Social: Family and Social Groups Essay

Submitted By wolax99
Words: 798
Pages: 4

Socialization takes a major role in the person we develop in to as we get older. The specific knowledge we obtain varies from one cultural context to another; very different experiences and thinking processes exists therefore we cannot assume that socialization will be the same for every person. Social groups often provide us with our first experiences of socialization; Peer groups and families tend to communicate (not always by directly saying something, but by the way they manage a certain issue or emotion), their beliefs and values. Depending on the way we are brought up may or may not influence decisions made about certain situations in life. Family is the first agent of socialization. Fathers and mothers, siblings and grandparents (Plus extended family), all teach a child what he or she has to know; they show the child how to use things like (clothes, computers, math, reading and riding a bike). Family also teaches children how to characterize certain people (some as “family,” some as “friends,” and others as “teachers” and “strangers”). Social media also contributes to different stereotypes. Watch a T.V. commercial and the males are portrayed as more dominant and rugged; women more sexually appealing and submissive. Why is this? Society wants you to become part of the “Norm”. What is the “Norm”? The “Norm” is a set of rules which govern society (not documented) but a commonly know set of standards (Normally set by the majority and created by every action society makes), most tend to conform to these “Norms” without even realizing. The “Norm” family certainly has changed over the years. Impacted vastly by both historical and structural factors (Divorce rate, women in higher positions, technology). Women up until recently (late twentieth century and early twenty-first century) were usually referred to as the inferior ones, mostly due to physical physique. The “Norm” continues to affect women at young ages, encouraging them to learn home making skills. These skills consist of cooking labor and house keeping, while men in the past were not judged by their intelligence but rather their physical strength. Men can often be found working hard labor. We see today that the roles women and men play have drastically changed (more towards women) allowing women to become a major part in society today. Children’s roles in society have even changed; because of their age and inexperience, the “Norm” demands that schooling be required at an early age. Also from and early age society nudges boys and girls in a different direction; a boy plays this role, and the girl this. They are conforming the way we live and what society expects us to be. Every child has a different start, I would say that I had a pretty easy and lavish childhood. I always could have whatever I wanted but it always came with a price. My father and my mother, definitely played a role in my up bringing, they had expectations on success,