[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Socialization
The process by which the individual learns and accepts roles is called socialization. Socialization works by encouraging wanted and discouraging unwanted behavior. These sanctions by agencies of socialization such as the family, schools, and the media make it clear to the child what the behavioral norms it ought to follow are. The child typically follows the examples of its parents, siblings and teachers. Mostly, accepted behavior is not produced by outright coercion. The individual has choice as to if or to what extent he or she conforms. Typical encouragements of gender role behavior are no longer as powerful as they used to be a century ago.
Still, once someone has accepted a set of behavioral norms these are typically very important to the individual. Sanctions to unwanted behavior and role conflict can be stressful.Children learn at a very early age what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society. Through a myriad of activities, opportunities, encouragements, discouragements, overt behaviors, covert suggestions, and various forms of guidance, children experience the process of gender role socialization.
It is difficult for a child to grow to adulthood without experiencing some form of gender bias or stereotyping, whether it be the expectation that boys are better than girls at math or the idea that only females can nurture children. As children grow and develop, the gender stereotypes they are exposed to at home are reinforced by other elements in their environment and are thus perpetuated throughout childhood and on into adolescence.
A child's burgeoning sense of self, or self concept, is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that he or she is exposed to. The information that surrounds the child and which the child internalizes comes to the child within the family arena through parent-child interactions.......
