PAVLOV A.K. "SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIALIZATION OF PERSONALITY". (RESEARCH ARTICLE)

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.

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.

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Problems of socialization of teenagers

The problem of socialization in adolescence is acute for several reasons. Firstly, a teenager is practically an adult in terms of physical and social capabilities. But he is difficult to cope with, he needs care and control from adults, since he can harm both himself and others. Social risks such as suicide, mass school shootings, fighting, and involvement in illegal activities can lead to catastrophic consequences. A person's actions during adolescence require understanding and careful study.

Secondly, during adolescence a person becomes receptive to everything new. Through adolescence, it becomes possible to notice a renewal of society; old ways of socialization stop working. During adolescence, crises and inconsistencies in the relationship between an individual and society become apparent, which will later lead to changes.

Important age-related tasks that are characteristic of adolescence are directly related to socialization. Formation of self-awareness and acquisition of self-concept. Maintaining and developing one’s personal interests and defining personal norms and values. Formation of selectivity in communication and work with information. Construction of an approximate trajectory of one’s life path in society. The ability to analyze in dialogue the reasons for the actions of other people, mastering social roles in groups and developing responsible and close relationships with different people.

How is it different from education?

The concepts of socialization and education are very close, as they influence the formation of personality . But if education is a controlled and directed process, then socialization has a spontaneous nature.

The differences are summarized in the table:

The concept of personality socialization

The described process is determined by the social activity of individuals.

The process of socialization of the individual represents the entry of the individual into the social structure, as a result of which changes are made in the structure of the individual himself and society as a whole. As a result of socialization, an individual acquires group norms, values, behavioral patterns, and social orientations, which are transformed into human attitudes.

Socialization of the individual is extremely important for successful functioning in society. This process continues throughout an individual’s life, since the world moves and in order to move with it, it is necessary to change. A person undergoes constant changes, he changes, both physically and psychologically, it is impossible for him to be constant. It is this important concept, how the socialization of personality in psychology is dealt with by many specialists who study personality, society and their relationship.

In this process, no one is immune from problems arising.

Socialization problems are divided into the following three groups. The first consists of socio-psychological problems of socialization, which are associated with the formation of an individual’s self-awareness, his self-determination, self-affirmation, self-actualization and self-development. At any stage, problems have specific content, and various ways to resolve them appear.

Only their importance for the individual remains unchanged. She may not be aware of the existence of these problems, since they are deeply “buried” and force her to think, acting in such a way as to eliminate the problem, to find an adequate solution

The second group is the cultural problems that arise, including each stage. The content of these problems depends on achieving a certain level of natural development. These problems are associated with regional differences that arise in different rates of physical maturation, so in the southern regions it is faster than in the northern ones.

Cultural problems of socialization concern the issue of the formation of stereotypes of femininity and masculinity in different ethnic groups, regions, and cultures.

The third group of problems are socio-cultural, which in their content involve the introduction of the individual to the level of culture. They relate to personal value orientations, a person’s worldview, and his spiritual make-up. They have a specific character - moral, cognitive, value, semantic.

Socialization is divided into primary and secondary.

Primary - implemented in the sphere of close relationships. Secondary socialization is carried out in formal business relations.

Primary socialization has the following agents: parents, close acquaintances, relatives, friends, teachers.

In the secondary, the agents are: the state, the media, representatives of public organizations, the church.

Primary socialization occurs very intensively in the first half of an individual’s life, when he is raised by his parents, attends preschool, school, and acquires new contacts. The secondary one, accordingly, takes place in the second half of life, when an adult has contact with formal organizations.

Stages of the process of personality socialization according to Erikson

Erik Erikson is a renowned developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst. According to him, there are the following stages of the socialization process:

Of course, this topic is much broader and interesting, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to talk about everything in one article. However, what has been said is already quite enough to get an idea of ​​socialization, as well as draw certain conclusions about your development and the development of your children.

We hope you found this article helpful. We wish you success!

Goals and functions

The main goal of socialization is a person’s assimilation of norms and rules that allow him to successfully integrate into society and interact with other people, and maintain productive contact.

Functions:

• regulatory,
• personal-transformative,
• value-oriented,
• information and communication,
• creative,
• function of reproduction or procreation,
• compensatory.

Stages of personality socialization

The process of personal socialization occurs in three main phases. In the first phase, social norms and value orientations are mastered, and the individual learns to conform to his society.

In the second phase, the individual strives for personalization, self-actualization, and active influence on members of society.

During the third phase, the individual is integrated into a social group, in which he reveals the peculiarities of his personal properties and capabilities.

