soh-shul-ih-ZAY-shun
/ˌsəʊ.ʃəl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
nounB2GRESATTOEFLIELTSUPSC
academicjournalistic
The lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, values, and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within their own society.
Refers specifically to psychological and cultural conditioning rather than merely 'socializing' at a party.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'socius' (companion). The word was coined in sociology during the late 19th century to describe how human beings learn to fit into collective society.
Word relationships
- enculturation: Enculturation emphasizes absorbing a specific culture, while socialization focuses broadly on learning social roles.
- conditioning: Conditioning implies psychological habit formation, whereas socialization includes broad educational and cultural learning.
- isolation: State of being entirely separated from social interaction and cultural influence.
Commonly confused with
- socialism: Socialism is an economic and political system; socialization is a social conditioning process.
Word family
- socialize (verb): To train to fit into society.
- socialized (adjective): Conditioned by social expectations.
Collocations
- gender socialization
- early socialization
- agents of socialization
Example sentences
- "Gender socialization begins in early childhood through toy marketing, media imagery, and parental modeling." Sociological analysis
Memory hook
SOCIAL = Group. Socialization = Learning how to fit into the social group. Learning society's rules.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'socializing' (hanging out casually with friends).
Fun facts
- Sociologists distinguish between primary socialization (family in childhood) and secondary socialization (school, workplace, media in adulthood).
socialization
The lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, values, and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within their own society.
Refers specifically to psychological and cultural conditioning rather than merely 'socializing' at a party.
Word relationships
Commonly confused with
Word family
Collocations
Example sentences
Memory hook
SOCIAL = Group. Socialization = Learning how to fit into the social group. Learning society's rules.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'socializing' (hanging out casually with friends).
Fun facts
Related words
domesticity, empowerment, marginalization
Explore more words
socialize, internalize, upbringing, assimilation, educate, nurture
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