Socialization, Culture, and Civilization: Key Concepts
Socialization: Shaping Individuals and Societies
Socialization is the process by which an individual internalizes the culture of the society in which they live, developing and building their identity as a person. This process continues throughout life, and therefore we can distinguish two phases:
- Primary Socialization: This is the most important part of the process. It aims to introduce the subject into society and the family. It develops during early childhood. In modern industrial societies, primary schools and television perform a function at this stage in which the child approaches the attitudes and values of people (mother, father, brother).
- Secondary Socialization: This is the process in which institutional worlds are incorporated. One must strive for specific instructional techniques. This maturation process of growing pains may occur.
Resocialization and Subcultures
Resocialization is a process that involves the internalization of values, attitudes, etc., of a different society from the one to which we were socialized. Resocialization processes are different from primary socialization because you have to start from zero. Within each particular culture, we can speak of subcultures because those involved do not live the same way. Within each culture, there are differences in age, socioeconomic status, social class, etc. There is a great difference between urban and rural culture. The counter-movement is a rebellion against the hegemonic culture.
Urban Tribes and Social Groups
Urban tribes, such as rockers, punks, etc., are formed by young people concerned with discovering an identity that neither the family nor the company will provide. They usually meet around an idol or leader and have a code of cultural expressions (clothing, music, venue) that differentiates them from others. Social-attack groups are offenders who have a direct and violent form of attack. The aggressive character is typical in other groups of adolescents who try to destabilize society to create a new social state. Alternative social groups reflect how many people feel about an uncertain future and an ephemeral present. They try to find a meaning to existence by various means, such as talks, activities, and meetings.
Civilization: From Latin Roots to Modern Concepts
The word civilization comes from the Latin words civis (citizen) and civitas (city). Speaking of civilization is to talk about what is characteristic of the 18th-century city. Encyclopedists changed the meaning of this word. According to them, the human being progresses historically from a state of savagery to the perfection of civilization. In this sense, the plural is not supported: it is the progress of humanity to a higher state to which you want to arrive. Currently, civilization is spoken of in different ways, but the most common is to regard civilization as a synthesis of more general facts, a set of cultures that have relationships between them. Culture makes sense but is more partial, and civilization is more global.
Ethnocentrism vs. Interculturalism
Ethnocentrism examines cultural systems from the viewpoint of their own culture, which becomes the restraint to assess others. This attitude has at least two consequences: 1) lack of understanding, and 2) the radicalization of feeling can manifest cohesion. Ethnocentric attitudes include xenophobia (hatred of foreigners), chauvinism (fanatical patriotism), and aporophobia (dislike of the poor).
Interculturalism comes from respect for other cultures. Its objectives are: 1) to recognize the pluralistic nature of society, 2) to collaborate on the answers to problems, 3) to promote dialogue between cultures, and 4) to understand the complexity of the relationship between different cultures. According to relativism, communication between cultures is almost impossible and highly desired. Instead, universalism seeks to discover shared values, among which is respect for cultural differences. Universalism allows real dialogue between cultures and avoids imposing one culture on others. It is based on: 1) human rights, 2) the consideration of liberty, equality, and solidarity, and 3) the attitude of the person who wants to reach an understanding with others because they are genuinely interested.