Consistent flow of the socialization process, the correct transition to each phase leads to a successful completion and achievement of results. Each stage has its own characteristics, and if all the conditions of socialization are met, then the process will be successful.

The main stages of socialization in the work collective are identified: pre-labor, labor, post-labor.

The stages are:

- primary socialization, which occurs from the moment of birth to the formation of personality;

- secondary socialization, during which a restructuring of the personality occurs during the period of maturity and being in society.

The main stages of the socialization process are distributed depending on the person’s age.

In childhood, socialization begins from the birth of an individual and develops from an early stage. The most active formation of personality occurs in childhood; during this period it is formed by 70%. If this process is delayed, irreversible consequences will occur. Until the age of seven, awareness of one’s own Self occurs at a natural age, unlike in older years.

At the teenage stage of socialization, the most physiological changes occur, the individual begins to mature, and personality formation occurs. After thirteen years of age, children take on more and more responsibilities, thus becoming more knowledgeable.

In youth (early adulthood), more active socialization occurs, since the individual actively changes his social institutions (school, college, institute). The age of sixteen is considered the most stressful and dangerous, because now the individual is more independent, he consciously decides which social society he should choose, and which society he should join, since he will have to stay in it for a long time.

Between the ages of approximately 18 and 30, socialization occurs in relation to work and personal relationships. A clearer sense of self comes to every young man or woman through work experiences, friendships and relationships. Incorrect perception of information can lead to negative consequences, then a person will withdraw into himself and lead an unconscious life until a midlife crisis.

It should be noted once again that only if all the conditions of socialization are met, then, accordingly, the socialization process will proceed as it should

It is especially worth paying attention to the teenage and youthful stage, since it is in the young years that the most active formation of personality and the choice of the social community with which a person needs to interact for many years take place.

Factors

Socialization factors are the conditions under which the socialization process takes place. They directly influence the formation of personality. The main factors include family, educational institutions, place of residence (street), media, Internet, public associations and organizations.

Microfactors influence a person through “agents”. Agents are all those members of society who surround the individual and come into contact with him throughout his life.

In childhood, these are parents and friends; in adulthood, classmates, colleagues and spouse. After the birth of offspring, his own children also become agents of socialization for the individual.

Macro factors influence large groups and people and shape public consciousness. In the modern world, modern circumstances have also been added to traditional macrofactors (environmental and demographic problems, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, political instability, etc.).

Natural

To generalize, the state can be put forward as the main factor of spontaneous socialization. Upon closer examination, the individual components can be identified :

• ideology,
• policy,
• economic situation.

Together, these factors shape living conditions, and therefore lay down certain beliefs and prejudices among citizens living in these conditions.

The dominant factors of socialization are family and educational institutions (institutions).

Process stages

A person can socialize in several stages. Each has a corresponding stage. There are five of them in total:

• adaptation;
• identification;
• integration;
• labor;
• post-work.

First of all, a person goes through the stage of identification. It lasts from birth until adolescence. At this time, the child learns from the example of adults, imitates their behavior and habits. The second manifests itself in the desire to show oneself, to become unique. On the third, the first introduction into society occurs. Depending on communication with the team, it can be successful or unsuccessful. During the labor stage, a person himself influences society, and at the last stage - post-labor - he shares his experience with others.

German scientist of Jewish origin Erik Erikson notes that the socialization of an individual consists of more stages:

• infancy;
• earlier childhood;
• childhood;
• junior school age;
• adolescence;
• youth;
• maturity;
• old age.

The first stage lasts up to 1.5 years, when the child is fully cared for by the mother. Trust develops precisely depending on the attitude of the person closest to you. If there is not enough communication with the mother, the child will grow up withdrawn and silent. The next period - up to four years - is associated with the formation of independence; children learn to be neat and tidy. Until the age of six, a child develops a sense of personality, and this may mean that creative thinking and initiative are developing.

From this age, the child begins to attend school, he learns to build relationships with peers and teachers, and adopts their experience and knowledge. Good grades give you the opportunity to believe in yourself, become confident and calm. Then the period of puberty begins, when the teenager is concerned about his appearance and the opinions of others about himself, searches for his calling and shows his first sympathy for the opposite sex.

Lecture 1.4 | Sociology of personality | Marina Arkannikova | Lectorium

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At the stage of adolescence, a person is looking for a permanent job, a life partner and his place in society. At this time, individuality is erased, the individual mixes himself with a certain group. The longest stage—maturity—can awaken in a person a sense of necessity and experience. In old age, people accept their lives and rethink them.

