Description and Analysis of the Process of Socialization

Socialization
Student’s Name
Institution
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Socialization
Who am I?
I am a member of the U.S. Army where I have been serving for the last eight years. I am currently stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. I would therefore say that being in the army is my achieved status since it is a status I obtained by choice. I am a Christian and specifically Catholic, a religious belief I have held since I was young.
My current relationship status is single and has been like that for the last year. I have been in two relationships in my life, both of which were fulfilling but could not continue primarily because of personality differences. I have an awesome dog called Oliver, a German shepherd breed, which is not only intelligent but also loyal.
I would also describe myself as disciplined and possessing a strong sense of duty. These may cut across many individuals in the military but my personality in this sense was not solely influenced by being in the army. Ever since I was a kid, I have valued self-discipline because I understand its importance to accomplishing anything in life. There are many distractions, particularly in the world we live in today in form of technology, and without self-discipline, I think it is difficult for one to commit to choices that are important to us. This is one of the reasons I joined the military and I take pride in serving the country this way.
I am the first person in my family to join the military. So I would not say that family directly influenced my choice to join the military. I am also a student taking a supply chain management course, which upon completion will complement to a great extent my role in the Army.
Socialization Process
While we would like most of our life choices to be made without the external influence, we cannot run away from the influences of our interactions with the environment we grow and live in. As described by Griffiths and Keirns (2015), the process of socialization is complex and occurs through our interactions with groups, individuals, and social institutions. In my case, I believe the agents of socialization that have had the biggest influence on my life are family, education, religion, and media.
Family is perhaps the greatest agent of socialization for any person. After reading Danielle’s case of neglect which resulted in her not knowing how to walk, speak, interact, or even understand the world around her, I believe family as an agent of socialization plays an integral role in shaping a person (Griffiths & Keirns, 2015). My family members, primarily my dad, influenced to a great extent my development throughout childhood. In this case, family is the primary group, which Griffiths and Keirns (2015) describe as one which plays the most critical role in our lives. With the case of Danielle in mind, I realize my family helped me learn how to talk, walk eat, and how interact with others in society. Social constructivism posits that interactions with others are what create knowledge (Brau, 2018). My father was particularly involved in my life and to a great extent, he taught me how to be confident and disciplined. It is from him that learned many things including how to ride a ...