Components of the socialization process

Socialization structure

Socialization is a two-way process, including, on the one hand, the assimilation by an individual of social experience by entering into a social environment, a system of social connections, on the other hand, the process of active reproduction of a system of social connections by an individual due to his active activity, active activity, active inclusion into the social environment. Thus, in the structure of socialization two interrelated processes can be distinguished:

The process of internalization of social experience (social typification) – the subject’s assimilation of social norms, values and standards of behavior.
The process of exteriorization (individualization, autonomization) of social experience is the active recreation by a person of acquired experience in the process of independent activity, behavior and communication, the reproduction by the subject of social relations through his own activity.

The concept of “Socialization of personality”

In Russian psychology there are two more concepts that are synonymous with socialization - personality development and education.

The development process is unthinkable without social development, without assimilation of the system of social connections and inclusion in it. In this regard, these two concepts are identical, however, in socialization the activity of the individual is muted, here the emphasis is on the social environment and the direction of its impact on the individual.

The concept of education has two meanings in our psychology:

in a narrow sense - the process of purposeful influence on a person from the educational process with the aim of transferring and instilling in him a certain system of ideas, concepts, norms.
in broad terms – the impact on a person of the entire system of social relations with the aim of assimilating social experience.

If we consider the concept of education in the narrow sense of the word, then socialization differs in its meaning, but if in the broad sense, then they are identical.

Socialization is a two-way process. It includes, on the one hand, the assimilation by an individual of social experience, by entering into a social environment, a system of social connections, on the other hand, the process of an individual’s active reproduction of a system of social connections due to his active activity, his active inclusion in the social environment.

Socialization is a continuous process. There are three areas of socialization:

Activity . Three processes:
orientation in the system of connections present in each type of activity and between its various types;
centralization around the main, chosen one, focusing attention on it and subordinating all other activities to it;
the individual’s mastery of new roles during the implementation of activities and comprehension of their significance. it is an extension of the action catalog. The process of goal setting is important. The individual becomes the subject of activity.

Communication. This is an increase in the number of contacts and a transition to dialogic communication. It is important: how and under what circumstances the multiplication of communication connections is carried out and what the individual receives from this communication.

Self-awareness. Self-awareness includes self-determination, self-realization and self-affirmation, self-esteem. Understanding the personality of oneself as a certain value and the issue of identification. The development of self-awareness in the course of socialization is a controlled process determined by the constant acquisition of social experience in the conditions of expanding dialogue between activities and communication.

In the general understanding, socialization is the process of appropriation, acquisition of the social, i.e. a process that results in the inclusion of the social in the structure of the personality.

The concept of “social” has at least three interpretations in the history of psychology: social as universal, social as public, social as collective.

Understanding the social as universal presupposes the presence of a certain common essence that unites people. However, the question remains unresolved: the social as a universal is given to man initially or is it acquired in the process of interaction with society. In other words, a newborn child already has this universal characteristic, or he must acquire it. In the history of psychology there are different points of view on this issue. L.S. Vygotsky argued that a child, having been born, is already given as an element of a certain culture, certain social connections. In his opinion, “... it is very naive to understand the social only as collective, as the presence of many people. Social and where there is only one person and his personal experiences.” Currently, A.V. adheres to the same point of view. Bruschlitsky, who claims that “... any human individual and his psyche are initially and always social... social is the universal, original and most abstract characteristic of the subject and his psyche in their universal human qualities.” This interpretation is counterbalanced by the statement about the need to appropriate the social, to gain the individual’s essence in the process of interaction with society. This statement is more common in both domestic and foreign psychology.

Most often, socialization is based on an understanding of the social as public. Socialization, therefore, presupposes the establishment by an individual of subjective relations with society, which have specific forms and specific modifications. At the same time, the specifics of a given society influence the personality, are reflected in it, refracted through its characteristics.

In the history of psychology, there are several interpretations of the socialization process:

socialization as exteriorization (revealing the original essence of a person in society);
socialization as hominization (acquisition of essence in society);
socialization as adaptation (conjugation of the essential and social);
socialization as internalization (mastery of the social, transferring it to the deep layers of the personality).

