Agents of Socialization

What is an Agent of Socialization?

• People• Groups• Institutions• They teach and influence the way in which we

behave within a society

Family

Agent #1: The Family

• The most important of all!• Develops cognitive (thinking), emotional, and

physical skill sets• Teach values (cultural & social)• Main source of emotional support• Language acquisition, understanding of rules,

how to interact with others, acceptable behaviour, and relationship skills are all learned here

School

Agent #2 The School

• Increasingly more and more important– Rise in single parent/working families

• Fills void left at home• Provides learning experiences• Specific knowledge and skills are taught• Introduces social control• Extended teaching of culture

Peer Groups

Agent #3: Peer Groups

• People linked by interest, social status, age• Contribute to each others sense of belonging• Teach and reinforce cultural norms and

behaviours• Create and distribute culture

Mass Media

Agent #4: Mass Media

• Large scale organizations• Use print or electronic means of communication

to interact with large groups of people• Provide information• Introduce different perspectives• Make us aware of products and services which

will influence our society• Entertain us through the experience of others

Other Agents

• Religion• Ethnicity• Work• Government• Clubs & Social Groups

What Role Do They Play?• With a partner choose a society (be creative)

– Outline some agents responsible for successful survival in that society

• Example: Rugby Team– Family: teaches value of healthy lifestyle– School: teaches how to interact with others– Peer groups: friends play on team– Mass Media: Invictus is huge success– Religion: pray before every game– Ethnicity: during Apartheid, Springboks were Whites-only– Work: can’t get hurt or will miss work– Government: represent your country at the olympics– Social: team hangs out after games

Homework

• Create a chart with each agent– Family, School, Peers, Media, Religion,

Government, Work, Clubs, Ethnicity

• Explain briefly how each of the following agents has influenced who you are/ how you see yourself within society – at least one per category