Family

• Most important agent

• Primary group

• Infancy to 5 or 6

• Provides:

  • social position
  • emotional support
  • physical support
  • role models

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What is a primary group?

What is a secondary group?

In which of these do we send most of our adult lives?

The period from infancy to about five years is the most important time in our lives for socialization. We learn more during this time span than during the entire rest of our lives. We start out at birth knowing nothing. By the time we are 5 we can speak, write (some), count, tie our shoes, walk. . . . .

We learn values as well during this time. The family serves to place us in the stratification system of society. It gives us a social class position at birth.