Theories

According to Freud

S. Freud's personality theory assumes that a person has three personal states (Id, Ego, super-Ego).

The id, “It,” is the energy that motivates a person to receive pleasure.

The ego, “I,” acts as a controller, which, guided by reality, allows a person to regulate the Id. The superego, "I", is the parent within a person.

That part of the mind that evaluates behavior and strives to bring it to the standard set by the parents.

Freud also identifies 4 stages of sexual development :

• oral,
• anal,
• phallic,
• genital

At each stage, a conflict arises between the prohibitions established by the parents. And then the conflict arises with the Superego, which plays the role of a parent. Socialization occurs at the junction of these contradictions.

Forms of socialization

There are two forms of socialization – directed and undirected.

Directed (spontaneous) – is the spontaneous formation of social qualities as a result of a person’s presence in the immediate social environment (in the family, between colleagues, peers).

Directed socialization represents a system of methods of influence, specially developed by society, its institutions, organizations, with the goal of forming a personality in accordance with the prevailing values, interests, ideals, and goals in a given society.

Education is one of the ways of directed socialization. It is a consciously systematic, organized, purposeful process of influencing a developing personality, her behavior and consciousness, with the aim of developing specific concepts, principles, value orientations and social attitudes and preparing her for active social, cultural and industrial activities.

Both forms (directed, undirected) in certain circumstances can be consistent with each other or, conversely, come into conflict. The contradictions that arise often lead to conflict situations that complicate and impede the process of socialization of the individual.

The spontaneous form of socialization (undirected) is determined by the microsocial environment (close relatives, peers) and often contains many outdated and outdated rules, stereotypes, patterns, patterns of behavior. Along with a positive influence on the individual, it can also have a negative impact on the individual, pushing him towards negative ones that deviate from the norms established by society, which can lead to such a phenomenon as social pathology.

Undirected socialization without the inclusion of directed means can be detrimental to the formation of a person, the social group of this individual and society as a whole. Therefore, it is very important to supplement it and transform it into targeted corrective influences of targeted socialization.

But directed socialization does not always lead to a positive educational result, which is especially evident when it is used for inhumane purposes, such as, for example, the activities of various destructive religious sects, the inculcation of fascist ideology, and the propaganda of racist sentiments. Therefore, a directed form of socialization can lead to a positive formation of personality only if it is carried out in accordance with moral rules, moral criteria, freedom of conscience, responsibility and the principles of a democratic society.

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.

Mechanisms

There are several mechanisms of socialization that have a socio-psychological structure.

1. Identification . A person realizes himself through belonging to a particular group/clan, thanks to which he adopts forms of behavior and norms of relationships.
2. Imitation . Copying other people's behavior patterns, manners, actions and even movements on a conscious or unconscious level.
3. Suggestion . Perception of information in its pure form, without accompanying analysis and criticism, with the aim of further reproducing the received attitudes and transferring them to one’s life.
4. Facilitation . Stimulating the activities of some people at the expense of the controlled behavior of others.
5. Conformity . Manifestation of humility in terms of socially approved behavior patterns, but internal and conscious disagreement with the opinions of others.

Traditional mechanism

There are also other mechanisms of socialization (traditional, institutional, stylized, interpersonal, reflexive).

The most common and comfortable mechanism is the traditional mechanism.

Its essence lies in the child’s assimilation of types of behavior, ideals, views and norms inherent in the family and close circle of the individual.

Such assimilation occurs unconsciously, based on blind faith in dominant stereotypes .

Types of socialization

Psychologist and political scientist Nadezhda Radina proposes to separately highlight age-related socialization, which includes cultural norms and ideas about age-related standards for human development. For example, there is an expectation that a child should speak by the age of one, or an expectation of protest behavior in adolescence.

There are types of socialization that differ on the basis of membership in various social groups and the criteria for inclusion in these groups:

— Gender socialization involves correlation and self-relation with certain behavior characteristic of a particular gender of a person.

— Ethnic socialization, the task of which is the formation of ethnic identity.

— Political socialization determines the characteristics of power and subordination and orientation in the system of social hierarchies, dominance and obedience.

— Professional socialization is associated with acquiring and mastering one’s professional role.

Membership in a group can be predetermined or acquired. In the second case, belonging is realized in participation in the activities of a selected group, that is, it can be defined as “activity” socialization Radina, 2005.

Socialization concept

The definition of socialization is the process of a person’s entry into society. First, he becomes familiar with the norms and rules of behavior, traditions and customs, values ​​and morals of the social structure. Inclusion in a team allows the subject to become useful and necessary, develop relationships with others, create new connections and gain experience.