The term “socialization,” despite its widespread use, does not have an unambiguous interpretation among various representatives of psychological science. In the system of domestic psychology, two more terms are used, which are sometimes proposed to be considered as synonyms for the word “socialization”: “personal development” and “upbringing”. Moreover, sometimes a rather critical attitude is expressed towards the concept of socialization in general, which is associated not only with word usage, but also with the essence of the matter. Without giving yet an exact definition of the concept of socialization, let’s say that the intuitive content of this concept is that it is the process of “an individual’s entry into a social environment,” “his assimilation of social influences,” “introducing him to a system of social connections,” etc. . The process of socialization is the totality of all social processes through which an individual acquires a certain system of norms and values that allow him to function as a member of society.

The question of the relationship between the concepts of “socialization” and “upbringing” is somewhat more complicated. As you know, the term “education” is used in our literature in two meanings - in the narrow and broad sense of the word. In the narrow sense of the word, the term “education” means the process of purposeful influence on a person on the part of the subject of the educational process with the aim of transferring and instilling in him a certain system of ideas, concepts, norms, etc. The emphasis here is on the purposefulness and systematic nature of the influence process. The subject of influence is understood as a special institution, a person appointed to achieve the stated goal. In the broadest sense of the word, “education” means the influence on a person of the entire system of social relations with the aim of assimilating social experience, etc. In this case, the subject of the educational process can be the whole society, and, as is often said in everyday speech, “the whole life.” If we use the term “upbringing” in the narrow sense of the word, then socialization differs in its meaning from the process described by the term “upbringing.” If this concept is used in the broad sense of the word, then the difference is eliminated.

Having made this clarification, we can define the essence of socialization as follows:

socialization is a two-way process, which includes, on the one hand, the individual’s assimilation of social experience by entering the social environment, a system of social connections; on the other hand (often insufficiently emphasized in research), the process of active reproduction by an individual of a system of social connections due to his active activity, active inclusion in the social environment. It is these two aspects of the socialization process that many authors pay attention to, taking the idea of socialization into the mainstream of social psychology, developing this problem as a full-fledged problem of socio-psychological knowledge. The question is posed in such a way that a person not only assimilates social experience, but also transforms it into his own values, attitudes, and orientations. This moment of transformation of social experience does not simply capture its passive acceptance, but presupposes the individual’s activity in applying such transformed experience, i.e. in a certain return, when its result is not just an addition to already existing social experience, but its reproduction, i.e. promoting it to a new level. Understanding the interaction of a person with society includes understanding as a subject of development not only a person, but also society, and explains the existing continuity in such development. With this interpretation of the concept of socialization, an understanding of a person is achieved at the same time as an object and a subject of social relations.

The process of socialization is continuous and continues throughout a person’s life. The world around us is changing, requiring corresponding changes from us. The human essence is not carved out of granite forever; it cannot be completely formed in childhood so that it no longer changes. Life is an adaptation, a process of continuous renewal and change. Three-year-old children are socialized within the framework of kindergarten. Students - within the framework of their chosen profession. New employees - within their institution or enterprise. Husband and wife - within the framework of the young family they created, converts - within the framework of their religious sect. Elderly people - within the framework of a nursing home. In one way or another, all societies deal with a life cycle that begins at conception, continues through aging, and ends with death. Along the rich tapestry of organic age, societies weave bizarre social patterns: in one culture a 14-year-old girl may be a high school student, and in another a mother of two children; A 45-year-old man may be in the prime of his business career, just moving up the political ladder, or already retired if he is a professional footballer, but in some other society a person of this age has usually already passed away and is revered by younger relatives as an ancestor. . In all cultures, it is customary to divide biological time into appropriate social units. If birth, puberty, maturity, aging and death are generally accepted biological facts, then it is society that gives each of them a very definite social meaning.

Man is a social being. However, no person is born a ready member of society. Integration of an individual into society is a long and complex process. It involves the internalization of social norms and values, as well as the process of learning roles.

Socialization proceeds in two mutually intertwining directions. On the one hand, he is included in the system of social relations, the individual assimilates the cultural experience of his society, its values and norms. In this case, he is an object of social influence. On the other hand, as a person socializes, he participates more and more actively in the affairs of society and the further development of its culture. Here he acts as a subject of social relations. The structure of socialization includes the socializer and the socializer, the socializing influence, primary and secondary socialization. A socializer is an individual undergoing socialization. Socializer is an environment that has a socializing influence on a person. Usually these are agents and agents of socialization. Agents of socialization are institutions that have a socializing influence on the individual: family, educational institutions, culture, the media, public organizations. Agents of socialization are persons directly surrounding the individual: relatives, friends, teachers, etc. Thus, for a student, an educational institution is an agent of socialization, and the dean of the faculty is an agent. The actions of socializers aimed at socializers are called socializing influence.

