“To be with everyone” and “to remain yourself” are two seemingly mutually exclusive motives that underlie the driving force of socialization of an individual. What exactly, for what and how a person uses his inherited and acquired arsenal of his potentials, serves as the basis for his future successes or failures, determines his unique and inimitable life path.
Concept of socialization
The concept of socialization is synonymous with the concept of "personal development" in developmental psychology. However, their key difference is that the first involves a view from the side of society, and the second from the side of the individual.
Also, the concept of socialization is synonymous with the concept of "education" in educational psychology, but not in its narrow sense, but in a broad sense when it is assumed that the whole life, the whole system is brought up.
Socialization is a complex multi-level process of individual development of social reality. On the one hand, it is a process that helps a person to assimilate everything that surrounds him in social reality, including social norms and rules of society, elements of culture, spiritual values developed by mankind, and therefore helps him subsequently to successfully operate in this world.
On the other hand, it is also a process that is related to how exactly this learned experience is further applied by a person, that is, as a person, being an active social subject, this experience implements.
The most important factors in the socialization of the individual are the phenomenon of a person being in a group and self-realization through it, as well as its entry into the increasingly complex structures of society.
Targets and goals
The goal of socialization is the formation of a responsible and socially active generation, whose actions are governed by social norms and public interests. It solves three main tasks:
- integrates the individual in society;
- facilitates the interaction of people through their assimilation of social roles;
- preserves society through the production and transmission of culture from generation to generation.
Socialization is the result of the development and active use by the individual of the traditional socio-cultural heritage while maintaining and developing their individuality.
The mechanisms
In every society, socialization mechanisms function with the help of which people transmit information about social reality to each other. In sociological language, there are some "translators" of social experience. These are the means that transfer the accumulated experience from generation to generation, contributing to the fact that each new generation begins to socialize. Such translators include various sign systems, elements of culture, educational systems, and social roles. Socialization mechanisms are divided into two categories: socio-psychological and socio-pedagogical.
Socio-psychological mechanisms:
- Imprinting - capturing information at the receptor and subconscious levels. To a greater extent inherent in infancy.
- Existential pressure - the assimilation of language, norms of behavior at an unconscious level.
- Imitation - following any pattern, voluntary or involuntary.
- Reflection is an internal dialogue during which a person critically conceptualizes, and then accepts or rejects certain social values.
Socio-pedagogical mechanisms:
- Traditional - the assimilation of dominant stereotypes by a person, proceeding, as a rule, on an unconscious level.
- Institutional - runs when a person interacts with various institutions and organizations.
- Stylized - functions when included in any subcultures.
- Interpersonal - turns on every time in contact with subjectively significant persons.
Stages
Socialization is a phased process. At each stage, the aforementioned translators work differently, and special mechanisms are also included that contribute to a better development of social reality.
In domestic literature, in particular, in the textbooks on social psychology Andreeva G. M., there are three stages of socialization: pre-labor, labor and post-labor. At each stage, emphasis changes, and above all, the ratio of the two sides of socialization - in the sense of mastering experience and in the sense of transferring experience.
The pre-labor stage of socialization corresponds to the period of a person’s life from birth to the beginning of labor activity. It is subdivided into two more independent periods:
- Early socialization is inherent in the length of time from birth to school. In developmental psychology, this is a period of early childhood. This stage is characterized by uncritical assimilation of experience, imitation of adults.
- Stage of study - covers the entire period of youth in a broad sense. It clearly includes school time. But the question of what stage the student years belong to has become the subject of discussion. Indeed, many students of universities and technical schools are already starting to work.
The labor stage of socialization corresponds to the period of human maturity, although it should be noted that the demographic boundaries of adulthood are very arbitrary. It covers the entire period of active human activity.
The post-labor stage of socialization implies the period of a person’s life after the end of his main labor activity. It corresponds to the retirement age.
Kinds
To understand the types of socialization, it is necessary to consider social institutions corresponding to each stage of development. At the pre-labor stage, institutions contribute to the individual entering the social world and mastering this world, its features and laws. In early childhood, the very first institution in which a person begins to learn social experience is the family. The following are various childcare facilities.
During the training period, the individual begins to interact with the first more or less official representative of society - the school. It was here that he first became acquainted with the basics of socialization. Institutions corresponding to this period provide the necessary knowledge about the world. Also during this period a huge role is played by a group of peers.
Labor stage institutes are enterprises and labor collectives. As for the post-labor stage, the question remains open so far.
Based on the institutional context, two types of socialization are distinguished: the primary one, associated with the acquisition of experience from the immediate environment of a person, and the secondary one, already associated with the formal environment, the impact of institutions and institutions.
Spheres
The main areas in which an individual develops social connections are activity, communication and self-awareness.
In the process of activity, a person broadens his horizons regarding various types of activity. Further, this new information is structured, and then the person is centered on a certain type of activity as the main one, mainly at this stage. That is, a hierarchy is built, comprehension takes place and the central type of activity is determined.
Communication expands and enriches a person’s relationship with the public. Firstly, there is a deepening of forms of communication, that is, a transition from monological to dialogical communication. What does it mean? That a person learns to decentrate, take into account the point of view of another as an equal communication partner. A winged and half-joking expression can serve as an example of monologic communication: "There are two points of view on this subject - mine and wrong." Secondly, the circle of communication is increasing. For example, with the transition from school to college, the process of mastering a new environment starts.
As you master new types of activities and new forms of communication, a person develops his own self-awareness, which is understood as the ability of a person to distinguish himself from others in general, the ability to become aware of oneself as "I" and, as this unfolds, a system of ideas about life, about people, about the world around. Self-awareness consists of three main components:
- Cognitive Self - knowledge of some of its own characteristics and ideas.
