Socialization is a term used by a broad range of scholars to denote the lifelong process of receiving norms, customs, and ideologies from one’s heritage and disseminating them. A socialized individual possesses the skills and habits necessary for participating within their society. Thus, socialization is the tool that allows for the attainment of social and cultural continuity. The process is essential for human beings because, unlike other living species, the behavior of which is set biologically, humans need social experiences to learn their culture and survive within it. Therefore, learning about socialization theories is important for having a profound understanding of the different processes that may shape individuals’ acquisition of social and cultural standards. In addition, the relevance of socialization to the decision to undertake higher education should be considered.
There are several theories of socialization developed by sociologists, psychologists, and human development scholars. First, the looking-glass self is a concept of social psychology created by Horton Cooley, stating that an individual grows out of a society’s interactions and perceptions of others. Therefore, the looking-glass self refers to the process of people shaping their socialization based on the perceptions of other people, leading to the reinforcement of other people’s perspectives on themselves (Collier, 2016). Second, the theory of social behaviorism developed by Herbert Mead explains how social experiences can develop the personality of a person. Within the theory, the self is the central concept and represents a part of an individual personality that is composed of self-image and self-awareness. According to the theorist, the self does not emerge at birth but instead is being formed and developed throughout one’s social experiences.
Third, Freud has also delved into the theory of socialization and suggested that unconscious stimuli and early childhood events significantly determine human behaviors, experiences, and cognition. The division of the human psyche into id, ego, and super-ego allows one to differentiate between the influences of different external factors on an individual. Specifically, the Id is the impulsive portion of the psyche that seeks immediate gratification while the ego acts following the reality principle. The super-ego aims to reach perfection and includes the ideals, spiritual goals, and the psychic agency that criticizes and prohibits an individual’s actions, feelings, and drives. Finally, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is important to socialization because it argues that individuals undergo several transformations based on personal experiences and interactions with the environment. It explains that individuals perceive and adapt to new information with the help of accommodation and assimilation.
The theories of socialization all suggest that the different influences from the environment shape individuals’ perceptions of self and the people surrounding them. High levels of socialization, therefore, entail a well-rounded individual with one’s perspective on the world and close relationships with other people. The decision of a socialized individual to pursue higher education will be based on his or her perceptions of the importance of education and the benefits that it can bring (Bæck, 2017). Moreover, much socialization takes place within educational settings. Educational institutions themselves represent social structures, the role of which is transmitting knowledge and skills. Moreover, shared experiences both in school and outside school have shown to be imperative for helping individuals develop a sense of community and a team. Open and honest communication between educators and students as well as between students encourages the sharing of experiences and develops trust. Tangible leadership and support that individuals receive at schools are also important for their ongoing socialization.
Because of the variety of influences, positive experiences with socialization at primary, secondary, and high school may also have a positive influence on the decision of a person to attend a higher education setting. Both teachers and peers may influence individuals’ decision-making and the likelihood of pursuing higher education after graduating from school. On the downside, the lack of socialization has been shown to harm individuals’ development, including the increased risks of poor mental and physical health (Blue, 2017). Such challenges may prevent a person from pursuing higher education because of the issues of finding connections with peers and educators in a completely new environment. Besides, the increased reliance on technologies for communication entails reduced social skills as individuals communicate in person less frequently.
To conclude, socialization is a complex process that entails various factors that influence an individual’s social skills and the capacity to engage with their environment. Socialization also occurs within an educational context, and the experiences attained by students when they engage with their peers and educators are important for their further decision-making about attending higher education institutions in the future. Depending on how an individual has socialized, he or she will make further decisions as to participating in further learning. Notably, the lack of socialization is challenging to both physical and psychological health, which points to further issues associated with a person’s desire to get higher education.
References
Bæck, U-D. (2017). It is the air that we breathe. Academic socialization as a key component for understanding how parents influence children’s schooling. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 3(2), 123-132.
Blue, A. (2017). Poor social skills may be harmful to mental and physical health. Web.
Collier, J. (2016). On twenty-five years of social epistemology: A way forward. New York, NY: Routledge.