Socialization is a lifelong process. However, at different stages its content and focus may change. In this regard, primary and secondary socialization are distinguished. Primary socialization refers to the process of formation of a mature personality. Under secondary development of specific roles associated with the division of labor. The first begins in infancy and continues until the formation of a socially mature personality, the second - during the period of social maturity and continues throughout life. As a rule, processes of desocialization and resocialization are associated with secondary socialization. Desocialization means a person’s rejection of previously acquired norms, values, and accepted roles. Resocialization comes down to the assimilation of new rules and norms to replace the lost old ones.

Currently, in Russian science, the idea has taken root that the process of socialization should be considered as a two-way process, including the assimilation and active reproduction of social relations by the individual (G.M. Andreeva, A.V. Mudrik, S.N. Belicheva). In the process of socialization, a person acts simultaneously both as an object and as a subject of social relations, that is, the socialization of the individual is considered in two aspects: objective and subjective.

Based on the work of these scientists, we can conclude that the essence of the socialization process lies in the transformation by the individual of the external social into internal structures and is expressed in the following processes:

Individualization (from interpsychological, social collective activity to individual intrapsychic);
“Intimization” (the transition from “We” to “I” is the problem of individual self-awareness);
Interiorization (production of the internal plane of consciousness).

The process of socialization is based on the identification mechanism, which is a necessary condition for human social development and ensures the individual’s appropriation of social norms. The identification mechanism is based on the choice of the social type that the individual will focus on when mastering new types of activity, therefore the second group of mechanisms should represent the learning mechanism.

The essence of the socialization process lies in the translation of social norms into the internal field of the individual. On the basis and with the help of conscious social norms, a person actually realizes himself as an individual.

In the process of socialization, a transition is made from a specific personal and emotional relationship, from connections with individuals and attachment to them to fundamental relationships and connections; as they develop, relationships and the objects of these relationships are generalized. According to the degree of generalization, several levels of relationships are distinguished, in which the dynamics of personality development can be traced in the process of socialization. This dynamics expresses the essence of the socialization process, when the transformation of external social meanings into the intimate structures of the personality is assumed and which is focused on the initial activity of the individual in the process of socialization.

There is a need to reveal the features and specifics of the process of socialization of a preschool child. It is important to identify what factors and mechanisms influence the process of socialization of the child. What makes up the social competence of a preschool child. This will be discussed in the next part of the thesis.

So, socialization is understood as the entire multifaceted process of humanizing a person, which includes both biological prerequisites and the individual’s immediate entry into the social environment and presupposes: social cognition, social communication, mastery of practical skills, including both the objective world of things and the entire a set of social functions, roles, norms, rights and responsibilities, etc.; active reconstruction of the surrounding (natural and social) world; change and qualitative transformation of the person himself, his comprehensive and harmonious development.

Socialization results

In the process of socialization, social norms, values and requirements move into the internal plane and become the basis of human behavior. In the process of socialization, there is interaction between the individual and society, coordination of mutual requirements and expectations. At the same time, the individual does not simply assimilate and reproduce social patterns; on the contrary, in the course of socialization, the actualization of its capabilities, potentials, expansion and deepening of self-awareness is carried out, i.e. personality development occurs.

Indicators of successful socialization of an individual are:

Inclusion of the individual in the system of social relations.
Expanding and deepening the individual’s connection with people and various spheres of society.
Mastery of social experience, its appropriation and transformation into one’s own values, attitudes and orientations.
Active activity of the individual with his active involvement in the social sphere.
Active reproduction of the system of social connections.

It should be emphasized that the main vector of socialization is a positive focus on morality and law. Deviation has the opposite direction - the deviation of the subject’s behavior from social norms.

Stages of socialization and their main goals

Socialization takes place in several successive stages:

Childhood . The period of childhood is characterized by self-determination and the formation of one’s own self. The main goal of this stage is the formation of an independent human personality.
Youth . This stage confronts the young man with many situations that require choice. During this period, a person is determined professionally and chooses a life partner.
Maturity . This stage is the stage of self-realization. The main goal of this stage is to develop a person professionally and as a spouse and parent.
Old age . Stage of self-awareness. At this stage, the main goal is to understand the results of the life lived, to accept oneself.

