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Form 2 Year 8

© Mr Anthony Borg

Translated by Ms Lana Turner

Downloaded from studjisocjali.com

Form 2 Year 8

Living in Society – Agents of Socialisation

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© Mr. Anthony Borg – Form 2 Unit 1

Translated by Ms Lana Turner Page 1

LIVING IN SOCIETY

AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION Year 8 Unit 1

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The Learning Outcomes of this units are:

(The student will be able to claim these points after this unit … )

1. I can explain, differentiate between and discuss different types of agents of socialisation.

2. I can identify, explain and discuss different types of family models and how the family has

changed through time.

3. I can identify and explain the difference between and the relevance of formal, informal

and non-formal education.

4. I can explain how media, religion and sports affect our life.

5. I can explain socialisation as a form of self-discipline and primary social control.

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UNIT 1: Living in Society –

AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION

Human Beings in Society

Everyone has a natural tendency and need to join others in

order to reach their aims in life. No one can live alone, in a life

of solitude without communication with other human beings

like themselves.

Through history we see that humans never lived alone, not even at the very start

of human existence on earth, at the time know as prehistoric. The Bible states

that God saw that it was not right that humans live alone:

'It is not right that humans live alone, I will create a partner that is similar'.

(Gen, 2,18)

In humans there are a number of instinctive and spiritual energies which enable

us to join others. Amongst these we mention attraction, sexuality and love.

Together these build stable and good relationships.

This social tendency in humans shows two great needs in every being:

1. The need for reciprocal help

Generally, humans cannot satisfy all their needs by themselves,

without the help of others, not even the most basic of their

needs like that for food and drink. Human beings depend on

others and on society in general in all aspects of life: material,

spiritual, cultural and moral.

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2. The need for contact with others

With the passing of time, humans become more conscious that others have the

same needs as themselves. For this reason humans seek to make contact with

others in order to offer help and friendship to one another. In this way humans

start to work together, help one another and stick up for each other. All this

becomes possible through the process of socialisation.

What is the Process of Socialisation?

It is that process through which values, norms and behaviour

are transmitted by the adults in a social group to a new member.

This means that socialisation is a life-long process, even if the

basic transmission takes place in the first few years of life of

an individual (primary socialisation).

The process of socialisation considers humans to be social creatures who have

the ability to adapt and be influenced by a number of agents

of socialisation: namely the family, school, means of

communication and social groups. In fact, at the time of birth,

humans are not social beings and they do not become social

beings before different agents of socialisation (the mother,

father, siblings, etc) start to influence them.

The process of socialisation is beneficial not only to the individual but also to

society in general, because it is through this that culture and traditions are

passed on from one generation to the next. Apart from this, individual behaviour

is controlled and changed to fall in line with the values of society. This process

therefore provides a sense of stability and continuity to society.

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This process of socialisation is divided into two:

1. Primary Socialisation – The education

process starts at home where the parents

teach the first rules of acceptable bahaviour

– table manners, how to behave in different

circumstances and they start to teach us that

we cannot have everything at the time we

want it. The parents also teach what is right

and what is wrong, they encourage and give

good examples about ways of acceptable beahviour.

The agents of Primary Socialisation are:

The parents,

The siblings

Close relatives

… and grandparents.

2. Secondary Socialisation – This includes the teaching we acquire

from people or institutions external to the family. When we start to

grow up, we go to school where we meet other children/students of

the same age as us. School is the place where we carry on learning to

enhance what we learnt at home.

Different types of behavior

which we learn vary from how we

should behave in class, to the

type of music we listen to and

how to style our hair. Friends

continue also to teach us how to

behave in certain situations, teaching us things which our parents do

not necessarily approve of. The means of communication, such as

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television, radio or internet, also form part of secondary socialisation

… because all these means could teach us some type of behavior.

THE AGENTS OF SECONDARY SOCIALISATION ARE:

School,

Our friends (Peer Group),

Religious educators,

Our partners in marriage,

Our colleagues at the place of work,

The means of communication

… and other organisations like sports groups.

