The process by which children gain, or a made aware of, the norms, values, practices and knowledge of the culture or society into which they are born, and which are necessary for them to function as effective members of a group or organisation. Usually, it is depicted as consisting of a two-step process in development: primary socialization (viz., the upbringing of an dependent infant), which is then followed by secondary socialization (viz., training for roles in society through education and social groups). Both involve learning your identity relative to others. The agents of socialization include the family, school, friendship groups, religious institutions, and increasingly the mass media as expressed in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory.
See Ecological systems theory, Enculturation, Six Cultures study, Sociability, Socialization practices, Sociometry