The concept of socialization. Essence, stages and mechanisms of personality socialization

Factors of socialization.

Socialization factors are the mechanisms through which the socialization process occurs. The main factors identified by social educator A.V. Mudrikom, three:

1. Macro factors are global mechanisms that influence the social development of an individual (planet, space, state, country, society, government).
2. Mesofactors are conditions that influence socialization, mainly on a territorial or ethnic basis (place and type of settlement, region, town, city, people, ethnicity).
3. Microfactors are factors that have a direct impact on a person’s socialization (family, peers, school, place of study and work).

Each factor has an active element, thanks to which socialization occurs. For example, in a family there are parents, brothers, sisters, in school there are teachers and classmates. These elements are called agents of socialization.

The role of agents and institutions

Sociologists distinguish 2 groups of people who influence the development and formation of personality in the process of socialization:

1. Primary - familiar people, or informal agents. These include members of a small community who are well known to each other: family, parents, neighbors;
2. Secondary – strangers are formal agents or institutions. This is a set of people connected by formal relationships: kindergarten, school, company, enterprise, city, state, etc.

Both groups play different roles and influence the formation of personality in a certain direction:

The education and upbringing of a child from 0 to 3 years old occurs under the influence of the main agents: parents and immediate relatives. They form the motivation and primary attitude of the individual towards others.

• After 3 years, the individual enters into relationships with additional agents: educators, teachers, doctors. Most preschool children actively master thinking and cognitive skills under the influence of informal agents.
• At the age of 8 - 15 (school period) they are influenced by their peers, adults belonging to different social groups, the media, and the Internet. Such a diverse environment does not exclude a negative impact on the individual and the possibility of antisocial behavior.
• Thus, by the age of 15-18, the personality is considered formed. In the future, other social institutions play their role. They use other means that influence her moral and psychological changes.

Mechanisms

Every society has socialization mechanisms through which people convey information about social reality to each other. In sociological terms, there are some “translators” of social experience. These are means that transmit accumulated experience from generation to generation, contributing to the fact that each new generation begins to socialize. Such translators include various sign systems, cultural elements, educational systems, and social roles. Socialization mechanisms are divided into two categories: socio-psychological and socio-pedagogical.

Socio-psychological mechanisms:

• Imprinting is the imprinting of information on the receptor and subconscious levels. More common in infancy.
• Existential pressure - the assimilation of language and norms of behavior at an unconscious level.
• Imitation is following a model, voluntary or involuntary.
• Reflection is an internal dialogue during which a person critically thinks about and then accepts or rejects certain social values.

Social and pedagogical mechanisms:

• Traditional - a person’s assimilation of prevailing stereotypes, which occurs, as a rule, at an unconscious level.
• Institutional - triggered by a person’s interaction with various institutions and organizations.
• Stylized - functions when included in any subcultures.
• Interpersonal - turns on whenever there is contact with persons who are subjectively significant to a person.

Means and mechanisms of socialization

Human socialization occurs through a wide range of universal means, the content of which is specific to a particular society, a particular social class, a particular age of socialized people. These include infant nutrition and care; training in housekeeping and hygiene skills; products of material culture surrounding humans; elements of spiritual culture (from lullabies to sculpture); style and content of communication; as well as methods of reward and punishment in families, peer groups, educational and other socializing organizations; the consistent introduction of a person to numerous types and types of relationships in the main spheres of his life - communication, play, knowledge, fact-practical and mental-practical activities, sports, as well as in the family, professional, social and religious spheres.

Every society, every organization, every social group (small or large) in its history develops a complex of positive and negative, formal and informal sanctions - methods of coercion and persuasion, commandments and prohibitions, measures of coercion and pressure, up to physical violence, methods of recognition, awards and rewards. With the help of these measures and methods, the behavior of a person and entire groups of people is brought into line with the models, norms, and values ​​accepted in the culture.

Human socialization in interaction with various factors and agents occurs through a set of, so to speak, “mechanisms.” There are different approaches to considering the “mechanisms” of socialization. For example, the French social psychologist Gabriel Tarde considered imitation to be the most important. The American scientist Uri Bronfenbrenner considers progressive mutual adaptation (adaptation) between an actively growing person and the changing conditions of his life as a mechanism of socialization, and A.V. Petrovsky sees a natural alternation of stages of adaptation, individualization and integration in the process of personality development. Summarizing the available data, A.V. From a pedagogical point of view, Mudrik identifies some universal mechanisms of socialization that should be taken into account and partially used in the process of teaching a person in different age groups. Psychological and socio-psychological mechanisms include the following.

A print (imprint) is the fixation at the level of receptivity and unconsciousness of the signs of vital objects that affect a person. The impression occurs primarily in infancy. However, in later stages it is also possible to imprint any images and sensations.

Existential pressure - mastery of language and unconscious assimilation of norms of social behavior necessary in the process of interaction with significant people.

Imitation - following an example, a pattern. In this case, this is a form of arbitrary and, as a rule, involuntary acquisition of social experience.

Identification is the process of unconsciously identifying with another person, group, or image.

Reflection is an internal dialogue in which a person considers, evaluates, accepts or rejects certain values ​​contained in various institutions of society, family, mutual aid societies, significant people, etc. Reflection can be an internal dialogue of various kinds: between different selves, with real or imaginary people, etc. Through reflection, a person can be shaped and changed by his awareness and experience of the reality in which he lives, his place in this reality, and himself.

Socialization mechanisms include the following.

The traditional mechanism of socialization is a person’s assimilation of norms, standards of behavior, views, stereotypes characteristic of his family and immediate environment. This assimilation is usually carried out at an unconscious level through memorization, an uncritical perception of prevailing stereotypes. The effectiveness of the traditional mechanism is quite obvious when a person knows “how”, “when”, but this knowledge contradicts the traditions of his environment. In this case, the French thinker Michel Montaigne is right, who wrote: “...We can say our things as much as we like, but the customs and general rules of everyday life tire us of them.” Moreover, the effectiveness of the traditional mechanism is manifested in the fact that certain social elements that were learned, for example, in childhood, but are no longer remembered and are not blocked by changes in living conditions (for example, moving from a village to a city), can reappear in human behavior at the next change in living conditions or at a later age.

The institutional mechanism of socialization, as the name suggests, operates in the process of human interaction with the institutions of society and various organizations that are both specifically created for socialization and perform socializing functions in parallel with their main functions (production, social, associative and other structures, as well as mass communication). In the process of human interaction with various institutions and organizations, relevant knowledge and experience of socially acceptable behavior, as well as experience of imitation of socially acceptable behavior and conflict-free implementation of social norms, are increasingly accumulated.

It should be borne in mind that mass communication as a social institution influences the socialization of a person not only through the transmission of certain information, but also through the presentation of behavioral models of characters in books, films, and television programs. The effectiveness of this influence is determined by the fact that, as the reformer of Western European ballet Jean-Georges Nover noted, “since the passions professed by the heroes are stronger and more definite than the passions of ordinary people, they are easier to imitate.” People with age and individual characteristics tend to identify themselves with certain heroes, at the same time perceiving their characteristic behavior patterns, lifestyle, etc.

The stylized mechanism of socialization operates within a certain subculture. Subculture is understood as a set of moral and psychological traits and behavioral manifestations characteristic of people of a certain age or professional or cultural class, which, as a rule, give rise to a certain style of behavior and thinking of a certain age, professional or social group.