- Emotional Self - is associated with a general assessment of yourself.
- Behavioral Self - this is an understanding of what style of behavior, which ways of behavior are characteristic of a person and which he chooses.
As socialization grows, self-awareness grows, that is, self-awareness in this world, one’s capabilities, one’s preferred behavior strategies. It is very important to note that as self-awareness grows, a person learns to make decisions, make choices.
Making decisions is a very important moment of socialization, because only adequate decisions allow a person to subsequently perform fairly adequate actions in this world around him.
In the aggregate, activity, communication and the development of self-consciousness are a process in which a person masters the reality expanding around him. It begins to unfold before him in all its diversity and in all its difficulties.
Features of socialization of children with disabilities
The socialization of children with disabilities - with limited health abilities - provides for their right to diagnosis, special programs of psycho-correctional work, organizational and methodological assistance to families, differentiated and individual education. For children with special educational needs are created:
- Specialized pre-school educational institutions, schools or correctional classes in ordinary schools.
- Health educational institutions of the sanatorium type.
- Special correctional educational institutions.
- Educational institutions for children in need of psychological, pedagogical and medical and social assistance.
- Educational institutions of primary vocational education.
For children with disabilities, opportunities for secondary vocational and higher professional education are being formed. Special educational institutions are being created for, and various forms of integration are also provided for in general institutions.
Despite this, the problem of socialization of children and adolescents with disabilities continues to be relevant. A lot of controversy and discussion raises the question of their integration into the society of "healthy" peers.
Features of the socialization of youth
Youth is the most mobile part of society. This is the group that is most susceptible to new trends, phenomena, knowledge and ideas about the world. But it is not sufficiently adapted to social conditions new to itself, and therefore it is easier to influence and manipulate. In it, stable views and beliefs have not yet been formed, and both political and social orientation are complicated.
Young people also differ from other groups of society in that they are involved in almost all social processes either directly or indirectly, for example, through their family.
This socio-demographic group includes people aged 16 to 30 years. These years account for such important events as obtaining secondary and higher education, choosing and mastering a profession, creating your own family and having children. During this period, serious difficulties are acutely felt at the stage of a life start. First of all, this concerns employment issues, housing and material problems.
At the present stage, complication of the problems of psychological adaptation of youth is noted, the mechanisms of its involvement in the system of social relationships are complicated. Therefore, in addition to general educational institutions, special centers for the socialization of youth (FMC) are being created. The main directions of their activities, as a rule, are associated with the organization of socio-cultural and leisure activities, the provision of information and consulting services, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Youth is the main resource of society, its future. Her spiritual values and attitudes, moral character and vitality are very important.
Features of the socialization of the elderly
Recently, sociologists have begun to pay more attention to the study of the socialization of older people. The transition to the post-labor stage, adaptation to a new way of life for yourself does not necessarily imply a growth process. Personal development can stop or even reverse, for example, due to a decrease in the physical and psychological capabilities of a person. The difficulty is that for older people, social roles are not clearly defined.
The topic of socialization of older people among researchers of this process is currently causing heated discussions, the main positions of which are completely opposite. According to one of them, the concept of socialization does not apply to the period of life, when all social functions of a person are curtailed. The extreme expression of this point of view lies in the idea of "desocialization" following the labor stage.
According to another, a completely new approach to understanding the psychological nature of the elderly is needed. Quite a lot of experimental studies have already been carried out, confirming the continuing social activity of the elderly. Only its type changes during this period. And their contribution to the reproduction of social experience is recognized as valuable and significant.
Interesting examples of socializing people over 60
Vladimir Yakovlev, in the framework of his project “The Age of Happiness”, in the book “Wanted and Could” covers the stories of women who, with their own personal examples, have proved that it is never too late to begin to realize your incredible dreams. The motto of the book: "If it is possible at 60, then it is possible at 30." Here are some encouraging examples of socializing older people.
Ruth Flowers, at 68, decided to become a club DJ. At the age of 73, under the pseudonym "Mami Rock", she already gave several concerts a month, performed in the best clubs in the world and practically lived on airplanes, making flights from one end of the world to the other.
In her youth, Jacqueline Murdoch dreamed of working as a fashion model. At 82, in the summer of 2012, she became famous all over the world, becoming the face of the Lanvin brand.
After reaching 60 years, Evgenia Stepanova decided to start a career as a professional athlete. By the age of 74, she had made significant progress in this field. Due to the fact that a large number of competitions are held in the world for age-related athletes, she has plenty of opportunities to ride, compete and win.
Successful socialization
A person in the process of socialization goes through three main phases of development:
- Adaptation - mastery of iconic systems, social roles.
- Individualization is the isolation of the individual, the desire to stand out, to find "his own way."
- Integration - an infusion into society, achieving a balance between the individual and society.
A person is considered socialized if he is taught to think and act in accordance with age, gender and social situation. However, for successful socialization this is not enough.
The secret of self-realization and success is an active life position of a person. It manifests itself in the courage of initiative, determination, conscious action, responsibility. Real actions of a person form his active lifestyle and help to occupy a certain position in society. Such a person, on the one hand, obeys the norms of society, on the other hand, seeks to lead. For successful socialization, for success in life, the following basic characteristics must be inherent in a person:
- desire for self-development and self-actualization;
- willingness to make independent decisions in situations of choice;
- successful presentation of individual abilities;
- communication culture;
- maturity and moral stability.
Passive life position reflects a person’s tendency to obey the world around him, following the circumstances. As a rule, he finds reasons not to make efforts, seeks to avoid responsibility, blames other people for his failures.
Despite the fact that the formation of a person’s life position is rooted in his childhood and depends on the environment in which he is, it can be understood, comprehended and transformed. It's never too late to change yourself, especially for the better. They are born as a man, but become a person.