The process of socialization helps citizens to learn:

How to be people with a civic sense which means how they, as

citizens should live in society with the people around them, for

example they should accept and

respect others

To discipline oneself

The language, values and norms

To become able to meet their own

needs

Manners and other things which help people get on with one

another

Accept that every person has their own rights and duties in

society

All this helps a person to be rewarded for acceptable behavior and

punished for unwanted behavior. Rewards and punishments

together are called sanctions

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Social Order – If everyone controls their behavior and follows the rules

we will enjoy order in society. Order in society is important not only for the

personal development of the citizen but also for the progress of the whole

country. Social order depends on many factors starting from

the abilities of the leaders of the country and the maturity

of the citizens who should treat everyone equally so that

there is no form of discrimination or division in the country.

To keep this social order one needs to have a certain form of social control

imposed on the individual. Social Control is control which regulates the

behaviour of individuals in society. There are specific agencies like the

police and the law courts which make sure this social control is maintained.

Apart from this the individual is taught a certain form of

self discipline through the process of socialization, for

example from the family, friends, etc.

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Our family’s code which makes us socially proud

The five members of the Zammit family, decided to formulate

these set of rules which would make them proud to be

responsible citizens.

Think of positive actions which you and your family could practice

so that all of you would be responsible citizens, especially when

using public services.

THIS IS THE CODE OF THE ZAMMIT FAMILY, WHICH MAKES THEM

PROUD AS A FAMILY … 5 POINTS WHICH HELP THEM BE

RESPONSIBLE:

1. We are proud to live in this country.

2. The way we live helps so that through our actions we are of benefit to the

community and our country.

3. It is a fact that we decide how we are going to act.

4. Responsible people, feel proud.

5. We act responsibly when making use of public services:

Together think how your family can act responsibly towards the community

you live in as well as society in general.

i. ii. iii. iv. v. .

Stick a picture of the people you feel as part of your family

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The Family

Society is made up of a number of social institutions. Amongst the different

institutions we find in society one obviously has to mention the family. An

institution is an organisation or agency which has a function to play in society. An

example of these institutions is the family, the church and the school.

The family is one of the most important institutions because of its role in society.

The functions it serves help the individual to learn the necessary rules which

enable him to know how best to live in society.

Discover the names of your family tree, and where you are coming from

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The way we understand family in Malta is not necessarily the same as that

understood in other different countries.

The fundamental characteristics of the family are:

1. they live together

2. they help each other economically and emotionally

3. reproduction

4. socialisation of offspring.

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It is important to mention also that the family has three main aims. . .

Different forms of Family:

The family like every other institution has changed over time. The family changed,

evolved according to the necessities (needs) of society at that time. In society

we find a number of different types of family. The family

could consist of:

Single parent family – this could be due to a variety of

reasons such as death, separation or pregnancy before

marriage;

The procreative

aim

The educational

aim

The cultural and

economic aim

That they have children so that society does

not come to an end.

That the children are taught how to behave

with others around them.

That the children learn the way of life of their

society and are prepared for the workplace.

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Married couple without children – this could either be by

choice or due to an inability to get pregnant.

A married couple with children – these could be either

adopted or natural children.

Marriage between people of the same sex, social class and

same religious and political belief.

All these type of families which we have mentioned are legally accepted in Maltese

society.

The Family Past and Present

Maybe the biggest difference one could draw between a certain type of family

and another is that between the family of the past and those of the present.

The family of the Past

Traditional societies where dominated by agricultural activity. There was not

much commerce and consumption.

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The family was, an economic centre and

this was because work used to be

carried out by the members of the

family, within the family and very often

for the same members themselves.

A small part of the products produced

by the family which was extra used to

be part exchanged so that they could

acquire something else.

Society did not oblige children to go to school. Society did not oblige adults to

travel away from home in order to work because the fields and farmstead used

to be in the same area as the one they lived in.

Also society did not oblige older people to retire from work and to live off their

pension. The family very often was an extended one where

more than one generation used to live under the same roof,

together with the grandparents and aunts/uncles. In an

extended family everyone had a role to play. Children from a

young age used to help in the house, in the fields and in feeding

the animals. Older people used to educate the children and give good advice which

they had gained through their long life experience.

