Human Sociability, Socialization, and Individual-Society Relations
Human Sociability
Sociability is the innate tendency to live in society and the basic inclination to live with others. It’s not just about territory but also about responsibility and ensuring the survival of each individual within the group.
Biological Basis of Sociability
Humans possess several characteristics inherited biologically:
Instinctual Indeterminacy
Unlike animals with comprehensive instincts, humans lack a similar pattern. To overcome this indeterminacy, humans go through a learning stage divided into three factors:
Permeability
Allows us to be affected by and assimilate external stimuli.
Intelligence
Enables us to search for the most adequate solutions.
Social Body
Preserves adaptive responses.
Long Period of Immaturity
Animal offspring mature quickly, but humans require extended care during infancy.
Lack of Physical Qualities
While animals have physical traits for survival, humans must collaborate to thrive.
Socialization
Definition: Socialization is the learning process through which we integrate into the community, acquiring the rules, principles, and customs of our culture.
Types of Socialization
Secondary socialization depends on primary socialization, and both have distinct features and mechanisms.
Primary Socialization
Occurs in the first stage of life. It involves acquiring social patterns and habits, enhanced by family bonds. This process is not deliberate and is crucial for individual development. Disruptions can have irreversible consequences.
Secondary Socialization
Not a specific life stage, it involves readjusting to environmental changes or new circumstances. It can be conscious and deliberate, often intense, and easier if primary socialization was effective. It includes affective relationships and responses to others’ interests.
Contract of Socialization
Family
The family is the first and most important socializing agent, playing a crucial role in a child’s formation and integration. It has the duty to protect, nurture, and educate newcomers, leaving an indelible mark.
School
The school is an institution with the express aim of educating and training new members of society. This task is entrusted to professionals. School introduces children to both content and skills.
Peer Groups
Peer groups are also important and irreplaceable agents of socialization. Contact with others in similar situations provides a different perspective than family or school.
Media
Major media outlets play an increasingly large role in socialization. Television can expose children to content they are not mature enough to digest.
Individual-Society Relations
Collectivism
Collectivism is based on the idea that the individual is just one part of the social machine. The focus is on ensuring the vitality and continuity of the whole. Individuals are relevant only in relation to the functioning of society and are interchangeable. Exaggerated collectivism can lead to dictatorships or totalitarianism, where the state often equates to a lack of freedom.
Individualism
Individualism views society as a sum of individuals. It prioritizes the individual above all else, promoting social development through personal skills and efforts, not government regulation. However, individualism is often criticized as selfish.
Humanism
Humanism seeks to combine the strengths of both collectivism and individualism while avoiding their negative aspects. It aims for a balance between collective interest and respect for individuality, promoting a social framework that ensures both continuity and stability. Humanism seeks to reconcile collective welfare with individual aspirations and rights.