Socialization In Childhood: Characteristics And Development
Socialization is a key process in the development of every human being. Contact with one’s fellow men and what surrounds them shapes identity and behavior. This is why we want to talk to you about socialization in childhood.
What is socialization?
Socialization is a process through which the socio-cultural elements of the environment that surrounds us are integrated and makes us adapt to society. Through this you learn what is acceptable and what is not in the environment in which you grow up.
Learning begins in the first minute of life and never stops. However, early childhood is the key stage in the socialization process, since it is the period in which the human being is most likely to learn.
Children are born with the ability to learn and the need to seek social stimuli. They are innately attracted to develop bonds of attachment and friendship that will play a vital role in the first years of life.
The influence of the environment in the socialization of childhood
We are all born with enormous potential for social relationships as well as aggression and violence. It is the environment that determines which polarity will predominate in future behavior. This influence occurs in several ways.
Vicarious learning
The acquisition of socialization in children passes through vicarious learning. That is, by observing the behaviors and consequences of the people around them.
- The family plays a fundamental role as the child’s first socialization. Parents and close relatives will act consciously or unconsciously as role models, conveying values to the child with every behavior and expression.
- School is the second most important nucleus of socialization. The way teachers teach, their way of treating pupils and their attitude will be great indicators for the child on how to behave.
- The media are increasingly taking the lead as transmitters of social information. Through simple visual language, television and other similar media give children examples of acceptable and punishable behavior. It is essential to check the television content that is offered to your children, to make sure that it is related to the values you want to convey to them.
The game
Play is another facet of children’s life that most helps develop socialization. Through play, the child learns to collaborate with his peers and to achieve group successes.
The tales
The socializing role of tales, stories or narratives is also important. This activity so famous for little ones, like reading fairy tales, has a very powerful influence on the social mind that is forming.
Through these stories, children feed their imaginations. They also extract information on how the world works and how they need to behave. They also serve to dispel fears through identification with the characters.
It must always be considered that images and stories teach much more than theory alone. This is why we must strive to be consistent between what we say to our children and what we show them, both with the behavior and in the content of what we expound.
How to develop socialization in childhood?
While this is a natural process in every human being, there are certain things that can be done to aid adequate socialization in children.
As they establish social bonds and relationships with others, little ones feel more and more comfortable in social interaction. So it’s crucial not to over-protect them.
If you do, you deprive them of the opportunity to experience their own skills and personality. You deny them the opportunity to learn through trial and error and to improve their attitude. Through his social relationship the child is able to modify his behavior according to his own natural consequences.
It is therefore an important task for parents to motivate and stimulate them to socialize. Offer him new stimuli and situations to face and solve problems. In this way they develop self-confidence.
