FAMILY

Family

Family

Family is a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family. The agents of socialization are the persons, groups, or institutions that teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society. There are four agents of socialization. They include family, peers, school, and the mass media. Of the four agents, family is considered the primary agent of socialization. The other three agents of socialization, peers, school, and the mass media, are considered secondary agents of socialization. Though these are considered secondary agents, they are very important components of socialization. Many people tend to forget about the function and importance of these three agents. It is important for people to realize that family is not the only agent of socialization. Family is the most significant agent of socialization but the secondary agents, peers, school, and the mass media, must not go unrecognized.

Families also shape who a person is and who they will become. There are many factors on how one is raised that may determine who one will be. Those from loving families seem to be more happy and less violent than those who are raised in families that are too strict or too lenient. Families from different social classes tend to raise their children in different manners. Working class parents typically teach their children the importance of following norms and obedience. Parents in the middle class and the professional class often allow their children to make their own choices and give them independence and freedom. These factors may follow them throughout their school years and their career. It can affect how they treat those around them and how others may treat them. Families can be a factor on how confident and creative one will be. It may also be a deciding factor in rather one will be a leader or a follower. The person that one learns to be at home, will reflect on the person they are around their peers and in school.

Peer groups are secondary agents of socialization. Children learning to socialize with others properly must have peers to interact with. When children form friendships with their peers, the satisfaction and security that most children derive from interacting with peers outweigh periodic problems. People interacting with their peers can be very positive because it can give one a sense ...