Now, social theorists also see politics differently. Functionalists believe that government and politics exist to enforce norms and regulate conflicts, they see the dysfunctions of governments and politics as helping lead to social change. Conflict theorists, on the other hand, see politics and government as an elitist political system that only contributes to the wealth of those with the most power and authority, and this type of thinking has an opposite effect to the idea that “Everyone Americans have a say." in their government." While the interactionist focuses on symbolic figures or an individual with power and authority and is more concerned with relationships within politics rather than the structure of government. (OpenStax College, 2015) Finally, the final type of socialization an individual can be introduced to is resocialization. Resocialization occurs when socialization learnings are influenced by an individual's social environment that introduce new values ​​and beliefs. (OpenStax, 2015) this type of socialization can occur when a child is not adequately introduced to socialization in early childhood or when an individual enters the prison system after committing a crime or when one's career choice is to choose the military. This type of socialization occurs in total institutions such as prisons, the military, or in a single-parent family (OpenStax College, 2015). Total institutions are designed to strip an individual of his or her norms, cultural values ​​and beliefs to impose new values ​​and beliefs usually with the intent of positive changes, economically, using behavior-based rewards or punishments. However, some may agree that this type of socialization, specifically in prison systems, can be beneficial to an individual. The environment for a person serving in a prison system is designed for an inmate to adapt to the norms.