The interpersonal mechanism of socialization works in the process of human interaction with subjectively significant people. Parents (at any age), any respected adult, a friend of the same sex or the opposite sex can be significant to him. However, it is not uncommon for interactions with significant others in groups or organizations to have an impact on a person different from the person in the group or organization.

Human socialization, especially of children, adolescents and young men, occurs through all of the above mechanisms. However, for different genders and age groups, sociocultural groups and specific individuals, the role of socialization mechanisms is different, and sometimes this difference is quite significant.

Socialization functions

This mechanism is of great importance for the development of personality. Among the main functions there are:

• Normative and regulatory. This means that absolutely everything that surrounds a person can have one influence or another on him. In this case, we are talking about family, country politics, religion and much more.
• Personally transformative. In the process of communicating with other people, a person begins to show his individual qualities and characteristics. Thus, it is separated from the total mass.
• Value-oriented. This category is reminiscent of the regulatory category. However, in this case, a person adopts from everything around him not experience, but certain values.
• Information and communication. In this case, the individual’s lifestyle forms its way of life based on the experience of communicating with various representatives of society.
• Creative. If a person is brought up in the right environment, this will help a person learn to improve the world around him.

Definition of socialization

Before discussing this topic, it is necessary to understand what socialization as such is.

Psychological science says that socialization

is the process of an individual’s entry into a social system, mastering its norms, rules of behavior, values, knowledge and skills, and psychological attitudes.

Another, “unofficial” definition says that socialization is what allows a person to live in harmony with the world around him. How is this harmony achieved?

Man is the only creature who, let’s say, is not born by himself. Any animal at birth belongs to a certain species - the same one to which its parents belonged. And only a person, in order to obtain the characteristics inherent to his species, is obliged to undergo a long and complex process of socialization, individual forms of which occur throughout his entire life. In fact, if a newborn is left in the forest and there he randomly survives, then he will not learn to speak, or build, or even hunt. Certain forms of learning, of course, exist in many animals, but they take place only for a short time; an animal that has not undergone “socialization” still has a great chance of surviving and producing offspring, since the basic skills are embedded in its instincts. Long and complex socialization is observed only in higher primates, which proves that this phenomenon did not arise suddenly, but was inherited from our animal ancestors and evolved over thousands of years.

Socialization theories

Unlike other living things, whose behavior is biologically determined, humans require social experience to reproduce their culture and survive. Because socialization is so important, psychologists, anthropologists, educators, sociologists and others have always sought to understand how it occurs and what impact it has on the formation of self-identity. The results of their research were various theories of socialization. They will be discussed further.

1

"Mirror Me"

In 1902, American sociologist and social psychologist Charles Horton Cooley developed the concept of the “mirror self,” which states that people develop self-image by observing how others perceive them. In other words, our self or sense of self develops through interactions with other people.

According to Cooley, this process consists of three parts: first, a person imagines how other people see him, then interprets their reactions to his behavior, and finally forms a self-esteem based on these interpretations. Favorable reflection in the “social mirror” develops positive self-esteem, while negative reflection leads to negative self-esteem.

For example, a person gets a job and is confident that he can easily demonstrate professionalism and competence. When interacting with his new colleagues, he pays attention to their body language, the way they speak and generally react to him. When colleagues show kindness, such as making eye contact or shaking hands firmly, a person's confidence in their professionalism is strengthened. If a person receives negative feedback, such as colleagues looking away or quickly ending the conversation, he may doubt his own professionalism.

According to Cooley, not all reactions carry equal weight. People take more seriously the opinions of those who matter to them and are trustworthy. Even if their reaction was misinterpreted, these erroneous judgments still affect self-esteem [Rousseau N., 2002].

2

Socialization through play

American psychologist, sociologist and philosopher George Herbert Mead believed that through socialization we learn to understand and anticipate what other people think and feel, as well as to be aware of ourselves. Mead essentially agreed with Cooley, but added that the process of children's play is critical to personality development. This is how he described it.

At first, the child simply imitates the adults with whom he regularly communicates (primarily parents), imitating their gestures, movements and words. This is followed by a stage of play, during which the child begins to take on the roles of the parents, acting out adult behavior, for example, dressing up as “Mom”, or talking on a toy phone like Dad.

By pretending to be mom and dad, the child treats his dolls the way he thinks his parents treat him. This way he better understands what behavior is expected of him. Older children, through play, begin to take on the roles of not only significant loved ones, but also other people, learning the general behavioral expectations of society from them (instead of the word “society,” Mead used the term “generalized other,” meaning the norms, values, and expectations of people in in general) [Mead GH, 1934].

According to Mead, the formation of a true self occurs when a person begins to perceive himself as an object. This becomes possible only through the assimilation of attitudes obtained from interaction with others [Belik A. A., 2011].

3

Id, Ego, Super-Ego

The father of psychoanalysis, Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud, argued that personality consists of three elements: the id, the ego and the superego. Their formation occurs in childhood.

The id is the unconscious, impulsive part of the psyche that demands the satisfaction of basic needs such as attention, safety, food and sex. The ego balances between the needs of the id and the demands of society, being the rational part of the personality. The super-ego (or social consciousness) develops as the norms and values ​​of society are internalized, i.e. through socialization. It creates feelings of guilt or shame when one breaks social rules, and feelings of pride and self-righteousness when one follows them.

According to Freud, the purpose of the superego is to improve and civilize behavior. It is necessary to suppress all unacceptable impulses. If the Super-Ego does not become strong enough, a person is at risk of the Id pushing him into antisocial behavior [Freud S., 1926].

4

Theory of psychosocial personality development

Psychologist Erik Erikson was a follower of Freud, believing, however, that personality development occurs throughout life and consists of 8 stages. Socialization occupies a central place in his theory: if it is successfully completed at each of the life stages, a person continues to develop, if not, then he stagnates.

5

Cognitive development theory

Swiss psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget specialized in child psychology, and viewed the role of socialization through the prism of 4 stages of cognitive skill development:

• The first stage is sensorimotor, lasting from birth to 2 years. At this stage, the child constructs an understanding of the world only through direct contact with it (touching, listening, seeing).
• The second stage is preoperative (2-7 years). The child learns language and begins to use symbols to represent objects.
• The third stage is the stage of specific operations (7-12 years). The child now understands numbers, cause and effect, and can make rational decisions based on observed phenomena, but has difficulty with abstract concepts such as truth.
• The fourth stage is the stage of formal operations (12+). The child acquires the ability for abstract thinking, hypothetical and deductive reasoning [Wood KC, Smith H., Grossniklaus D., 2001].

Piaget argued that children best progress through these stages of development through play and through active interaction with adults. He encouraged asking children questions to force them to think about their behavior, and believed that it was instructive for them to see contradictions in their reasoning.

6

Moral development theory

American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg agreed with Piaget's theory, but decided to supplement it with his own ideas. He was particularly interested in how people learn to understand what social “good” and “bad” are. A consequence of Kohlberg's work was the theory of moral development, according to which a person goes through several stages on the path to morality:

• The first stage is pre-conventional morality. At this stage, the child accepts the social rules taught to him by authority figures (parents, teachers) and follows them in order to avoid punishment.
• The second stage is generally accepted morality. The child follows the norms and values ​​of society, sincerely believing that this is necessary to ensure positive relationships and social order.
• The third stage is post-conventional morality. At this stage, a person begins to doubt the fairness and correctness of some social laws and rules.

