SOCIALISATION : Is a conscious effort made by the older generation to pass on the culture

and values of the society to the younger generation or individuals. It is a continuous affair that
starts from birth until death. This is because culture is dynamic as the socialization process
change from time to time. E.g. A baby is not born with any language, he / she is taught by
parents at home.

Types of socialization

1. primary socialisation: This type of socialisation begins with the immediate family or
parents during a person’s infancy. It is the initial training that the individual acquires
from childhood. Example, learn to speak the parents’ tongue(language), learn to wash,
dress etc.

2. Secondary socialisation: Is the subsequent or later process of training. It inducts an

already socialized person into a new area or sector of the society. E.g. the church,
school teaches you religious and moral values and arithmetic respectively.

3. Re-socialisation: It involves doing away with a kind of behaviour that a person has
already learned and adopting a different type of attitude which is contrary to the original
one. This happens when the individual assumes adult roles and experience new things at
school, the church and society at large.

4. Anticipatory Socialisation: The individual tries to copy other people by rehearsing

their roles and taking them as role models. Also, the individual copies the behaviour of
his/her cherished role-model such as pastors, imam, chief, artiste etc.

AGENCIES AND AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION

Agencies of socialisation: They are institutions and organisation responsible for socialisation.
They include family/home, school, peer groups, mass media, church, mosque, workplace and
the community. Socialisation is found in all interactions, but most influential interactions
occur in particular groups which are referred to as agencies of socialisation.

Agents of socialisation: They are all persons / individuals responsible for socialisation. These
are people who influence our self-concept, emotions, attitude and behaviours. Example of
such persons are; parents, teachers, religious leaders, playmates / friends and opinion leaders
in the community.
Some Agents and Agencies of socialisation
1. The family: The child is born into a family and the family passes on its norms, values,
do’s and don’ts to the child.

2. Parents: They transmit language, culture, and values of the society to the child in order
to fit in society.

3. Home: The child gets to know the language, culture, and values of the community.

4. School: teachers offer more formal means of socialisation. Teachers guide students,
impact approved behaviours of society to learners, learners also learn hidden curriculum
(things outside the school Programmes)

5. Teachers: Teachers provide knowledge and skills to students

6. Peers: They spend considerable time with one another outside homes and create their
own unique sub-cultures.

7. Mass-media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc. They carry information to

large number of people and influence the individual’s attitude and perception of many
issues.

8. Religious Institutions: They assist in changing people’s attitudes. Eg. Criminals,

prostitutes, drug addicts, etc. to do away with their behaviours.

9. Workplace: people share opinions and advice; they accept criticisms and emulate the
lifestyle of others.

THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN SOCIALISATION

1. The family / home teaches the child the culture of the society e.g. Language, taboos, way of
dressing, food, music and dance.
2. The family teaches the child communication skills; which help the child to communicate
effectively with others in the family and society.
3. The home also provides the child with physical needs/ basic needs e.g. food, shelter,
clothing.
4. The family provides moral training; do’s and don’ts of the society, so that the child can fit in
society. E.g. obedience, co-operation, self-control etc.
5. The family helps the child to acquire domestic training. E.g. weeding, sweeping, cooking,
etc.
6. The family ensures that the cultural heritage of the society is impacted to the child. This is
done by making the child during cultural practices like festivals, naming ceremony, puberty
rites, music and dance.
7. The family provides sense of security and emotional support. It acts as an antidote to
loneliness and support for the individual in times of trouble.
8. The family facilitates cooperation, so that the individual will learn to cooperate and interact
with people within the family.

ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN SOCIALISATION

1. the school develops the personality of the child. The child is taught good manners needed to
enhance his identity.
2. The school helps in transmitting skills and knowledge
3. The school helps in impacting patriotic values to students e.g. National Anthem, National
Pledge. Etc.
4. The school organizes extra-curriculum activities for students which help them to interact
with themselves
5. The school trains people to become professional in their areas of gifting. It unearths their
natural abilities and develop them for professional work.

THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA

1. The Mass media helps to socialize children through transmission and preservation of
culture.
2. The media organizes skill training for people e.g, soccer, music and dance. During the
trainings, people tend to acquaint themselves with and socialize with colleagues
3. The mass media provides public education: e.g. education on Teenage Pregnancy, peace and
harmony etc. this promotes good citizenship
4. The mass media provides information on entertainment / entertainment news; e.g. beauty
contest, sporting activities.
The media reports cultural events across all ethnic groups in the country to feed their
audience. This eliminates fear among people of different cultures, but promote tolerance and
co-existence among people of different ethnic groups.
THE ROLE OF PEER GROUPS IN SOCIALISATION
1. peer groups help people to develop attitudes towards teamwork and cooperation
2. It also motivate it members to have the volunteering spirits and make sacrifices for
colleagues to ensure success
3. peer groups also provide relief and entertainments to people. e.g. people feel comfortable
expressing themselves better when in groups.
4. peer groups also help people to learn gender roles in the community. E.g. in drama girls will
be asked to play the roles of mothers etc.
5. in peer groups, people learn to develop language and communication skills.
6. it helps people to learn to form and maintain relationship with others.
7. it provides emotional needs of people.

NEED FOR SOCIALISTION /IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALISATION

1. Socialisation helps to transmit and preserve the cultural heritage of society.
2. It helps to learn diverse or different cultural elements like festivals, marriage rites, etc.
which promotes natural integration
3. It helps the individual to fit well into the society by eschewing from all social vices
4. It helps the individual to learn to live in a responsible and dutiful life in the society
5. Socialisation helps the individual for life by acquiring skills and vocations through
training
6. Through socialisation, the individual learns about virtues, good attitudes and morals,
values and norms that shape the individual’s life.
7. It helps maintain the identity of the people. It makes people continuously use their
language, dressing, food, music and dance
8. It helps to unearth people’s God-given talents and potentials through the activities of the
agents and agencies involves
9. It ensures a stable social, economic and political environment
10. It instills discipline in children e.g. respect for chiefs and elders in the community
11. It reduces the state of frustration or rejection among individuals.
CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIALISATION
1. Breakdown in family structure: broken homes, single parents may not be able to train
up the child the way both parents could have done.

2. Demands of work: workloads at work, traffic jam etc. allows parents to be absent from
home which affects socialisation

3. Challenges of urbanization: when people move to the cities and big towns, the check
and interaction from the extended family disappears.

4. Peer influence: children tend to listen to their friends more which lead to negative
influences on them.

5. Influence of formal education: The child spends his/her early part of child life in
school where information good or bad is impacted to them.

6. Poverty: The issue of poverty permits parents to have their own house, but rather live
in compound houses where children mix freely with others.

7. Scientific and technological advancement: children and parents can be on

technological gadgets which distort attention and socialisation

8. Western culture e.g. music and dance, dressing styles etc. are given more attention by
the youth that they move away from their cultural and traditional music, clothing and
dressing.

9. Over-reliance on foreign language: parents prefer their wards to speak English

language at home to speaking of the mother’s tongue.

10. Religious groups: most of the traditions and cultures of people have been reversed by
religious groups.