assess sociological views of socialisation

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Assess sociological views of socialisation

Most sociologists believe you have to learn how to fit into society, e.g. learn how to behave and what to believe. This process is called socialisation. It begins in childhood (primary socialisation) and continues throughout life (secondary socialisation). As usual in sociology, there are different views about how it all works.

Primary socialisation comes first. In early childhood, individuals learn the skills, knowledge, norms and values of society. This all happens in three ways. Firstly, children internalise norms and values by imitating their parents/guardians. Secondly, children are rewarded for socially acceptable behaviour. Lastly; Children are punished for socially "deviant" behaviour. Primary socialisation is often seen as the most important because evidence shows that children who are deprived of social contact during development often can't function as social adults. In 1970, an American girl known as "Genie" was discovered. She'd been locked up by her father for her first 13 years and never managed to recognise even basic social norms.

Secondary socialisation comes after primary socialisation and builds on it. It's carried out by various institutions. The most important are education, peer groups, religion, mass media and workplace.

The education system aims