According to Kohlberg, a person is guided by his own moral values, realizing that he is a separate entity that is not obliged to obey generally accepted rules if they are incompatible with his personal principles [Lind G., 1989].

7

Adaptation of Moral Development Theory

American psychologist, sociologist and feminist Carol Gilligan disagreed with Kohlberg's findings, believing that they demonstrated gender bias, since Kohlberg conducted his research exclusively on boys. Gilligan believes that boys and girls tend to think differently, especially when it comes to morality.

In his research, Gilligan argues that boys strive for justice by emphasizing compliance with formal rules and laws. For girls, interpersonal relationships, care and sensitivity towards others are more important, which influences their moral decision-making. If it is necessary to break some universal rule in order to help another person, a woman will not consider this immoral [Gilligan C., 1982].

Despite the fact that the listed points of view on the socialization process have been repeatedly criticized, they continue to make an important contribution to the work of scientists from various fields of knowledge.

To summarize, socialization is the process by which rules and norms corresponding to the social order are transmitted from generation to generation. Agents of socialization teach each person to think, act and behave in accordance with the expectations of the society into which he was born, thus adapting him to normal life.

Friends, we wish you to be in harmony with others and yourself. Good luck! Yes, and don’t forget to take a short test to reinforce the article’s material:

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Key words:1Communication

Types and agents of socialization.

Socialization

- the process of an individual’s assimilation of patterns of behavior, psychological attitudes, social norms and values, knowledge, skills that allow him to function successfully in society, beginning in infancy and ending in old age.

Types of socialization: 1. Primary socialization

. This stage covers the process of formation and development of personality, that is, the process of caring for, raising and educating children primarily in the family, carried out by those agents of socialization who are in direct and regular contact with the child in early and late childhood. During primary socialization, passive assimilation of information, skills, and ideas predominates.

2. Secondary socialization.

This stage covers the rest of the person’s “adult” life. At this stage, the development of the social environment occurs consciously, most of the information coming from outside is subjected to critical consideration. The individual makes a meaningful choice from several options.

3 Early socialization

represents a “rehearsal” for future social relations. For example, a young couple may live together before marriage in order to have an idea of ​​what family life will be like.

4. Resocialization

is re-socialization that occurs throughout an individual's life. Resocialization is carried out by changes in the individual’s attitudes, goals, norms and values ​​of life

5. Organizational socialization

is the process by which an individual acquires the values, abilities, norms of behavior and social outlook that are important for gaining weight in the organization and full participation in it as an employee

6. Group socialization

is socialization within a specific social group. Group socialization is the process of inculcating ideas and principles into an individual as he internalizes the basic values ​​and symbols of the group in which he is involved.

5 pages, 2375 words

Memory structure. Processes of storing and processing information

... memory is studied in cognitive psychology because the processes of storing and retrieving information form the basis of mental processes. There are several theories that claim to describe the work... the quality of an object (What?) and its localization (Where?). These two types of information enter the associative memory, where comparison with existing samples occurs. ...

7. Gender socialization

- this is the assimilation, internalization of social roles, differentiation of activities, statuses, rights and responsibilities of individuals depending on gender.

Agents of Socialization

- these are structural groups or environments in which the most important processes of socialization take place. In all cultures, the most important agent of primary socialization for a child is the family. However, in later stages of life, many other agents of socialization come into play. Agents of secondary socialization of an individual are school, university, army, church.

Peer groups, the media, mass printed publications, and electronic communications have a great socializing effect on a person.

The concept of socialization

In studies of philosophy, psychology, sociology and pedagogy, the term “socialization” is widely used, although its unambiguous interpretation has not yet been developed. The problem of personality socialization was developed in the works of L.S. Vygotsky, A.N. Leontyeva, L.I. Bozovic, R.G. Gurova, A.S. Zubra, I.S. Kona, A.V. Mudrika and others. In foreign psychology, the process of socialization was studied by J. Dewey, E. Durkheim, C.H. Cooley, J. G. M and House, T. Parsons, G. Tarde, et al.

Socialization as the entire multifaceted process of a person’s assimilation of the experience of social life and social relations. In the process of socialization, a person acquires beliefs and socially approved forms of behavior that he needs for a normal life in society. Socialization is considered as the process of a person’s assimilation of the social connections of the society to which he belongs, and as the process of a person’s reproduction of the acquired social experience.

Thus, socialization is a two-way process that includes both the individual’s assimilation of social experience by entering a social environment, a system of social connections, and the process of active reproduction by him of the system of social connections and relationships in which he develops, due to his active activity, active inclusion in the social environment. This is the entry of the personality into itself.

From the first days of existence, a person is surrounded by other people and included in social interaction. In the process of relationships with others, he gains experience of social life and social relations, which, being subjectively assimilated, becomes an integral part of his personality. A person not only perceives social experience and masters it, but also actively transforms it into his own values, attitudes, positions, orientations, into his own vision of social relations. At the same time, the individual is included in various social connections, in the performance of various role functions, thereby transforming both the social world around him and himself.

Through socialization, people learn to live together and interact effectively. The subject of activity as a subject of social relations consistently and in parallel assimilates the social experience of society and himself influences society through his own activities.

However, socialization is not the antithesis of individualization. The process of socialization does not lead to the leveling of a person’s personality or individuality. Rather, on the contrary, a person acquires his individuality, but in a complex and contradictory way. The assimilation of social experience is always subjective. The same social situations are perceived and experienced differently by different individuals, and therefore leave different marks on their psyche. The social experience that different people gain from objectively identical situations varies significantly. That is why the assimilation of social experience, which underlies socialization, becomes a source of individualization of the individual, who not only subjectively assimilates this experience, but also actively processes it.

Socialization is a complex socio-psychological phenomenon, which is simultaneously a process, an attitude, a method, and a result of the formation of personality in interaction, communication and activity.

Socialization is an extremely diverse, active and lifelong phenomenon, since, having been socialized in one group, a person may turn out to be completely unsocialized in another, which is clearly manifested among emigrants, refugees, pensioners, the unemployed, etc.

The individual acts as an active subject of socialization. Moreover, this process must be considered as actively developing, and not just actively adaptive. Socialization is not only never completed, but also never complete.

The development of the theory of personality socialization was carried out by G. Tarde, T. Parsons and other scientists. G. Tarde based his theory on the principle of imitation, and proclaimed the “teacher-student” relationship as a model of social behavior, i.e. socialization. According to T. Parsons, an individual, in the process of socialization, absorbs common values ​​in the process of communicating with significant others. In Russian social psychology, there are narrow and broad interpretations of socialization proposed by B.D. Parygin. Socialization in the narrow sense is the process of entering the social environment and adapting to it, and in the broad sense it is a historical process, phylogenesis.

Socialization can be considered both a typical and a singular process. Its typicality is determined by social factors and depends on class, racial, ethnic and cultural conditions. This means the similarity of the course of socialization for representatives of similar social or age groups - the same religions, cultures, generations. The socialization of an unemployed person is typical of the unemployed and differs from the socialization of a successful businessman. The socialization of emigrants, national minorities, marginalized people, vagabonds, homeless people, disabled people, etc. is completely different, but in its own typical way.

Socialization as a single process is determined by the individual specifics of a person: his abilities, external data, the degree of conformity, sociability of the individual, the individual level of identity, i.e. the desire to develop one’s abilities, awareness of one’s life path, etc.

