Who am I? Who do I get to blame for why I am so awkward? Well, that is another story for a further time. This is me, defining me, through socialization. What has influenced me that left an impact on my life that led me to where I am today? Although I thought I was my own product (filled with corny jokes and awesome taste in music), who I am currently has been shaped through agents of socialization including family, peers, and media throughout my life and continues to do so.
To start, what does the term socialization have to do with me personally? As stated in the Sociology textbook “Socialization is a lifelong process” (Farley & Flota, 2018, p. 151). So as I enter my thirties, I cannot help but think how my past experiences and future endeavors run parallel to this line of thought. Farley and Flota (2018, p. 145) wrote while socialization is heightened throughout childhood and adolescence, we continue well throughout adulthood. For example, I am a student, wife, mother, and homeowner. With every new role, new challenges and adaptations to new behaviors are required to function in society properly. Thus, beginning the socialization process each time.
I believe that family is the most important agent of socialization. My taste in music, my political view, and the way I mother my daughter are all influenced by my family when I was growing up. I firmly think that a child with a mother and father in the picture has a leg up on success later in life holds true. This is where we begin teaching important values, beliefs, and behaviors that are acceptable in society.
If children are not getting taught at home, they will go through the socialization process as a student. Schools today are just as important agents of socialization as family. Unfortunately for many children, they lack that structure at home to gain knowledge. This is where schools play their role. At the school, children are gaining knowledge and skills to function in society. I do believe that where you are going to school also plays a role in your development. According to The Making of the Southern Belle, they explain how even though women were exceeding in high numbers in the southern colleges, they were being taught different messages than the women in the northern colleges (Farley & Flota, 2018, p. 138).
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While I tend to like to talk about ideas that I agree with, it might make for a boring read. I presume it might be more alluring to continue reading on with what clashes with my views. On the larger scale of society, we have two perspectives. Each one views agents of socialization differently. The conflict perspective perceives the socialization process as keeping the wealthy affluent and passing such wealth to the next generation (Farley & Flota, 2018, p. 149). They portray this to be wrong in the sense of unfairness. As if the dominant group passing their success to their children is hindering them from prospering within their own society. Whether you are born with that kind of entitlement or not, everyone should have the moral compass to become virtuous within their culture.
The conflict perspective believes that schools perpetuate inequalities. Going back to the Making of the Southern Belle, here we can see what the conflict theorist would argue. It portrays the South's schools only permitting daughters of white elite families to attend college. Thus, reinforcing the inequalities of race in the south (Farley & Flota, 2018, p. 138). While I can come to an agreement with the conflict perspective here, I do not believe this type of injustice is being acted upon today. I think it is more of a power play now. You got individuals upset that they are not a jock or a cheerleader. Well, if they had been instilled from the beginning a strong sense of self-image, it wouldn’t matter to them. Because they would find where they fit in and where they could best utilize their talents.
Learning about socialization, the agents, and perspectives has broadened my frame of reference. I do believe when you feel strongly one way about something, it is beneficial to be challenged with a new concept. Farley and Flota (2018, p. 148) wanted the reader to see that the functionalist perspective views that socialization preserves and meets the needs of society. And this makes sense to me. As I continued to read about the conflict perspective, which believes that the socialization process teaches people to play their roles without questioning, I needed to re-read why it is that I agree with the functionalist theorist. I do not think that the conflict perspective changed my mind view of family and its role in socialization, but it did challenge my view on the school system. And that means I have more reading to do.
I think the agents of socialization should be highlighted as important not only to me but to the world. Instead of being bitter about the rich being rich, we should be looking into what we are teaching our children at home and how to develop them into caring, competent, hard-working individuals in society. According to the book, the socialization process to some degree teaches children to value the greatness of their society (Farley & Flota, 2018, p. 150). Positive agents promote virtuous attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. These factors play a big role in contributing to society. I cannot change the influences on my life regarding my past, but I am more aware of these outside agents to smooth the way for making decisions entering my next role.
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