Socialization

Socialization is the term used by psychologists to describe how new members of a group are assisted by more experienced group members to internalize, and thereby act in accord with, the values, attitudes, beliefs, and actions of that group. The term assist is important because socialization involves more than just the transmission of values and attitudes; individuals also construct their own values by altering the group’s positions or by being selective in their choice of which values to accept and which to reject. The term internalization is also important because it means that values and standards are adhered to for intrinsic reasons rather than being adopted due to external pressures. Finally, the products of socialization—values, beliefs, actions, and so on—comprise a wide variety of social ...