The concept of “socialization” does not replace the terms “personality development”, “upbringing”, “adaptation”, “personality formation”, etc. widely used in psychological and pedagogical literature, although it is quite difficult to separate them.

Recognition of the individual as a subject of social activity attaches special importance to the development of the individual: the child becomes a subject, which is unthinkable without assimilation of the system of social connections and relationships, without inclusion in them. The concepts of “personal development” and “socialization” in this case seem to coincide. The emphasis on individual activity is more clearly represented in the idea of ​​development. The focus of socialization is the social environment and its impact on the individual. The process of personal development consists of active interaction with the social environment, and each aspect of such interaction requires special consideration.

If developmental psychology is most interested in looking at this problem from the perspective of the individual, then for social psychology it is most interesting from the perspective of the interaction between the individual and the environment.

Some psychologists and educators propose to consider the concepts of “socialization” and “upbringing” as synonyms, understanding by upbringing the impact on a person of the entire system of social relations in order to assimilate social experience. However, it is necessary to distinguish between these concepts: socialization is a broader category than education (A.V. Mudrik).

Education is a process of pedagogically organized, purposeful, systematic influence on a person in order to convey to him a certain system of ideas, concepts, and norms. The concept of “socialization” characterizes the complexity, inconsistency, and multi-level nature of the process of personal development, in which there are both spontaneous, uncontrollable and controlled spheres of influence, self-development and self-improvement. According to G.M. Andreeva, “socialization” is still closer to the concept of “personal development” than to “education.”

Adjacent to socialization is the concept of socio-psychological adaptation as an individual’s adaptation to changes in the environment, as mastering a new role when entering a different social situation. This is an integral part of socialization, one of its mechanisms.

When using the term “personality formation,” emphasis is placed on the self-activity of the individual, his subjective socialization, the formation of certain traits, and the processes of self-education.

According to established tradition, socialization has the following structure:

• content;
• latitude, i.e. the number of spheres to which a person was able to adapt.

When considering the content of socialization, it is important to determine what is offered to the individual as a social and cultural “menu”, what pictures of the world, attitudes, stereotypes, and values ​​are formed in the individual in the process of socialization.

The content of socialization is determined, on the one hand, by the totality of social influences (culture, art, political doctrines, the media), and on the other hand, by the individual’s attitude to all this. These relationships depend both on the characteristics of the individual himself and on the social situation in which he finds himself and takes them into account accordingly.

The content of personality socialization is manifested, according to T. Shibutani, in patterns of behavior, habits, and the presence of generally accepted meanings and views. This is clearly expressed in the peculiarities of national psychology: ethnic stereotypes, emotional assessments, etc.

Socialization of an individual is carried out as a result of its inclusion in various social groups and communities. This involves the interaction of people with each other, a person’s involvement in various multi-level and multi-aspect connections and relationships with Other people, and the acquisition of skills to interact with them. The starting point for socialization is the presence of a person’s need for communication.

As a rule, there are three main spheres of life in which the socialization of the individual occurs: activity, communication and self-awareness, in each of which the acquisition, expansion and complication of the individual’s social connections with the external and internal world occurs.

As noted by A.N. Leontiev, in the process of socialization, a person expands the “catalogue” of his activities and masters new types of activities. Orientation is formed both in each type of activity separately and in the connections between them. The result of such orientation is a personal choice of activity, i.e. identifying and mastering aspects of activity that are particularly significant for the individual. Activities are centered around the leading species, and a personal hierarchy of activities and behaviors is created. During the implementation of activities, the individual assimilates new roles and comprehends their significance, which means an expansion of the individual’s capabilities as a subject of activity.

The expansion and deepening of the sphere of communication is due to its inextricable connection with activity. This is the multiplication of a person’s contacts with other people, their changes at each age stage. Dialogue forms of communication are becoming more complex, decentralization is increasing, i.e. the ability to focus on a partner, more adequate perception of him. In communication, a person acquires new features, assimilates communication norms and activity standards.

The process of socialization in the sphere of self-awareness means the formation of an image of one’s own “I” in a person. Numerous experimental studies have shown that this image does not appear in a person immediately, but develops throughout life under the influence of numerous social influences. For social psychology, it is important to find out how the formation of self-awareness is influenced by a person’s inclusion in various social groups. What determines this process: the number of groups in which a person is included, or their quality? How does the level of development of his self-awareness influence a person’s activity and behavior? It is in this area of ​​socialization that there are especially many conflicting opinions. This is due to the fact that the solution to the listed issues depends on which of the many existing theories and concepts of personality is shared by a particular researcher, what understanding of the image of “I” he adheres to.

The development of self-awareness during the socialization of an individual is a process controlled and determined by the constant acquisition of social experience in the context of an expanding range of human activities and communication. Therefore, the process of socialization is the unity of changes in all three areas considered: activity, communication and self-awareness.

The breadth of socialization is assessed by how socially mature and developed a person is. This depends on a large number of factors: the social roles of the individual, his social experience, the type of individual accentuation of the individual’s social behavior, his locus of control, etc.

It is customary to distinguish as criteria for the socialization of an individual:

• the content of human attitudes, stereotypes, values, pictures of the world;
• adaptability of the personality, its normotypical behavior, lifestyle;
• social (group and universal) identity.

However, the main, external criterion of socialization should be considered not the degree of opportunism, conformism of an individual, but the degree of its independence, confidence, independence, and initiative. The main goal of socialization is to satisfy the individual’s need for self-actualization (A. Maslow), personal growth, and the development of his abilities, and not to unify the individual, leveling his own “I”.

Successful socialization

In the process of socialization, a person goes through three main phases of development:

1. Adaptation is the mastery of sign systems and social roles.
2. Individualization is the isolation of an individual, the desire to stand out, to find “your own way.”
3. Integration is integration into society, achieving a balance between the individual and society.

A person is considered socialized if he is taught to think and act in accordance with age, gender and social situation. However, this is not enough for successful socialization.

The secret of self-realization and success is a person’s active life position. It manifests itself in the courage of initiative, determination, conscious actions, and responsibility. A person’s real actions shape his active lifestyle and help him occupy a certain position in society. Such a person, on the one hand, obeys the norms of society, on the other, strives to lead. For successful socialization, to succeed in life, a person must have the following basic characteristics:

• desire for self-development and self-actualization;
• willingness to make independent decisions in situations of choice;
• successful presentation of individual abilities;
• communication culture;
• maturity and moral stability.

A passive life position reflects a person’s tendency to submit to the world around him and follow circumstances. As a rule, he finds reasons not to make efforts, strives to avoid responsibility, and blames other people for his failures.

Despite the fact that the formation of a person’s life position is rooted in his childhood and depends on the environment in which he is located, it can be realized, comprehended and transformed. It's never too late to change yourself, especially for the better. People are born a person, but they become a person.

Concept and nature of socialization

Man is a social being. From his earliest days, he is surrounded by peers and involved in various types of social interactions. A person has his first experience of social communication even before he begins to speak. As a part of society, a person acquires a certain subjective experience, which becomes an integral part of the personality. Socialization is the process and result of the assimilation and subsequent active reproduction of social experience by an individual. The process of socialization is inextricably linked with communication and joint activities of people.