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Socialization is a complex process; regardless of this, the main goal of socialization can be identified - to internalize the social norms and values necessary for successful interaction with society. As part of the main goal of socialization, it can be said that a person must learn discipline, goals, self and roles.

As part of socialization, a person learns certain norms of behavior accepted in society, thereby forming discipline.

We can also say that society lays in us certain goals, the achievement of which is possible as a result of successful socialization. Having found goals in society, a person realizes himself through the approval or condemnation of society.

In the process of socialization, a person also learns to perform certain social roles in certain social statuses.

Socialization functions

Socialization plays an important role for both the individual and society. The main functions of socialization are the following:

For the individual : a comprehensive, time-extended entry into the objective world - a separate part of society, a family or other community. Socialization makes it possible to understand oneself and interpret the behavior of other people, and interact with others.
For society : socialization is one of the factors of normal reproduction of society. Despite the fact that people are constantly born and die, socialization makes it possible for society to reproduce itself and is a condition for the preservation and development of social culture.

Socialization factors

Socialization is carried out as a result of the influence of certain factors on the individual: on the one hand, the targeted influences of society on its members (raising and teaching children, etc.), on the other hand, random, spontaneous influences of society on the individual. In addition, the result of socialization is also influenced by the individual’s own activity (the process of self-determination), and as one grows older, the importance of self-determination increases and, sooner or later, becomes decisive.

Mechanisms of socialization

The assimilation of social norms and rules is carried out through socio-psychological mechanisms of socialization, which include suggestion, mental infection, imitation, identification, conformity, stereotyping, social assessment, reference group, authority, popularity, prestige, role prescriptions, social and group expectations - expectations , directed at the subject by society and the group to which he belongs. At different age stages, different mechanisms of socialization are dominant.

Stages (stages) of socialization

Socialization occurs throughout a person’s life, but most intensively in childhood, adolescence and adolescence. In relation to work activity, three main stages of the socialization process can be distinguished:

Pre-labor stage of socialization covers the entire period of a person’s life before starting work. This stage is divided into two more or less independent periods:
stage of learning , which includes the entire period of adolescence in the broad sense of the term. This stage, of course, includes the entire time of schooling. At this stage, a more conscious, intensive assimilation of social experience occurs.
The labor stage of socialization covers the period of human maturity, although the demographic boundaries of “mature” age are conditional; fixing such a stage is not difficult - this is the entire period of a person’s working activity. At this stage, social experience is reproduced, a person’s impact on the environment occurs.
The post-work stage of socialization covers old age. This stage is characterized by the transfer of social experience to new generations.

Concept and factors of personal self-development

Self-development is constant hard work on yourself, self-improvement and the development of personal qualities. Like socialization, this process continues throughout life.

Stages of self-development

Self-knowledge, as well as analysis of one’s own personality and activities in its most diverse manifestations.

The most important and fundamental thing for a person is to understand who she is, what her strengths are, what her weaknesses are. What should she strive for and what is missing? Without self-analysis, no development will be possible; a person simply will not understand what to do and why.

Formation of an ideal image.

Roughly speaking, setting specific goals. A person decides what he wants to be, and then moves on to the next stage.

Creating a self-development plan.

At this stage, a clear plan is created: a person not only understands what he wants, but also knows how to achieve it.

Implementation of a self-development plan.

Everything here is clear from the name: a person creates a clear plan and strictly follows it in order to achieve his goal.

Summarizing

After the goal is achieved, the person analyzes the entire process again from the very beginning.

Basic forms of self-development

Self-affirmation. It makes it possible to express yourself fully as an individual, with the help of confirmation in one form or another.

Self improvement. The desire to become even better in accordance with a previously created ideal image.

Self-actualization. The desire to identify a certain potential in oneself and use it in life, as well as to use one’s capabilities to the maximum to achieve this goal.

Self-development factors

Internal.

These include a person’s personal qualities, worldview, preferences, as well as personal interests and goals.

External.

External factors include everything that surrounds a person: family, education system, government agencies, etc., as well as their influence on him and his development.

Social.

Social factors include a person’s environment, its characteristics and how it affects him. Self-identification also plays an important role here, or more precisely, whether a person feels belonging to a particular social group or not.

Hereditary.

These include any factors that are inherited and can somehow influence his life. For example, this includes a predisposition to psychiatric illnesses.