Socialization is a key and fundamental piece in the life of human beings. Thanks to socialization, people acquire the necessary knowledge, social skills and values. in order to function as a society. Socializing agents directly influence the lives of human beings, playing a crucial role in forming people's identity and establishing social relationships.
In the next article we are going to talk to you of the types of socializing agents that exist and how they influence people's lives.
What is meant by socializing agents?
Socializing agents are elements that allow determining the socialization of human beings. These agents They can be people, groups or institutions. that directly influence the behavior and conduct of individuals.
The interaction of the various socializing agents will determine the behavior of people along with a set of values or beliefs that will be present at the time of reaching adulthood. The importance of these agents is varied, the most important being the family and the school. These two socializing agents are going to be the main shapers of the personality of the vast majority of human beings.
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The first socializing agent of human beings is usually the family. Thanks to it, values and norms are learned that are essential to form a society. Parents, siblings, grandparents or uncles they transmit information about how to behave in society and what should not be done. The family plays a crucial and essential role in forming personal identity and building self-esteem and self-confidence.
The school
Another of the most outstanding socializing agents is the school. During the infant stage, people spend a lot of time in such an environment, interacting almost daily with both students and teachers. The school provides important academic knowledge and vital values such as respect or teamwork. Apart from this, social skills are taught that will be important when it comes to adulthood.
Media
The media are also going to play an important and crucial role as socializing agents. Television, cinema or social networks have a direct impact on the way of conceiving the world. Thanks to the media people will receive information on how to act and that directly influence the way of thinking and acting. The problem with the media is that there are times when they present a distorted image of reality, transmitting values far removed from the real world.
Friends
In the stage of adolescence, friends play an important role as a socializing agent. The group of friends will influence in a direct way in behaviors and personal tastes. Belonging to the group leads to adopting behaviors similar to that of friends. Friends have a direct incidence when it comes to improving different social skills and help define personal identity.
Other socializing agents
Apart from the socializing agents seen above, there are other less important ones that can have a direct impact on people's lives. Religion helps transmit certain values and moral beliefs. The community is another socializing agent, since its norms can directly influence when it comes to behaving in one way or another.
The interaction of socializing agents
It should be noted that socializing agents are not going to act in isolation, but rather interact with each other and They complement each other perfectly in the socialization process. In this way, the family can transmit a series of essential values for the person, but so can other types of agents, such as the school or a group of friends.
Types or classes of socialization
Socialization is the process by which human beings are going to acquire the different sociocultural elements of the place where they are going to live. The process of socialization occurs through the interaction of people within society. Thanks to socialization, each person acquires the values and norms of their culture and which are key to being able to live in society. Taking into account all these aspects, socialization can be primary, secondary or tertiary.
primary socialization
This type of socialization occurs in the childhood stage. thanks to the direct action of the family. The family nucleus is key when the person can have an optimal development both emotionally and socially.
secondary socialization
In secondary socialization, the person receives the influence of other socializing agents other than the family. Secondary socialization occurs upon arrival at school receiving some influence from the group of friends.
tertiary socialization
The third type of socialization is tertiary and consists of the process that certain people with antisocial behaviors have to learn again to live in society. The purpose or objective of tertiary socialization is none other than redirecting the behavior of those people who have violated the behavioral norms. In this case, the socializing agents are professionals whose objective is to redirect people. These professionals are psychologists, therapists or social educators and usually work in places such as prisons or reformatories.
In short, there is no doubt that socializing agents are key elements in the formation of the personality of human beings. Some of the most important agents are the family or the school, playing an essential role in transmitting values and social skills. It is important to become aware of the influence exerted by such socializing agents in the lives of human beings, to form a society governed by good values and good behaviors.