The essence of socialization lies in the combination of adaptation and isolation of a person in a particular society. The process of socialization and adaptation is closely related. Adaptation is understood as the correlation of the requirements and expectations of the social environment for a person with his attitude and social behavior; correlation of a person’s self-esteem and aspirations with his abilities and with the realities of the social environment. Thus, adaptation is the process and result of the transformation of a person into a social being. Separation is the process of individual autonomy in society. The result of this process is a person’s need for his own views (value autonomy), the need for his own attachments (emotional autonomy), the need to solve his own personal problems, the ability to cope with life situations that interfere with his self-transformation, self-determination, self-realization and self-affirmation (behavioral autonomy) . Thus, detachment is the process and result of the formation of human individuality.

It follows that in the process of socialization an internal, unresolved conflict arises between the degree of adaptation of a person in society and the degree of his isolation in society.

Human socialization in the modern world, which has more or less obvious features in one society or another, in each of them has a number of common or similar characteristics.

Stages of socialization.

In every society, human socialization has its own characteristics at different stages. In the most general form, the stages of socialization can be correlated with the age periodization of human life. There are various periodizations, and the following are not generally accepted. It is very conventional (especially after adolescence), but quite convenient from a socio-pedagogical point of view.

A person in the process of socialization goes through the following stages of infancy (from birth to 1 year), early childhood (1-3 years), preschool age (3-6 years), primary school age (6-10 years), early adolescence (10- 12 years), Senior adolescence (12-14 years), early adolescence (15-17 years), adolescence (18-23 years), adolescence (23-30 years), early adulthood (30-40 years) , late maturity (40-55 years), old age (55-65 years), old age (65-70 years), longevity (over 70 years).

Features of socialization of children with disabilities

The socialization of children with disabilities - disabilities - provides for their right to diagnosis, special programs of psychocorrectional work, organizational and methodological assistance to families, differentiated and individual education. For children with special educational needs the following are created:

• Specialized preschool educational institutions, schools or correctional classes in regular schools.
• Health educational institutions of sanatorium type.
• Special correctional educational institutions.
• Educational institutions for children in need of psychological, pedagogical and medical and social assistance.
• Educational institutions of primary vocational education.

Opportunities for obtaining secondary vocational and higher vocational education are being created for children with disabilities. For this purpose, special educational institutions are created, and various forms of integration are provided for in general institutions.

Despite this, the problem of socialization of children and adolescents with disabilities continues to remain relevant. The question of their integration into the society of “healthy” peers raises a lot of controversy and discussion.

What does it contribute to?

Socialization and adaptation make it possible to form in a person’s brain the necessary set of values ​​and rules that he will subsequently apply to the world. These processes begin in childhood, when the parents of a young child begin to lay the foundation for the first mental and physical skills. After this, the person undergoes training in kindergarten, school and college. During this period, he gains more knowledge from other people, continuing to explore the world. Thanks to this, a person learns to communicate with the individuals around him and understands that the form of interaction with them can be different.

In addition, the socialization of the child is very important, as it teaches him self-control. Gradually, a person begins to learn how to react to certain events in his life. Thanks to this, he learns to distinguish between the internal and external worlds.

Desocialization

The concept of desocialization of the individual is closely related to resocialization, and means the destruction of previously mastered and accepted norms and rules of behavior, the destruction of previous attitudes.
What is it and why is this process needed? This process is used by psychologists when a person’s learned norms of behavior prevent him from successfully fitting into society. In this case, a person must desocialize - abandon previous attitudes, and then resocialize - accept new rules of behavior adopted in the group.

Desocialization is necessary for victims of domestic violence, people who went through wars and lived in combat zones, as well as those who moved to other countries with a different cultural heritage or when re-educating individuals suffering from deviant behavior - alcoholics, drug addicts, criminals. “Reconfiguration” of the head in such cases is necessary, and the process plan usually begins with an assessment of the attitudes that the individual sees as unshakable, and proof that this unshakability is apparent.

Types of socialization

Since socialization is a complex and multifaceted process, there are many types of it. Let's look at some generally accepted ones.

Primary or basic socialization

Occurs at the very beginning of a child’s life, primarily under the influence of the family. It is necessary for harmonious physical and mental development and includes the study of the language, rules of behavior, basic social norms and customs of the culture where the child was born.

Secondary socialization

Occurs outside the family and continues throughout life when a person is exposed to groups and situations that were not part of the primary socialization experience, for example, at school, where completely different behavior is required compared to what was familiar at home.

A growing child learns very important lessons in social behavior from his peers. Secondary socialization also occurs at university, in the workplace or while traveling, e.g. in cases where a person learns and adapts to the “laws of life” accepted in other groups.

Positive Socialization

This is the process of learning patterns and norms of behavior that are socially acceptable and desirable for society. For example, from childhood we are taught to give up our seats on public transport to older people, not to take other people’s things, and to apologize when we have caused trouble for someone.

Negative socialization

It is a process opposite to positive socialization, and involves a person’s assimilation of behavior patterns that do not fit into the framework of generally accepted morality or are considered asocial. This includes alcohol abuse, drug addiction, use of profanity, and promiscuity.

Anticipatory or anticipatory socialization

It is the process of preparing a person for a change in status or role as he learns the values ​​and standards of the group he plans to join. This type of socialization is necessary to facilitate the transition to a new group and successful adaptation to it.

The concept of anticipatory socialization was proposed by American sociologist Samuel Stouffer. In one study, he found that enlisted soldiers who proactively modeled their behavior after officers were more likely to be promoted than those who did not [Stouffer SA, Lumsdaine AA, Lumsdaine MH, Williams RM, Smith MB, Janis IL, Star SA, Cottrell LS, 1949].

An example of advanced socialization is the cohabitation of a man and a woman before marriage. This way they get used to the future new roles of husband and wife before they begin to fulfill them legally.

Formal socialization

Occurs in an organized environment, i.e. officially recognized institutions and organizations (for example, in a school or work collective) through training in clearly established rules, norms, skills, and responsibilities.

Informal socialization

It is a learning process that occurs outside of a formal structure, with peers and other experienced members of a social group teaching the newcomer how to perform their roles.

Gender socialization

Represents the process of teaching people how to behave in society according to the gender that is “assigned” at birth based on sexual phenotype. Today, it is widely believed that most differences in gender expression are associated not with genetic factors, but with rigidly fixed expectations of society, which, according to Robert Blum, MD, lead to mental and physical problems in adolescents [Blum RW, Mmari K. , Moreau C., 2017].

Cultural socialization

It is carried out mainly by parents who introduce children to the characteristics of their race, ethnic heritage, cultural customs and traditions. Examples of cultural socialization include: reading books about historical figures, participating in cultural festivals, encouraging children to use their native language. It also includes the concept of “preparing for bias,” when parents tell their child about the problems inherent in a particular culture, race (discrimination) and ways to cope with them [Aldoney D., Kuhns C., Cabrera N., 2018] .

Repressive socialization

A type of socialization in which certain norms are taught through restrictions and punishments for “wrong” behavior. Repressive socialization is aimed at developing obedience and submission.

Participative socialization

Represents the process of learning through rewards for “good” behavior.

Now that you know more about the types of socialization and why it is so important, we invite you to get acquainted with the views of scientific minds on this process.

Stages and factors of personality socialization.

Socialization of personality

- this is the process of assimilating social norms, forming one’s own “I” to demonstrate the uniqueness of the individual as a person. That is, the process of socialization represents the establishment of identity. Society constantly dictates its rules and norms of behavior to us, so the duration of this process takes a lifetime, its main part being the period of childhood and adolescence.

