Agents of Socialization and Resocialization

Ever wonder why people are the way the are? Ever wonder why this one kid in your class does "this" instead of "that"? Socialization can explain it all, and there are many different people and places that can affect this. These different factors are called agents of socialization. Agents of socialization can be defined as the people or groups that affect our self-concept, attitudes, behaviors, or other orientations toward life. These agents prepare us to take our place in society. Some different examples of these agents are: family, community/neighborhood, religion, day care, school, peer groups, sports, and the workplace. Resocialization is the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors to match their new situation in life.


I will focus mainly on the effect that a person's peer groups can have on their attitudes and behaviors during socialization. Like the community, the peer group becomes a medium for learning and the acquisition of their culture's norms and beliefs. Even young children develop a sense of self from their perceptions of the significant people in their surroundings, including relatives, friends, teachers, and peers. Socioeconomic status, ethnic identity, and parents’ occupations and salaries can affect how families look at themselves and the process by which they raise their children. Eventually, as children leave home, their self-perception and socialization skills become influenced by how their peers view them.


I think a great example of how this happens can be seen by looking at teenagers who leave home after high school and go off to become college students. These students are now away from home and the influences that their families have on them. Now, I'll start by saying that being away from these influences is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe it's normal and healthy for an individual to learn to be an individual. I have met some people over the few years I've been in college who really have changed for the better. They have opened up to new ideas and new experiences, which in the end has made them a much more well-rounded person. This has undoubtedly come from socializing and resocializing with their new peer groups in college. It's almost impossible to go against a peer group, because everyone wants to fit in, and "conformity" seems to take precedence these days. This idea can, of course, have its negatives as well. For example, I know people who came to college and were on a great path to success. But, they started hanging out with a different kind of group, one that had different standards than what they were used to. The new group was one who wasn't as goal oriented and was more inclined to do drugs and slack off (not saying that all drug users are slackers...). However, again, conformity seems to be the dominating factor, and not wanting to be an outcast can really influence someone to let the peer group rule. Somewhat needless to say, this person, because of their peer group socialization, is not quite on the same goal-oriented track that they were on during freshman year. This particular story also blends quite a bit with resocialization, but both concepts do apply here.


As we can see, socialization in general has a powerful effect on humans and the way we develop who we are and the way we see the world. The peer group setting of socialization starts as soon as a child starts meeting other children (and adults) that they might interact with very frequently. Children usually have their own “family” view. When confronted with other outlooks, they often need to rethink their own viewpoints. It can be difficult for children to grasp the idea that other families can function completely differently from theirs and still hold many of the same beliefs and be equally supportive and safe. For this reason, it is important to understand the impact that these agents of socialization can have on people so that we can acknowledge that socialization does take place and that it broadens our view of society.