Family- Agent of Social Reproduction
Family aids in the reproduction of society in two ways: biologically through procreation and socially through socialisation. In this article, I have attempted to present my views and researches regarding the importance of socialization and how family acts as a primary agent in this process.
Macionis and Plummer (1998) proposed that learning the nuances of one’s society or culture is of utmost importance for survival. The process by which one imbibes the skills, habits, values, perception and roles of their culture is called socialization. (Shantellealice, 2012) Socialization refers to the process by which people develop a sense of self which is influenced by attitudes, values, beliefs, norms, roles, perceptions, behaviors and morals of their culture or society. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2002) Sociologists suggest that the mediators of socialization can be classified into two groups: primary (family and peers) and secondary (school, popular culture).
I agree with Haralambos and Holborn that ‘socialization’ is the process by which an individual is transformed into a social being, through learning to think and behave according to the values and norms prevalent in his society” (Thomlinson, 1965, p.10). In order to be considered ‘normal’ and ‘a part of everyone’, one needs to subscribe to the standards set by the society. (Bourne, 2006)
Certain processes that help in this process are:
- Imitation- Children imitate the behaviour of those people they identify with.
- Identification- Children tend to identify with one or the other of their parents. Although for girls a sexually differentiated form of identification is later brought through the internalization of outside pressures.
- Internalization- This suggests a direct and one to one relationship between what children are presented and what they later enact.
Haralambos and Holborn, 2002 suggested that socialization is not limited to childhood, but is a process that continues throughout life. Familiarity of societal norms and expectations underpins one’s personality. (Macionis & Plummer, 1998)
The ‘wolf boy’ was raised by wolves and was later rescued and brought to stay with humans died within 2 years since he could not take the pressures imposed on him to be a part of the society. (Baron, R., & Bryne, D., Branscombe, N., 2006)
This goes on to show that it is the degree to which one is culturalized and has the sanction by the society that makes us humans, and not the virtue of being born as one. As social life progresses, some value and belief systems are considered as ‘accepted ways’ of living. Language can be considered as an example of a social institution. These ways become institionalized and are passed on from one generation to other. (Gosling, Hill, Fee. & Taylor, 2003)
Ever since a child is born, expectations by parents and the society influence his/ her self concept. The question therefore rises ‘What makes us who we are?’ Is it nature (self is as a result of heredity factors) or nurture (self is influenced by environmental factors)
Freud suggested that the personality is influenced by significant others. Piaget proposed that children are steadily socialized into social relationships. Also, Baron, Bryne, and Branscombe (2006) proposed that “Personality refers to the relatively stable patterns of behavior, thoughts, emotions that are influenced by family and the environment.” Concurring their view, I believe that the social atmosphere plays an influential role in the development of an individual’s personality. The society that the child at first encounters in the family. This society is expanded when he/ she enters other spheres such as school, peer interactions etc.
Charles A Beard suggested that the primary care givers, usually the mothers can be considered as the “constant carriers of common culture.” Parents play a central role in transferring of ‘socially sanctioned’ actions, language, customs and value systems. They help in internalizing culture and therefore the development of a social identity. (Paul Bourne, 2006)
When the parents, the primary agents of socialization in the family believe in notions such as these, they consciously as well as sub-consciously tend to socialize the child accordingly. For example if the parents believe that the social roles of the children depends on their gender, they will automatically teach the child to behave in the socially expected behaviour according to their gender.
Socialization follows ‘Kinaesthetic processes’. This process involves a number of ways in which children are directly manipulated into being socialized. The effects of this process are that by the age of four, children know their sex identity and are also aware of the distinctions of gender. And the extent to which they are sexually stereotyped is seen as directly affected by parental behaviors. The more the parents treat their children in sexually differentiated ways, for example in exposing them to particular kinds of toys, the more it is believed that the child will reflect such stereotypes.
Grolnick, Wendy S. & Richard M., through their research on the association of parental styles and children’s self regulation and competence in school presented that for children in grade 3 to 6, achievement, teacher rated competence and behavioral adjustment was related to maternal involvement. No such correlation was obtained regarding father’s involvement. It is essential to consider the parental style of discipline too. (covered this aspect in my previous article).
Closing Word:
In order to feel accepted in the society, one needs to go through the process of socialization. There are various agents like family, school, peer, religion etc which help the child in this process. However, family acts as a primary agent. Speaking about the parenting styles and discipline patterns and socialization, researches have pointed towards the significant importance of these. While, it is popularly accepted that authoritative parenting style is the best, according to me, there is no ‘one’ parenting style that would lead to 100% success in the process of socialization. Every parent needs to tailor their style in accordance to their child’s needs, temperament, together with considering the prevalent cultural norms. A child’s school life includes fifteen years of schooling. This means Interaction with different teachers, peer, elders, popular culture etc. In my opinion, the parenting style and the severity of discipline cannot remain static too. It needs to be reinvented depending upon the child’s developmental stage too.
Also, what is extremely important is to assess the parental attitude towards socialization. As the child grows, the agents of socialization will expand too. In my opinion, the best parenting style and discipline pattern that would aid in socialization and the development of a holistic personality of the child would be a supportive environment, freedom to explore and a critical and rational approach towards new perspectives, ideologies and norms. Only when guidance and freedom will be weaved together is when a child will develop into a social being who will be well accustomed to the societal norms, yet possess the courage to stand for his/ her individuality.