The main goal of socialization is to prepare the individual to fulfill social roles for communication and the preservation of society. Instilling qualities and values ​​is the main factor in personality formation.

Childhood

—The stage of human development from birth to the onset of puberty. Although the time frame for the latter is individual, not constant over time and depends on the adopted age periodization system, the upper limit of childhood is defined as approximately 11-13 years. During childhood, extremely intense physical and mental development occurs. A critical period of development is early childhood. Its violation, for example, isolation from human society, can lead to irreversible mental disorders.

Youth is the most difficult period of socialization. Social and psychological maturity very often does not keep up with physical maturity. The importance of the teenage stage lies in the fact that the formation of the foundation of the personality—the worldview—ends;

awareness of one’s “I” occurs as an understanding of one’s place in life; There is a constant search for moral guidelines.

Maturity

is the flowering of the human personality. This is a long period, it consists of several cycles. The lower boundary is blurred, approximately 21-23 years. In an extreme situation, growing up occurs early; in calm times, it stretches out. The upper limit is indicated by retirement - 55 years for women, 60 years for men.

The main criterion of maturity: independence. “Criteria of independence”: Self-sufficiency of means of subsistence. The ability to manage money independently of others, Independence in choosing a lifestyle.

Living independently from parents. Adulthood is the most active period of socialization, since it is at this time that a large number of social roles in real life are mastered. Maturity is the most active creative age.

Old age

- this is the period of human life that begins after adulthood and is divided into several cycles: up to 71 years - old age; from 71 to 90 - senile; The age of a person over 90 years old is considered the age of longevity. Old age is a physical condition characterized by the gradual decline of all vital functions. Old age entails separation from certain social roles. First of all and most importantly, the elderly are waiting for retirement.

Death.

Awareness of impending death requires the individual to adapt to a new definition of his own essence. The concept of “dying” implies something more than just the occurrence of some biochemical processes. It entails the acceptance of a social status in which social structures not only accompany, but also shape the experience of contact with death.

Socialization factors

- these are circumstances that encourage a person to take active action. There are only three factors of socialization - these are macro factors (space, planet, country, society, state), meso factors (ethnicity, type of settlement, media) and micro factors (family, peer groups, organizations).

1. megafactors (mega - very large, universal) - space, planet, world, which to one degree or another through other groups of factors influence the socialization of all inhabitants of the Earth.

2. macro factors (macro - large) - country, ethnic group, society, state, which influence the socialization of everyone living in certain countries (this influence is mediated by two other groups of factors).

3. mesofactors (meso - average, intermediate), conditions for the socialization of large groups of people, distinguished: by the area and type of settlement in which they live (region, village, city, town); by belonging to the audience of certain mass communication networks (radio, television, etc.); according to belonging to certain subcultures.

4. Mesofactors influence socialization both directly and indirectly through the fourth group - microfactors. These include factors that directly influence specific people who interact with them - family and home, neighborhood, peer groups, educational organizations, various public, state, religious, private and counter-social organizations, microsociety.

The concept of personality socialization and its form.

Socialization is the process of formation and development of personality, which consists in the development by an individual throughout his life of social and other norms, cultural values ​​and patterns of behavior that allow the individual to function in a given society. It includes all the processes of cultural acculturation, communication and behavior through which a person acquires a social nature and the ability to participate in society. Socialization is a two-way process, consisting, on the one hand, in the transfer by society of socio-historical experience, symbols, values ​​and norms, and on the other hand, in their assimilation by the individual, internalization (the transition of external processes of social life into internal processes of consciousness) . Socialization can be called the formation of a social self.

The process of socialization of the individual takes place throughout the entire existence of human life, since the world around us is in constant motion, everything changes and a person simply needs to change for a more comfortable stay in new conditions. The human essence undergoes regular changes and changes over the years; it cannot be constant. Life is a process of constant adaptation, requiring continuous change and renewal. Man is a social being. The process of integration of each individual into social strata is considered quite complex and quite lengthy, since it includes the assimilation of values ​​and norms of social life and certain roles.

Stages of the process of personality socialization according to Erikson (1902-1976):

Infancy stage (from 0 to 1.5 years). At this stage, the mother plays the main role in the child’s life, she feeds, cares, gives affection, care, as a result, the child develops basic trust in the world. The dynamics of trust development depend on the mother. A lack of emotional communication with the baby leads to a sharp slowdown in the child’s psychological development.

Early childhood stage (from 1.5 to 4 years). This stage is associated with the formation of autonomy and independence. The child begins to walk and learns to control himself when performing bowel movements. Society and parents teach the child to be neat and tidy, and begin to shame him for having “wet pants.”

Childhood stage (4 to 6 years old). At this stage, the child is already convinced that he is a person, since he runs, knows how to speak, expands the area of ​​​​mastery of the world, the child develops a sense of enterprise and initiative, which is embedded in the game. Play is important for a child, as it forms initiative and develops creativity. The child masters relationships between people through play, develops his psychological capabilities: will, memory, thinking, etc. But if parents strongly suppress the child and do not pay attention to his games, then this negatively affects the child’s development and contributes to the consolidation of passivity, uncertainty, and feelings of guilt.

Stage associated with junior school age (from 6 to 11 years). At this stage, the child has already exhausted the possibilities of development within the family, and now the school introduces the child to knowledge about future activities and conveys the technological ethos of the culture. If a child successfully masters knowledge, he believes in himself, is confident, and calm. Failures at school lead to feelings of inferiority, lack of faith in one’s strengths, despair, and loss of interest in learning.

Adolescence stage (from 11 to 20 years). At this stage, the central form of ego-identity (personal “I”) is formed. Rapid physiological growth, puberty, concern about how he looks in front of others, the need to find his professional calling, abilities, skills - these are the questions that arise before a teenager, and these are already society’s demands on him for self-determination.

Stage of adolescence (from 21 to 25 years). At this stage, it becomes important for a person to search for a life partner, cooperate with people, strengthen ties with the entire social group, a person is not afraid of depersonalization, he mixes his identity with other people, a feeling of closeness, unity, cooperation, intimacy with certain people appears. However, if the diffusion of identity extends to this age, the person becomes isolated, isolation and loneliness become entrenched.

Maturity stage (from 25 to 55/60 years). At this stage, identity development continues throughout your life, and you feel the influence of other people, especially children: they confirm that they need you. At this same stage, the person invests himself in good, beloved work, caring for children, and is satisfied with his life.

Old age stage (over 55/60 years). At this stage, a completed form of self-identity is created on the basis of the entire path of personal development; a person rethinks his entire life, realizes his “I” in spiritual thoughts about the years he has lived. A person “accepts” himself and his life, realizes the need for a logical conclusion to life, shows wisdom and a detached interest in life in the face of death.

This recognizes the orderliness and regularity in the development of the human psyche, the presence in the process of its formation of a number of successive stages and, therefore, the possibility of purposeful influence on it and its control. This point of view is shared by most modern psychologists.

The socialization process includes two main forms of interaction between the individual and the environment:

• a passive form of consumption of social experience already accumulated before its manifestation, which ensures the individual’s entry into life, into the system of established social connections; This is a reproductive activity in nature:
• active form , manifested in the creation or destruction of existing social connections through active, creative, creative activity.

