Socialisation is the lifelong process through which people learn the norms, values and culture of their society. Nobody is born already knowing how to behave; every skill from using language to knowing when to say “please” and “thank you” has to be learned from other people.
Sociologists distinguish between primary socialisation and secondary socialisation. Primary socialisation happens in early childhood, mainly within the family, and teaches the most basic norms and values. Secondary socialisation continues throughout life through other agencies of socialisation, including school, the media, religion, the peer group and the workplace.
Each agency of socialisation teaches something slightly different. Schools teach both an official curriculum and unwritten lessons about following rules and respecting authority. The peer group, meaning a person’s friends and social equals, often has a strong influence on taste in music, clothing and behaviour, especially during adolescence.
| Key terms |
| Socialisation: The lifelong process of learning the norms, values and culture of one’s society. |
| Primary socialisation: Socialisation that happens in early childhood, mainly through the family. |
| Secondary socialisation: Socialisation that continues after early childhood, through agencies such as school, the media, religion and the workplace. |
| Agencies of socialisation: The groups and institutions, such as the family, school, media, religion, peer group and workplace, through which socialisation happens. |
This raises a question sociologists call the nature versus nurture debate: whether human behaviour comes mainly from biology (nature) or mainly from upbringing and socialisation (nurture).
Socialisation is one reason sociologists are cautious about explaining behaviour purely in terms of “human nature”. If norms and values have to be taught, then at least some of what looks like natural behaviour is really learned. It is the product of a particular upbringing, in a particular culture, at a particular point in history.
| Key Takeaways |
| Socialisation is lifelong; it does not stop once childhood ends. |
| Primary socialisation happens mainly in the family, in early childhood. |
| Secondary socialisation happens later, through agencies including school, media, religion, peer group and workplace. |
| Because norms and values are learned, sociologists are cautious about explaining behaviour as simply “natural”. |
| Check your understanding |
| 1. List three agencies of socialisation and give one example of what each one teaches. You could: use the examples of family, school and peer group from this section, or choose your own. |
| 2. Explain the difference between primary and secondary socialisation. You should: refer to both the age at which each type happens and the agency mainly responsible for it. |