The Family today

The family changed with the arrival of industrialisation and

division of labour. Work started to be carried out from home and

the members of the family had to travel away from home in order

to offer their work to others in factories, shops and offices.

The family was no longer in a position where they could provide all that they

needed or wanted. It became necessary to earn money which would enable them

to afford to buy what they needed from others. This meant that the family had

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to leave home, travel and look for work which was being offered in other places

away from home.

The change in working conditions brought about also a change in the

structure of the family. The family did not consist any more of a great

number of members.

Children started to attend school so they where no longer economically

productive. Services previously provided by the older generation have

started to be provided by the educational services. Due to this the

number of children in the family started to dwindle. The contemporary

family so called the nuclear family is composed of the mother, and father

together with their children.

The relationships between the members of the Family

The nuclear family is undergoing a change in the divison of its roles. We can say

that today, the model of the family is not the same as it used to be, 25 years ago,

when the husband was the breadwinner and the wife used to stay at home and

take charge of the expenses of the family and try her best to use the money

wisely according to the various needs of the members of the family. But today in

many families, both husband and wife together carry out this economic activity

known as work. This change is bringing about a new type of family, the simetrical

family; where in this nuclear family both mother and father work outside the

home and the housework is carried out equally between them.

All this could also affect the relationships between the members of the family.

When both mother and father decide to go out to work this could result in work

taking up a lot of the time they used to spend with their children with the

consequence that the children could suffer. The parents should do their best to

ensure that they find enough time to listen to their children and to keep a good

relationship with them.

The Peer Group

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Sports

The Peer Group is a group of friends who spend most time together and who

therefore have the greatest influence on each others’ lives. Friends are important

because it is our friends who help us be sociable, it is

with them that we share our joy and our sadness, and it

is thanks to them that we do not feel emarginated (left

out) by society. Through them we find help when we need

it and so many other things. Because friends are so

important our choice of friends is that much more

important.

Positive influence:

Solidarity, influencing our talents, influencing our gestures, ideas regarding style,

sharing of ideas, sports, likes and opinions.

Negative Influence:

Criminality Drinking

alcohol

Drug taking

stealing smoking

Bullying

Solidarity Positive influence

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Having fun

Theft, violence, criminality, drugs, alcohol, smoking, bullying. It is good to get

advice or another opinion from your parents because friends do not always tell

you the truth or what is right.

Humans are not created to live alone but we all need one another. We need others

to develop our personality through sharing of ideas, thoughts and our talents with

others. But we need to be very careful in our choice of friends.

We should choose friends who have good characteristics:

honesty, respect, helpfulness, those who give others a chance

and show tolerance. Friends who have a strong character and

who know how to say no when faced with dangerous situations

as for example: vandalism, drugs and stealing. We must avoid

friends with negative characteristics like: egoism, bad habits

such as smoking, boasting, dishonesty, arrogance and

stubborness.

The advantages of the Peer Grupp

In the group of friends I spend most time with I can find help such as:

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Sharing experiences Emotions

In the Peer Group there could be lack of agreement and this could be due to:

Egoism

Jealousy

A lack of tolerance to different opinions

Personal Interests

Bullying through name calling, gossiping about others

Not willing to compromise – which means that no one is willing to give in or

admit a mistake or take part of the blame for a mistake. This gives rise to

pride and a lack of agreement.

Talking together Strengthening talents Working together

Helping each other Listening to each others opinions Leader of the group

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Conflicts between Members of the Group

In every group, as in everything else we can find good and bad things. This is

because groups consist of people and people everywhere may be good, but some

may be less good. In real life we know that one time or another

conflicts will arise. It is therefore necessary that when some

members of the group disagree with some decision or other we

would not be the ones to go on causing conflict in the group, on the

contrary we should try our best to affect an agreement. With some

patience, tolerance, participation and agreement conflicts are lessened.

Education

Humans commence with the process of socialisation from birth or as soon as they

start to communicate with others. The word EDUCATION refers to a process of

learning which starts when we are very young and goes on even when we grow

older. Through this process we learn how to behave; we gather a lot of information

and we start to recognise right from wrong. This process is never ending but

there may be moments when the process is more active. Most probably school

age is the time when an individual gets really involved in this process.