There are five factors that influence the socialization process:

1. biological heredity;
2. physical environment;
3. culture, social environment;
4. group experience;
5. individual experience.

Types of socialization

Socialization is a difficult, even contradictory process. In the process of his development, an individual becomes acquainted with both humanity as a whole and individual groups of people who have their own rules, goals and guidelines.

Therefore, experts distinguish several types of this phenomenon:

Primary socialization begins at the birth of a child and ends with the formation of a mature personality. It lays the foundations for all subsequent development of a person, and to some extent determines the scenario of his future life. The family is of greatest importance, because it is the first thing a child sees in his life. It is necessary to keep in mind that children perceive what they see around them uncritically, therefore they regard the behavior of adults in the family as basic, standard. Alcoholism and sloppiness, unsanitary conditions in the house - all this is “imprinted” in the child’s mind and can remain with him for life if he does not go through the subsequent stages of socialization. And vice versa - intelligence and cleanliness learned in the family will also accompany him in the future. In the future, kindergarten, school, a group of friends and peers become new social environments, where the child has to get accustomed to a new environment and act in accordance with new rules.

Secondary socialization, or resocialization, is the process of eliminating previous patterns of behavior and learning new ones. This process continues throughout the individual's life. During resocialization, a person experiences a complete break with his past and feels the need to assimilate new values ​​that are strikingly different from those that he previously adhered to. Typically, the changes that occur during secondary socialization are less than during primary socialization.

Group socialization is a process that takes place within a social group. So, if a child spends more time with his peers than in the family, then he more actively adopts the norms and rules inherent in the peer group.

Gender socialization is a process that involves learning the role of a man or woman in society. At the same time, boys learn to be men, and girls learn to be women.

In the past, gender socialization was an important and necessary part of a person's entry into society, but nowadays gender has largely ceased to have any meaning. Equality of rights and opportunities eliminates the need to “command” and “obey”, and representatives of both sexes have the opportunity to master the same professions, occupy the same positions and take on the same social roles (for example, in a family, both parents can take turns working and raising children, either the wife works, and the husband looks after the household and raises the children, or “the old fashioned way” - the husband works, and the wife takes care of the household and children)

The principles of gender socialization are still strong in traditional, backward societies (in the countries of Asia and Africa), but even there they are gradually losing their position.

Organizational socialization is a process in which an individual who is part of an organization learns its norms and rules and masters the skills of his work within its framework.

Early socialization is the process of mastering norms, rules and skills that do not correspond to the current level of physical, psychological and social development. First of all, this type of socialization is understood as a game - a kind of “rehearsal” for future social activity.

Activity-competence approach

The modern school gives preference to the activity-competence approach. The student is assigned the role of the main character, while the teacher is associated with the key figure. When assessing the education received at this stage, social results are taken into account.

Rubinshtein S.L. did not equate development, education and training. He was convinced that the development of a child occurs through the process of learning and upbringing. Moreover, the psychologist perceived training and upbringing as auxiliary elements of the child’s development process. There was no talk at all about taking them outside of this process. The manifestation and formation of character traits, personal mental properties and inherent abilities of children are possible exclusively within the framework of the children’s activities. This feature prompted scientists to think about the need to formulate a separate psychological thesis, according to which schoolchildren need a specific organization of the educational process. The activities carried out by children within this process were designated as educational.

Society needs people who meet certain criteria. The latter are clearly articulated cultural, ethical, social and religious ideals characteristic of a social community or group. The inherent features of ideals are determined by belonging to a specific political and social system, cultural and socio-economic development, and traditions that have developed over centuries.

The main goal of socialization is the formation of a person in accordance with the requirements put forward by society. Every individual who is a member of society must meet criteria acceptable to society. This is the main task of socialization, the successful implementation of which is impossible without compiling a list of socially significant and, to some extent, mandatory qualities inherent in the majority of citizens living in the territory of the state. These qualities can be used to assess schoolchildren in terms of readiness for life in society and determine the level of their social development.

Types of personality socialization

There are several types of socialization, which depend on different factors. Mechanisms of personality socialization can be divided into two groups:

1. Primary
   – implying the perception of society in childhood. The child is socialized, focusing on the cultural position of the family in which he is raised, and on the perception of the world by the adults around him. From this we can conclude that parents shape the first social experience of their child.
2. Secondary
   - have no duration and last until a person enters a certain social group. With age, the child begins to get into different formations, for example, into a kindergarten or sports sections, where he learns new roles and, on the basis of this, learns to perceive himself from a different perspective. It is worth noting that socialization and personality often encounter certain inconsistencies, for example, family values ​​do not correspond to the interests of the selected group, and then a person goes through self-identification and makes a choice based on experience and feelings.

Gender-role socialization of personality

This type is also called gender socialization, and it involves a person’s assimilation of the peculiar differences between men and women. There is an acceptance of existing behavior patterns, norms and values ​​of both sexes, as well as the influence of the public and the social environment in order to instill a number of rules and standards. This continues throughout life. The concept of personality socialization in gender terms highlights the following mechanisms for its implementation:

1. Socially acceptable behavior will be rewarded, and deviations from the norm will be punished.
2. A person chooses suitable gender role models in close groups, that is, in the family, among peers, and so on.

Family socialization of personality

A child learns to perceive the world not only through the direct influence of adults, that is, upbringing, but also by observing the behavior of people around him.

It is important to note that often the development and socialization of the individual in the family comes across a discrepancy between the behavior patterns of parents and the requirements that they put forward for the child. An example is a smoking ban, but one of the parents or other family members has such a bad habit

The main factors of personality socialization are:

1. Family composition and structure, that is, how relatives interact with each other.
2. The child’s position in the family, for example, he may be a grandson to his grandmother, a brother to his sister, a son to his father, and a stepson to his stepmother. It has been proven that the socialization of a child raised in a two-parent family and a single mother is different.
3. The chosen parenting style, so parents and grandparents can instill different values ​​in the child.
4. The moral and creative potential of the family is no less important for the socialization of the individual.

Professional and labor socialization

When a person gets to work, there is a change or adjustment in his character and behavior during activities. Features of the socialization of the individual in the labor sphere are expressed in the fact that adaptation is carried out both within the team and in professional stratification. To improve one’s own status, the availability and development of labor skills is of great importance.

Subcultural-group socialization

Each person must master social roles that are related to the culture of the environment where he lived, studied, worked, communicated, and so on. The essence of personal socialization is based on the fact that each region has its own distinctive features, due to which society is formed. If we focus on subcultural-group socialization, then nationality, religious affiliation, age, field of activity and other factors will be taken into account.

Specificity of the philosophical approach to understanding and studying man

Man is a biological, spiritual and social being. There is no point in absolutizing any of these aspects in the definition of a person, because he is an integral system, the qualitative uniqueness of which is determined by the interaction of all these components. As a general concept, man is a biosocial being1, the essence of which lies in his relationship to the world, which emphasizes his suprobiological character. The attitude towards the world always follows from the interdependence of the basic aspects of a person. In the motivational chain of activity, need acts as the initial impulse, and work as a means of satisfying needs and as a prerequisite for the emergence of new needs. Needs can be divided into three main groups: vital (biological), social and spiritual. Moreover, unlike animals, human life needs acquire a social flavor and are “humanized.”