Personal socialization is a process that is considered very difficult and long. Many specialists in the field of psychology have been studying this concept for years and strive to help clients who have a hard time accepting their growing up or a new team.

A person’s whole life consists of constant adaptation to new conditions, while it is important to have time to self-actualize and remain active

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Certain problems may arise during the process. They are divided into three groups:

• socio-psychological;
• cultural;
• socio-cultural.

The first group is associated with the formation of self-awareness and self-development. These stages are very important for the individual, but often a person neglects the problems that arise and drives them deeper into consciousness. Cultural issues may vary from region to region. They are associated with traditions and customs, gender division. The third group is associated with the introduction of a person to a particular culture. It concerns the worldview, moral and spiritual values, and is of a moral, semantic and cognitive nature.

According to Wikipedia, socialization is divided into two types: primary and secondary. The first consists of relatives, close friends, acquaintances, teachers and colleagues. The second includes the media, public organizations, government, and the church. Primary socialization occurs in the first 15-20 years of life, when a person attends educational institutions and is just learning to communicate with other people. Upon contact with formal groups and organizations, a secondary type occurs.

Concept and essence

What is called personality socialization? What does the socialization process mean? Who introduced this concept?

Socialization is a process during which an individual joins society, learns, and assimilates social values, norms, attitudes, roles and patterns of behavior accepted in a particular society.

The author of the concept is the American sociologist F.G. Giddings .

Thanks to socialization, a person becomes a full-fledged member of the society to which he belongs.

The essence of a natural and continuous process is to familiarize the individual with the moral, individual and even physical ideals that others propagate.

Then the individual learns these norms and the need to comply with them, comes into contact with people, guided by the acquired knowledge. The process of socialization of the individual eliminates the isolation of the individual.

Stages of personality socialization

It has been noted that one of the main goals of socialization is to overcome one’s egocentrism. Entering any social group requires an understanding that “you are not alone.” This is considered one of the signs of growing up. It is known that a child up to a certain age perceives himself as the center of the universe, and this is his natural state. Subsequently, we observe what is called youthful maximalism: the teenager continues to consider himself “the very best,” the one and only, but is faced with an abundance of the same “one and only” around him. This leads to conflicts, often serious ones.

Individuals who have not undergone socialization for some reason retain for a long time the characteristics characteristic of children or “newcomers.” Those around them perceive them as infantile and narrow-minded people, but in reality everything is more complicated. If in adulthood the passion inherent in adolescents for learning new things, active communication, and mastering new skills and abilities remains, then this can only be welcomed. At the same time, egocentrism and difficult experiences of one’s failures are clearly undesirable signs for a mature personality.

An example of insufficient socialization in adulthood is belief in “alternative histories” - the writings of Nosovsky and Fomenko, Chudinov and other pseudoscientific freaks. The point here is not only about political, “patriotic” and selfish motives. It’s just that a child, just starting to explore the world and discovering something new, strives to share his discovery with others; parents and other older members of society, to play along with him, share his joy.

During his school years, a teenager is faced with the impossibility of being a pioneer in the modern world: everything he learns about has already been discovered by someone, and his “discovery” is no longer of great value to others. A mentally healthy person gradually gets used to this situation and finds unexplored areas where he can show his skills and give something new to society. And a mentally disabled person experiences rejection from this situation; Instead of searching for unexplored areas, he is eager to “rediscover” what has already been discovered, to create a sensation and receive the laurels of a discoverer, which, as he is sure, simply must belong to him.

The biography of Anatoly Fomenko, the author of the famous pseudoscientific “New Chronology,” very clearly presents us with just such a person - an unsocialized intellectual who, for the sake of the honor of being a discoverer, is ready to commit any lie and achieve his goal by any means. For a long time he eked out the life of a “lesser” mathematician, compiled standard textbooks on geometry for students and was content with a modest salary. In the end, he got tired of it, he realized that the modest and routine work of teaching did not bring happiness, and decided to do something loud and sensational. In his native field, geometry, it is very difficult to become a discoverer, but history is a different matter. Written in collaboration with the equally unsocialized intellectual Gleb Nosovsky, “New Chronology” instantly became a bestseller; Many uneducated readers of this work seriously call Fomenko a “prophet.”

It was said above that school becomes an important environment for primary socialization. Indeed, the task of school is not only to provide some knowledge on various subjects, but also to teach how to live in society

In many countries, special techniques are used for this purpose. For example, in the United States, schools do not have stable classrooms; When a student enrolls in school, he chooses which subjects he will study, and at each lesson he finds himself in a new classroom, in a completely new team. Such socialization is very useful, especially in the USA, because a significant part of the population of this country lives in very small settlements where “everyone knows each other,” but excessive attachment to “one’s own corner” can create problems in the future when it is necessary to change place of residence (in connections with study, work, etc.).