Education

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Formal Informal Nonformal

Formal education : this is the education relating to the curriculum, a number of

subjects, the time-table, homework and formal assessment. Therefore one

expects that the formal teaching which takes place in class is assessed through

homework, tests and examinations which take place periodically.

Informal education: this is the knowledge we acquire throughout our lives every

day, for example whilst watching some programme on television, whilst walking in

the countryside or visiting some place of cultural or historical interest. Informal

educational activites are important because these help to broaden a person’s

experience in life. Apart from this, this is also important because it helps

strengthen realtionships we form with others. This could be learnng we receive

from our parents or neighbours.

Nonformal education: this is related to the concept of lifelong learning. It is

teaching that could take place in a formal educational setting, but which will not

be recognised in a formal way. Very often this type of teaching involves

workshops, courses within the community, courses with some particular interest,

short courses, or seminars in the form of conferences. This type of teaching

takes place in a formal setting such as schools, but would not form part of a

curriculum or syllabus.

The Education System in Malta

Kindergarten (from the age of 3 years) – Kinder 1 and Kinder 2

Primary – from Year 1 to Year 6

Colleges – in all we

have 10 colleges

Secondary – from Form 1 to Form 5

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Post Secondary – Junior College and MCAST

Università

In Kindergarten, students from a very young age learn how to play with children

of the same age and through play learn important things as part of the process

of socialisation. They learn how to share all they have with others and so learn

how not to be egoistic. In this stage an individual learns to accept the authority

of the teacher and to spend sometime away from home and one’s parents.

Through primary school and later on secondary school, students are given the

chance to learn different subjects. Nowadays primary and secondary schools

form part of one of ten different colleges found in Malta and Gozo. Therefore

students from the beginning of primary school know which secondary school they

will be attending when they are promoted to Form 1.

After Form 5, students choose whether to go on with their studies or to join the

work force. The need for further studies is growing all the time. There are a

number of institutions which a student can choose from to continue studying.

In fact there is the academic branch (Junior College or Higher Secondary), the

technical or the vocational (MCAST).

In these schools students continue with the process of socialisation by learning a

varied number of subjects and in different ways. The higher the students advance

in their studies the more able they are to take part in discussions and they are

given more chance to do so, especially at post secondary level, they are allowed

to participate in decision taking and responsibilities not only in school but also at

home. This is beneficial so that when students leave school and join the work

force they are able to give their contribution successfully doing credit to

themselves and to society.

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Informal Education comes from a variety of sources, amongst which:

The Family: both the parents as well as siblings help in the formation of

character, habits, traditions, values and norms of society which we live in.

Mass media: through television, internet and radio, we are continually

receiving messages, which may not always be in agreement with the values

of our society.

The group of friends and groups we frequent: these also leave an impact

on our character and the way we behave.

Mass Media

It is necessary for human beings to live and communicate with other people. In

order to communicate there needs to be at least two people.

Someone sends a message someone receives the message

There are a variety of ways how we can communicate with one another. All these

different types can fall under two types of communication which are:

a) VERBAL communication

b) NON VERBAL communication

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In verbal communication, people communicate by means of words (in fact the word

verbal is derived from the word Verbum in Latin which means “word”).

In non-verbal communication, people do not communicate by means of words but

communicate by means of signals, tone of voice, facial expressions, our walk, style

of clothing and a variety of other signals.

When people communicate, the most important thing is that communication is

effective so that people understand one another, in order to be able to live

together in a harmonious way.

Means of mass communication – through this a person can deliver a message to

many people at the same time.

There are many means of mass communication which we are used to:

Television Books

Radio Magazines

Newspapers Letters

Internet Cinema

Nowadays it is taken for granted that means of social communication have

increased a lot. These include social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter,

mobiles and other electronic means.

These are all leaving a great impact on us especially as the internet offers a wide

range of information. Also, the messages one wishes to pass on to others are

received immediately. Advertisements leave a big impact on us and effect the

products we buy and the services we receive. Every development that takes place

in this regard leaves both negative and positive effects on us and

on those around us.

