Socialization

The concept of and approaches to socialization have a long history in sociology, psychology, and anthropology. A common definition of socialization is the processes by which individuals learn and adapt to the ways of a given society, culture, or group so as to adequately participate in it. While some have argued that socialization has declined as a research paradigm and become part of others, especially the life course, recent theory and research on childhood and youth socialization have revitalized the field. These new approaches stress the importance of the agency of children and youth as well as focusing on their collective processes in the production of peer cultures that play a key role in their life trajectories and transitions as they become active members of ...