Most Russians live in cities and towns with significantly larger populations, so they do not feel an urgent need for this type of school in our country. At the same time, another type of socialization is required - the ability to work in a stable team, which a Russian-style school can handle quite well.

Socialization and education

Education, in contrast to socialization, which takes place in conditions of spontaneous interaction between the individual and the environment, is considered as a consciously controlled process, for example, religious, family or school education.

Socialization of personality is a process in pedagogy that is studied inseparably from the process of education. The main task of education is the formation of a humanistic orientation in a growing individual, which means that in the motivational sphere of the individual, social motives and incentives for socially useful activities prevail over personal motives. In everything an individual thinks about, whatever he does, the motives for his actions must include an idea of ​​another individual, of society.

Social groups have a great influence on the process of individual socialization. Their influence is different at different stages of human ontogenesis. In early childhood, significant influence comes from the family, in adolescence - from peers, in adulthood - from the work team. The degree of influence of each group depends on cohesion as well as organization.

Education, in contrast to general socialization, is a purposeful process of influencing the individual, which means that with the help of education it is possible to regulate the impact of society on the individual and create favorable conditions for the socialization of the individual.

Socialization of the individual is also an important topic in pedagogy, since socialization is inseparable from education. Education is understood as a social phenomenon that influences the individual through the tools of society. From this emerges a connection between upbringing and the social and political structure of society, which acts as the “customer” for the reproduction of a specific type of personality. Education is a specially organized activity in the implementation of the intended goals of education, in the pedagogical process, where the subjects (teacher and student) express active actions in achieving pedagogical goals.

Famous psychologist S

Rubinstein argued that an important goal of education is the formation of a person’s personal moral position, and not the external adaptation of the individual to social rules. Education must be considered as an organized process of social internalization of value orientations, that is, their transfer from the external to the internal plane

The success of internalization is carried out with the participation of the emotional and intellectual spheres of the individual. This means that when organizing the educational process, the teacher needs to stimulate in his students their understanding of their behavior, external requirements, sensual living of their moral and civic position. Then education, as a process of internalization of value orientations, will be carried out in two ways:

- through the communication and interpretation of useful goals, moral rules, ideals and norms of behavior. This will save the student from a spontaneous search, in which it is possible to encounter errors. This method is based on the content-semantic processing of the motivational sphere and conscious volitional work in rethinking one’s own attitude to the real world;

- through the creation of certain psychological and pedagogical conditions that would actualize interests and natural situational impulses, thereby stimulating useful social activities.

Both ways are effective only with their systematic application, integration and complementarity.

The success of the education and socialization of young people is feasible provided that positive factors embedded in social relations, lifestyle, and the neutralization of factors that interfere with the implementation of the tasks of training, education and socialization are used.

The transformation of the education and upbringing system can only be successful when it really becomes a matter of society. It is worth reorienting social life, the cultural environment, and the system of education and upbringing towards the younger generation.

Types and phases of socialization

There are two basic types of socialization:

• Primary socialization. This is the period of socialization from birth to the formation of a mature personality. It is of exceptional importance because... is the foundation for further socialization of the individual. The main source of primary socialization is the family. The child adopts the behavior patterns of his parents, their worldviews, etc. The first idea of ​​behavior in society is laid down by the family. Friends and school are also important sources of primary socialization. A person at any age depends on the influence of the environment, and in childhood this manifests itself especially strongly. An individual can continue to follow the rules and norms that he learned in childhood for a long time.
• Secondary socialization. This is a kind of degeneration in social terms. A person gets rid of some old patterns of behavior and worldviews and forms new ones. This process occurs throughout life.

There are also additional types of socialization:

• Group – socialization within a specific group, for example, in the company of friends.
• Gender – the acquisition of specific social knowledge and skills of male or female gender.
• Early – socialization that does not correspond to the current level of development of the individual. Simply put, this is a “rehearsal” for future social roles.
• Organizational – acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to perform one’s organizational function. This is, for example, familiarization with corporate rules and norms of interaction between colleagues.

As for the phases, the main phases of personality socialization are as follows:

1. The first phase is the assimilation of the values ​​and norms of the social environment in which the individual finds himself. A person strives to fit into society.
2. In the second phase, the process of self-actualization and personalization takes place. A person tries to influence other people in some way.
3. In the third phase, a person integrates into a certain social group, where he gets the opportunity to reveal his abilities and demonstrate them.

In addition, in the process of socialization a person also goes through several stages.