Television is the most effective means, because many families

spend a long time infront of it instead of communicating with one

another.

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The quality of the programmes and films affect our behaviour, especially that of

children. Example, cartoons filled with violence, swear words, soap operas which

represent a style of life that is fantastic etc.

Mass Media has 4 principal functions (aims):

1. Firstly they serve the function of providing true and complete information

to the audience.

2. The second function is that of educating the people. A complete education

is not only the one we get in class but also one we get from what we observe,

read about and hear on the media and in everyday life. In the University of

Malta one can attend courses to become journalists, learn how to edit videos,

how to become a presenter or prepare a televison programme.

3. The third function is that of providing entertainment. Many of us enjoy

watching televison in the evenings, reading a book or newspaper, litening to

music or some programme on the radio. This is a means of relaxation after

a day’s work or one spent in school.

4. The fourth function is that of aiding people to learn and get used to the

norms, values and habits of society. This process is known as that of

socialisation.

But unfortunately in reality, mass media is sometimes used so that those who are

rich and powerful pursuade people to think or to buy what they want them to

buy/think.

Sports

Sports affects our lives because it makes us healthier. The major part of sport

activities are social activities where groups of persons meet together and make

new friends.

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Sports, together with academic learning provide a complete education, and the

person will be healthier physically, mentally and socially.

Sports:

• Is a celebration of equality between people

• Adds motivation in people due to the

challenge of the game and the preparation

for it

• It builds confidence and strengthens

independence in people

• It helps one meet their aims in life.

Religion

In every country we find some type of religion. In our

country from a very young age we start to learn religious

knowledge. We receive the sacraments like that of

baptism, the first communion and confirmation.

Religious values we learn affect our lives. For example,

we learn to help one another especially those with special

needs.

Religion brings us together during celebrations like mass,

prayer meetings, processions and patron saint feasts.

In this way religion serves to promote relationships

between members of society.

Many of the events we celebrate during our lives have a

religious connotation such as when we celebrate baptism,

the first holycommunion and marriage. Apart from this,

many of us form part of some type of religious group such

as the MUSEUM, Legion of Mary and youth groups which

are to be found in many parishes.

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Unfortunately, sometimes we find rivalry between different groups. For example,

when name calling and fights occur between feasts of different villages or

different clubs.

How can I become a better citizen?

Society needs three types of citizen:

Responsible citizen – those who know how to take their responsibilities

conscientiously and without fear.

Active citizen – people who are active in society and who play their part

wholeheartedly.

Citizens who believe in justice (everyone gets what they deserve)

Every citizen should have a number of rights and duties

Duties: the duties which a citizen has towards other citizens and towards

their society. For example, the duty to respect other people’s property, the

duty to pay taxes, the duty to obey the laws of the country, etc.

Rights: are behaviour and activities which citizens can carry out or exercise

without fear of being stopped or being discriminated against because of these

actions. For example, the right to express oneself freely, the right to choose,

the right to join a group and others.

I can be a bad citizen (anti-social behaviour)

Yes, by dirtying and not looking after the environment around us. Bad

behaviour could also include vandalism which makes careless people damage

national heritage.

Bother other people, especially people with disabilities or of a different race.

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By not being tolerant with people from cultural/different abilities (which

means that we do not accept people who are different to us)

Or we try to dominate and bully others around us by our actions.

What happens when we do not obey the laws of our country?

It is not easy to follow rules and norms of the country. Many times we find

citizens who make a mistake, admit to this and nothing happens. But we can

mention other occasions where the citizens err more than once. Sometimes the

crimes are something small and solved quickly. Other times problems could be

bigger. For this reason every society imposes its own

sanctions. These are the punishments that are given to

those who break the law.

Furthermore citizens who bring honour to

their country are given some form of reward. In Malta, citizens are

given a prize known as ‘ġieħ ir-Reppublika’ which is given to people

who brought honour to the country through some field or other.

Sanctions

Positive Negative

Informal: When a person praises you! When someone frowns at you

Formal: When you receive a certificate when you get fined or recieve

or a medal a prison sentence

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