Socialization Paper Purpose:
Students who plan to work in the community with people from many different
economic, social, racial and ethnic groups should have an understanding of the effects of differing life experiences on attitudes and values. The Socialization paper provides a way of demonstrating the process of socialization in a way that makes it meaningful. It is useful in helping the student to assess her/his values and attitudes and the effect of the primary socializing agencies on her/his development. In addition, it allows the student to contrast her/his own experiences with those of others, thereby better understanding the diversity of attitudes and values that exist within the community.
Report:
The Socialization Report is a term-long project that will provide an opportunity to reflect on your personal experiences of family and community within the context of the larger world. Your paper must be 10-full pages, no less (not even 9 1⁄2). Be careful that each sentence, paragraph, page adds to paper in a new way. Do not repeat what you have written earlier in your paper even if you are saying it in a new way.
Start your paper right away. This may mean just writing an outline and saving it on a computer or flash drive. List the main socialization agents. Try to add to the outline once, twice, even several times a week.
The weekly homework assignments assigned will help you write your paper.
As you do your weekly homework, keep your Socialization Paper in mind. As the semester goes on, use new ideas you gain from the discussions, readings, and presentations to add to your paper. Think of them as “prompts”.
You can add to, fill in and expand your ideas of your socialization project as you go through the course. By doing this, you will inform your thinking and your interactions with course material, others in the class, and those you work with.
To prepare, try to gather as much information as you can about the history of your family and how it has been shaped over time, in particular:
* ethnic and social class history
* the influence of culture, language extended family, friends, schools, religious, community and regional ties
* your family’s beliefs and values (those you have accepted and rejected)
* the resources, strengths, and limitations of your family identity
* gaps in your understanding, your own unanswered questions and personal
reflections
Please keep in mind that for many people, the emotional issues around family are usually a mixed (and often confusing) bag. If this process brings up any too-painful memories for you, please take care of yourself and share only as much as you can without re-activating any unmanageable trauma. (We want to stretch but not break!) In this course, we will discuss the multidimensional nature of family issues in society–all types of experiences are valuable and valued.
*The family is the first socialization agent. There are others. Once you feel comfortable with your family history, include the following areas and add to these as appropriate:
(Be sure to not only discuss them, but to make connections to who you are today as a result of them.) Each one of the socialization agents listed below is important – even if you have no experience with one or more of these agents. Each affects who you are. Many students find it helpful to speak with relatives, friends, etc. Remember, because this is an early childhood education course, this paper focuses on your early years 0- 18. Do not focus the paper on your adult years.
1. Cover sheet: Bronfenbrenner’s Theory of Human Development detailed and specific to your life. This sheet was a part of your chapter 1 homework. Make sure it is neat and tidy and a worthy cover page
2. Family, Culture, Ethnicity, Language – have a good solid history.
3 .Community – was your neighborhood a safe place? Were there special people in your neighborhood or community? Did you know and play with your neighbors? If you moved, be sure to reflect changes in the communities as well as how the move(s) affected you.
4. School – size, type, teacher(s) who influenced you both positively and/or negatively, your attitudes and feelings. Write about your different attitudes and feelings between elementary, junior high, high school and college. Don’t go grade by grade. Summarize.
5. Religious – Religions, denomination, size, activities, attitudes, your relationships and experiences.
6. Peer Group – Who were your friends? What “group” did you belong to, if any? What effect do you think they had on you? Did they change often or almost never? When did they change?
7. Organizations, formal and informal – These might include clubs, teams, gangs, hospitals, political organizations, volunteer work, relationships, children, military service, or any other organization that you have participated and/or worked in or that strongly influenced you.
8. Media – books, television, movies, magazines, social media, computers, cell phones, and other technology which have influenced you. How?
9. Era – such as the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s. What were the historical events, figures and trends of importance? How did the people, events, and times impact your life? How is your era distinct from other eras?
10. Relate your writings and experiences with Bronfenbrenner, Maslow, Erikson, and other writings in the book. You might also consider your gender, birth order, temperament and what part they played in your socialization.
11. End your paper with where you are now. Save the last 1⁄2 (one half) to 1 (one) page to tell where you are now in your life and briefly how you think you arrived at this destination and where you might be going.
-Remember, the purpose of this socialization report is to determine how you were affected by the primary agents of socialization listed above.
-The paper focus must be on your early years 0-18.
-This paper is an educated story of your life. It will be graded on your understanding
of the socializing agents.
