Week 8: An Experience in Socialization

In this week’s prompt, we were invited to comment on our experiences with the stages of socialization as brought up in Morland and Levine’s book from 2002. With their somewhat-vague model, consisting of investigation, socialization, maintenance, resocialization, and remembrance, there was much room to fit a personal experience: socializing in a marching band.

For those who don’t know what marching band is, this Wikipedia article has an accurate description.

Stage I: Investigation

The first stage — investigation — is when a potential participant receives information on a group. This happens through any number of means — participating in some activities, interacting with members, reading on the traits and structure of the group, and so on. For band, this is similar to early years such as those which happen in middle school/junior high. During this time, students learn about the basic skills and expectations involved with being a member of the group.

Transition Phase I: Entrance

Next comes the first transition period titled entry, and this is precisely what it sounds like. For band, specifically marching band, this happens generally after the first week of band camp. Band camp, contrary to popular media, is not like a summer camp. For most marching bands, it’s about two weeks of all-day practice, generally happening three to four weeks before a new school term begins. During this time, prospective members are intensively exposed to their future expectations and tasks, and as the article by Morland and Levine suggests, it is during the entry phase that many prospective members abandon interest. The entry phase marks when a prospective member has learned the details of their future roles, and for some, these details are not appealing. This is generally not frowned-upon by the members — rather, the introspection is generally appreciated. Having a full-member leave mid-season can be disastrous.

This leads to another distinction for marching band. Morland and Levine talk some about the initiation rites involved with entry into a group. While band camp, marching band’s entry transition period, can be intense and demanding, it’s really not so much an initiation or rite-of-passage (as with hazing or with other demanding entry periods such as basic training with the military). Rather, it’s treated more like a really long class or workshop. Band members don’t boast about their prowess in getting through band camp, and it isn’t something generally made more miserable to initiate new members. It’s a time of support and for budding new relationships of trust — a major part of Morland and Levine’s studies — but there’s no cruelty or forced-stress involved.

Stage II: Socialization

Socialization is the next stage in group involvement. This is where a new member becomes accommodated to a group in all ways, and Morland and Levine pose this is where much of the trust is built between members and between the group as a whole and a member. Marching band certainly fits the bill. For the remainder of band camp (following entry), and for the first month or so of classes and practice, a new member will become socialized with the group. They will thoroughly meet the members of their sub-group, often called their section, they will come to know the various roles within the overall group, they will be called upon to demonstrate skills or growth, and they will complete their first (and generally minor) tasks. Most important in this, though, are the relationships that are grown. This is when a new member learns who in the group will support them in which ways. Who is best at keeping a uniform tidy? Who knows how to dress minor injuries? Who is especially good at sight-reading music in a pinch? Who always has extra copies of the music? Who is in charge of water bottles or snacks? Which band parent will always wait to ensure all students have a ride home? The list goes on. It is a vital time, and as Morland and Levine postulate in their article, the trust built during this phase is what carries a new group member through their entire membership.

Transition Phase II: Acceptance

Following socialization comes the next transition — acceptance. For some groups, this can be a formal ceremony, or it might be marked by the completion of some list of tasks. In marching band, acceptance is far subtler, and it can happen at just about any time in a new member’s first few months. By the end of the first competition season, every new member has been accepted at some point. After two to two and a half months of practice comes usually a month or so of competitions, where the group, independent of instructors, performs before a panel of judges and receive ranks against other marching bands. After the first marching season, there are no longer lines between new member and old member. This phenomenon is aided by the fact that it is very unusual to get a new member mid-season.

Stage III: Maintenance

The next stage is maintenance. This is where a member performs their duties and roles within the group, and it is likely the longest-lived phase for a marching band member. During this time, a marching band participant might take up leadership or specific roles. They might start helping other members develop skills, and they will likely receive help in kind. They will usually demonstrate their skills, either for fun or competitively. And most significantly, a member of a marching band will tend to the relationships of trust and reliance built during their socialization phase. Given the average marching band participant begins their freshman year in high school and continues through graduation, maintenance is often a period lasting years.

Transition Phase III: Divergence (optional)

During these years, however, disagreements within the group are bound to arise. When this occurs, a member might enter a phase where he/she must decide to stay with or leave the group, and this is a transition period called divergence. In marching band, this could occur for any of an enormous number of reasons. Some are simple and nonvolatile — if, for example, a member changes their instrument, then they might need to move to a different section (sub-group). Alternatively, if leadership changes, or if interpersonal relationships go downhill, divergence might occur with less neutrality. It is my experience that the relationships built between the whole group and a member are fairly strong and resilliant, and so while divergence was certainly known to happen, it was seldom a calamity. It generally led to resocialization and acceptance, and not to an exit.

Stage IV: Re-socialization (optional)

Re-socialization is a stage where a member, after having experienced divergence, will rebuild their role with the group and among its members. For band, this looks a lot like socialization, and with the depth of reliance between members, it usually results in acceptance and maintenance.

Transition Phase IV: Exit

If a member decides leaving the group is best, the member may enter a transition phase and exit the group. In a band, this generally happens for the same reasons divergence occurs. Maybe leadership changes in a way a member cannot tolerate, perhaps relationships sour and require distancing, or so on. Additionally, there are a number of neutral or even positive reasons a member may exit the band. If a member graduates, for instance, they exit, and usually on very positive terms. Another common reason for an exit is if a student no longer has the time needed to participate and leaves to focus on academics or some other area of study. Very, very occasionally, a group might force a member to exit. If that member very seriously and negatively affects the group’s functionality, the highest leadership of the band (usually consisting of an instructor and possibly some staff assistants) might ask a member to leave. This is very rare, however — a member exiting is nearly always a neutrally- or positively-perceived event.

Stage V: Remembrance

The final stage occurring after an exit is remembrance. This is where a group might enact traditions around a member’s accomplishments or habits, and it’s where and why stories are passed around concerning a prior-member. In marching band, remembrance is a very small phase. Given the maximum residency of a member depends on their high school attendance, and since (at least in band) students seldom talk about students they’d never been enrolled with, the remembrance turnover is very short. Older students whose friends freshly graduated will often lament their remembrance, and there are (of course) the immortalized stories of some antic or wild success, but this is about the extent of this stage in a marching band.

Perhaps the brevity of this stage comes from the band members not directly controlling their group. High leadership is staff, and these persons are generally of such lofty positions that their membership in the band’s group is very segregated. So while leadership roles within the group are filled by students, decisions on functionality will be made by a non-student, and thus only small traditions and organizational changes can be made in remembrance of a former member.

Source:

Moreland, R. L., and J. M. Levine. “Socialization And Trust In Work Groups”. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations 5.3 (2002): 185–201. Web. Link.