The problem of man has become central to a number of philosophical and religious movements. The term "philosophical anthropology" was assigned to the philosophical movement founded by Max Scheler. “Philosophical anthropology is a branch of philosophy that studies man as a special kind of being, understands the problems of the nature of man and his existence, analyzes the ways of human existence and points to the possibilities of an anthropocentric view of the world.” Anthropology is the science of man, and anthropogenesis is one of its chapters.

Anthropogenesis, the origin of man, the process of his evolutionary development. The theory of anthropogenesis is based on S. Darwin’s ape hypothesis (from the Latin “simia” - monkey) about the origin of man from the ancient ape. The process of transition from ape to man, hominization (from the Latin homo - man), was long and complex. It included the development of erection and brain, adaptation of the hand to work, the emergence of articulatory speech, etc. Instrumental production also played an important role in the anthropogenic evolution of monkeys. The labor theory of anthropogenesis was outlined by F. Engels in his work “The Role of Labor in the Process of Transformation of Ape into Man” (1896). The appearance of man is considered the most important event of the Quaternary (anthropogenic) period, although it could have happened much earlier.

It is believed that the evolutionary lineage of hominids (humans) separated from the common tribe with primates 7-8 million years ago, and the oldest representatives of the genus Homo (Homo sapiens) appeared no later than 2 million years ago. There are usually four stages of human evolution: Australopithecus, Archanthropus, Paleoanthropus and Neoanthropus. Each of them is characterized by its own morphological characteristics and archaeological culture.

Pithecanthropus (monkeys) were initially considered a transitional link between humans and monkeys (more precisely, their ancient humanoid ancestor). They walked on two legs, but had a primitive skull, and their brain volume was 1.5 times less than that of modern people. However, the age of this group of hominids did not exceed 1.6 million years. Australopithecines are now recognized as a transitional member and one of the first steps in human evolution. They also moved on two legs, which freed up their hands and created conditions for work, and differed from monkeys in the structure of their skeleton and skull. The most ancient australopithecines of East Africa lived from 5 to 2.5 million years ago, and the latest finds date back to 6.5 million years. Many scientists believe that the most advanced australopithecines are the earliest representatives of the genus Homo, with the first humans developing at the turn of 2.5 million -2 million in eastern and southern Africa. They are often called Homo habilis or Homo sapiens. This species was capable of making simple tools (they are considered the creators of the Olduvai culture). It is believed that Homo habilis preceded the most ancient people, Pithecanthropus, in evolution.

The essence of socialization

The need for socialization is determined by human nature itself. He is a unique phenomenon, because he is the only living creature that has virtually no innate forms of behavior. A child who has not undergone socialization is unable to communicate as a person, establish relationships with relatives, or behave as is customary in society. It is a cat or a dog that has innate programs of species behavior, but a person needs to learn everything.

Socialization, in essence, is the process of human adaptation in society. But this is not just knowledge of how to behave in a given situation. Knowledge of social norms does not guarantee compliance with them. For example, a criminal does not steal because he does not know that it is illegal. He knows this very well. But the norm “don’t steal” did not go through the process of socialization, was not appropriated by him, and did not become his intrapersonal norm of behavior. The phenomenon of transition of a social norm or meaning from the external to the internal level is called internalization.

This is the basis of socialization, its basic process. Initially, all norms of behavior and methods of social activity are external for the child. Parents, sometimes through persuasion and sometimes through coercion, instill in their child the habit of performing certain actions, making assessments of their own actions and the actions of others. For example, a small child does not feel any need to eat with a spoon, fasten buttons on his blouse, brush his teeth, say hello, much less put away his toys. But if the parents are persistent and patient enough, then these actions become habitual, and in a similar situation the child himself will feel the need for them. So, we, adults, will experience obvious discomfort if we have to eat salad with our hands or go out to strangers casually dressed.

The complexity of socialization also lies in the fact that a person is a member of different social groups with different norms and rules. We have to undergo additional socialization in every society we happen to find ourselves in.

Stages of socialization

Socialization is a complex and gradual process that takes place in several stages. The first step should be social adaptation. This is the name given to the active adaptation of an individual to the conditions of the social environment in which he finds himself. It is believed that adaptation takes place at three levels - physiological, psychological and social.

On the physiological

stage, a person explores a new environment for himself, enters into new social connections and studies his capabilities, which will help him to realize himself in a given social group. At this time, the individual actively communicates and gets used to living by new rules, after which he tries to make his own efforts to achieve results that are relevant for the given team.

At the stage of individualization

a person is already firmly aware of himself as a unit of society. In fact, the formation of a personality takes place - an individual who has his own beliefs, abilities, skills, and his own assessment of what is happening. If at the first stage of socialization he learns to be like others in everything, then at the next stage he tries to become unlike others, having his own characteristics, which, however, are part of the general system of values ​​and are regulated by it.

However, individualization is a rather subjective process. The assimilation of general rules and common experience and self-realization in a social group occur differently for each person. Some, for example, decide to become as conformal as possible, that is, to follow the norms and rules in everything; Such pedantry in some individuals reaches the point of absurdity. Others, during socialization, overcome stereotypes, break certain rules and behave non-standardly, however, ensuring the overall development of the group. Finally, still others destroy the very foundations of a given social group, resulting in either its disintegration or the expulsion of a given individual from the group.

The next stage of socialization is integration

. This term came to social science from exact and natural disciplines - mathematics, biology, physics; and it means the process of acceptance of personality by other members of a social group. Society reaches some consensus - agrees to at least “tolerate” a newcomer who promises to live at least by basic general rules and not interfere with others. More successful integration occurs if the newcomer is useful in some way to a given social group; For this individual, society is even ready to forgive certain “weaknesses” and inconsistencies.

It should be noted that the complete absence of any discrepancies in socialization is undesirable, at least in developed societies. Absolute conformism is usually perceived as one of the forms of deviant behavior, because a conformist does not bring anything useful to society. The main part of a particular social group has a certain “degree of freedom,” but in such a way as not to violate the foundations of this group. However, in undeveloped, primitive societies, absolute conformism is encouraged; in such societies the slightest deviation from the norm, even if it is beneficial to the entire group, is persecuted and eliminated. In such societies, each person is obliged to hold a spoon in a strictly defined hand at dinner, get out of bed on a strictly defined leg, chew food at a strictly defined speed of jaw movement, etc. An example of such a society is the population of Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. In developed societies, rules and norms are perceived only as a means to help organize all members of the group into a system; and in primitive societies, norms and rules are an end in themselves, and socialization comes down to memorizing them.

Organizational socialization

Organizational or professional socialization is the process of an individual mastering the skills and attitudes adopted in an organization for the successful performance of basic functions, as well as for establishing relationships with colleagues.

At first, upon entering the workforce, newcomers become familiar with generally accepted standards of behavior in the organization, master the jargon, communication style, learn to comply with the dress code, and perceive the balance of power between people. This is also the socialization of the individual, and very important - often we have problems with work not because we are bad professionals, but only because even an excellent professional who is unable to establish relationships with people will bring nothing but harm to the organization.

To improve organizational socialization, it is customary for companies to organize various joint holidays, field trips, and conduct games and activities to improve communication between colleagues.

The ability to successfully fit into any system is useful to everyone, and one cannot think that socialization is important only for those who are not successful and do not fit into the framework. Since any framework has its values ​​exclusively in a given period of time, and there is no guarantee that tomorrow the concept of the norm will not change, and that yesterday’s successful person will not find himself on the sidelines of life with his mossy concepts of the norm.