On Socialization

Socialization is the inheritance of cultural traits. (Lehmann, Feldman, & Kraeuffer, 2010) The transmission of culture is dependent on social interactions. (Lehmann et al., 2010) It is the responsibility of the community to socialize neophytes into mature citizens. The propagation of a society is dependent on the successful dissemination of values intrinsic to the component modes of existence. (Lehmann et al., 2010)

Socialization is the means by which a civilization maintains continuity through time. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p. 164) This is achieved by transmitting the information necessary for an individual to function in maturity. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p. 164) The obligations of each individual are defined by cultural expectations. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) Incipient citizens acquire the skills and values of the predominant culture through education. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p. 164) This process proceeds both through deliberate organizational instruction as well as implicit observation of model behaviors. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p.164)

However, cultural traits would not exist without innovations. (Lehmann et al., 2010) Socialization is a bilateral process that consists of a negotiation between the new and old generations. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p. 165) While elders attempt to transfer the operating principles that define a society, the new generation adapts the values of the authority figures to novel innovations. (Schaie & Willis, 2002, p. 165) This cultural innovation enables a society to accommodate environmental changes. (Lehmann et al., 2010) The rate such innovation is dependent on the complexity of the environment. (Lehmann et al., 2010)

Values are abstract motivations that explain and justify attitudes. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) Moral judgments are representations of cultural values. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) While some values are found throughout all cultures, others are specific to individual civilizations. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) The essential element of all social moral systems is the maintenance of cooperation. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) Through cooperation, each individual benefits from the security of membership within a society. (Vauclair & Fischer, 2011) Each member of a culture has a responsibility to ensure that the definitive values of cooperation are maintained though generations. (Lehmann et al., 2010) However, society must also allow novelty in order to enable the persistence of a culture though environmental change. (Lehmann et al., 2010)

References

Schaie, K. W., & Willis, S. L. (2002) Adult development and aging. (5th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Vauclair, C., & Fischer, R., (2011) Do cultural values predict individuals’ moral attitudes? A cross-cultural multilevel approach. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 645-657. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.794

Lehmann, L., Feldman, M. W., & Kraeuffer (2010) Cumulative cultural dynamics and the coevolution of cultural innovation and transmission: An ESS model for panmitic and structured populations. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 23, 2356-2369. doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02096.x