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Sociology vocabulary · Society and Culture

Socialisation

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˌsəʊʃəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/nounCore term

In sociology, socialisation means: The lifelong process through which people learn the norms, values, language and roles of their society and become members of it.

In Turkish: toplumsallaşma, sosyalleşme

How it is used

Common in textbooks and essays on family, education and gender. Sociologists distinguish primary socialisation (in the family, in early childhood) from secondary socialisation (school, peers, work, media). The people and institutions involved are called agents of socialisation.

Example sentences

  1. The family is usually seen as the main agent of primary socialisation.

  2. Gender socialisation begins long before children start school.

Common collocations

  • primary socialisation
  • secondary socialisation
  • agents of socialisation
  • gender socialisation
  • political socialisation
  • normA written or unwritten rule about how people are expected to behave in a particular situation, supported by approval when it is followed and by sanctions when it is broken.
  • valuesWidely shared beliefs about what is good, right, important or desirable in a society, which guide people's choices and the norms they follow.
  • familyA group of people related by blood, marriage, partnership or adoption who usually share a home, resources and responsibility for raising children.
  • social roleThe set of behaviours, duties and expectations attached to a particular status, such as what people expect of a teacher, a parent or a patient.
  • gender roleThe set of behaviours, tasks and attitudes that a society considers suitable for women or for men, usually learned through socialisation.

More terms: Society and Culture

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