The document discusses the key agents of socialization during childhood. It states that the four most important agents are family, school, peers, and mass media. Family is usually considered the primary agent of socialization. The document then goes on to define socialization and describe each of the major agents in more detail, explaining how they influence children and teach them social norms.

1. Gender, school and
society
Agencies of socialization
Submitted by,
M. Mariammal (II Year)
Department of Biological Science
St.Ignatius’ College of Education
(Autonomous)
Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai -627002
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

2. Introduction :
Socialization occurs throughout our
life, but some of the most important
socialization occurs in childhood. Four of
the most influential agents of socialization
during that phase of our lives are the
family, school, peers, and mass media.
Family is usually considered to be the most
important agent of socialization.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

3. What is socialization?
The act of adapting behavior to the norms of a
culture or society is called socialization. Socialization
can also mean going out and meeting people or
hanging out with friends.
For example:
• Interacting with friends and family,
• being told to obey rules,
• being rewarded for doing chores, and being taught
how to behave in public places
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

4. Definition of socialization:
According to E.S. Bogardus
“Socialization is the process of working
together, of developing group responsibility
or being guided by the welfare needs of
others”.
W.F. Ogburn defines “Socialization is
the process by which the individual learns
to conform to the norms of the group.”
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

5. Agencies of socialization :
The primary and secondary agencies of
socialization:-
1. The Home or the Family
2. The Neighborhood and Community
3. The Peer Group
4. Religion
5. Culture.
6. School
7. Mass media
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

6. TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

7. The home or the family
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

8. The home or the family :
• Every child is born into a family.
• The home or family is the first social agency
with which the child comes into contact.
• Interactions with other members of the
family, parents, siblings and others, have a
lasting influence on the personality of the
child and his social behavior.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

9. Contd……
• Using the formulations of psychoanalytic
theory, Freud attempted to explain the
impact of parental behaviour, parental
attitudes and early childhood experiences on
the development of the personality and
social behaviour of the child.
• “The family is the society in miniature”,
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

10. The Neighbourhood and
Community:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

11. The Neighbourhood and
Community:
• Every family lives in a community.
• This provides the base for an individual to
extend social relations and interactions
beyond the narrow limits of the home.
• This is particularly true of villages where
there is much more interaction among the
various families.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

12. Contd…..
• the community should play an important role
in influencing the process of socialization.
• The neighbourhood uncles and aunties are a
source of social learning.
• Apart from one’s own parents, adults in the
neighbourhood also exert an influence in the
shaping of the social behaviour of the
growing child.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

13. The Peer Group:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

14. The Peer Group:
• The term peer group means the group of equals
with whom a child interacts.
• This can be a play group or a classroom group or
any group of people more or less of the same age
and growth level.
• The role of the peer group in the process of
socialization is quite significant.
• The peer group influence attains its highest level of
influence during the teenagers.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

15. Contd ……
• According to Sullivan “The process of socialization
proceeds with maximum intensity during this
period”.
• Peer group influence is evident in the development
of interests, values, communication styles etc.
• Similarly sharing behaviour and a sense of ‘right
and wrong’ are areas where peer group influence is
felt
• Peer group influence can also be negative.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

16. Religion:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

17. Religion:
• Religion is another agency which is involved in the
process of socialization, particularly in the
development of values and attitudes.
• The reader might have come across the term
‘Protestant Ethic’, used to describe values, attitudes
and orientation of certain groups of people who
subscribe to the faith of Protestants.
• Thus the values, attitudes and orientations of the
people in the U.S.A. is generally described as
representing the ‘Protestant Ethic’.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

18. Culture:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

19. Culture:
• Culture shapes the basic character of the
individual.
• Culture is defined as the manmade part of
our environment.
• The importance of culture in shaping the
personality and social behaviour of the
individual was first emphasized by
anthropologists and subsequently by
psychoanalysts.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

20. School:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

21. School :
• The official purpose of school is to transfer subject
knowledge and teach life skills.
• In school, we also learn social skills through our
interactions with teachers, staff, and other
students.
• For example, we learn the importance of obeying
authority and that to be successful, we must learn
to be quiet, to wait, and sometimes to act
interested even when we're not.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

22. Mass media:
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

23. Mass media:
• From early forms of print technology to
electronic communication (radio, TV, etc.),
the media is playing a central role in shaping
the personality of the individuals.
• Since the last century, technological
innovations such as radio, motion pictures,
recorded music and television have become
important agents of socialization.
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

24. Conclusion :
Socialization prepares people to participate
in a social group by teaching them its norms and
expectations. Socialization has three primary
goals:
Teaching impulse control and developing a
conscience, preparing people to perform certain
social roles, and cultivating shared sources of
meaning and value.
For achieving these goals agencies like family ,
peer, school, media , etc are plays an important
role .
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

25. Reference:
• Dash, B.N. (2000).Teacher and Education in the
Emerging Indian Society. Hyderabad: Neelkamal
Publications.
• NCERT.(2006). Position Paper- National Focus
Group on Gender Issues in the
Curriculum(NCF2005).
• Bhushan, V.& Sachdeva, D.R.(2009),Introduction to
Sociology. Allahabad: Kitab Mahal Publications.
• Class Notes
TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.

26. TCP PRESENTO 2020, THIAGARAJAR COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS, MADURAI.