The Evidence that Socialisation Plays a Major Part in Shaping Human Behaviour

The Evidence that Socialisation Plays a Major Part in Shaping Human Behaviour

Socialisation is the lifelong process by which human behaviour is

shaped through experience in social institutions (e.g. family, which

is a crucial factor in primary socialisation). Through socialization,

individuals learn the values, norms (formal and informal rules), and

beliefs of a given society.

In considering the nature of the self, it is necessary to include a

still more fundamental social scientific issue – the extent to which

human beings are being formed by biological inheritance (i.e. genetic

determinism), or through socialisation (i.e. cultural determinism);

the issue called nature-nurture debate. Another way to put this is the

difference between instinct and learned behaviour, where instinct is

inherited, and learned behaviour acquired through socialisation.

Sociologists does not really consider instinctive behaviour;

therefore, most sociologists would only accept there are inborn needs

of food, shelter and sex. Other than these three, sociologists prefer

the fact that human behaviour is shaped by social experience rather

than that it is biologically ‘given’.

However, although the direction of sociology is towards social

explanation, there is no contradiction between social and biological

explanations of behaviour. It is just a matter of empirical research

by biologists, sociologists, social biologists and by other relevant

subject specialists to find explanations of human behaviour.

According to sociologist Charles Cooley, there are two types of

socialisation: primary and secondary. Those factors that are involved

in primary socialis...

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...eloped social

and communication skills beyond a basic level, in spite of attempts

and efforts to resocialise them. Above all, their absence or limited

ability to learn language prevented them from functioning fully in the

adult society. These cases, also, collectively suggest that human

development, especially of gaining basic social and communication

skills, needs considerable contact with others. Only in social

background that human self can develop.

Therefore, self and society balances each other and are complementary

concepts rather than conflicts with each other as they sometimes

appear to be. Without socialisation, an individual would bear little

resemblance to any human being defined as normal by the standards of

his or her society. You can’t have individuals without society or

society without individuals.