What is socialisation?
Socialisation is a process wherein a living
organism is changed into a social being, by learning the role it has to play in
society as an adult. It is a continuous process in the life of an individual
and it continues from generation to generation. Socialisation therefore stands
for the development of the human brain, body, attitude and behaviour. The term
socialisation refers to the process of interaction through which the growing
individual learns the habits, attitudes, values and beliefs of the social group
into which he has been born.
According to Horton and Hunt,
"Socialisation is the process whereby one
internalises the norms of his groups, so that a distinct 'self' emerges, unique to this individual."
Socialisation inculcates basic discipline, helps
to control behaviour, can occur formally or informally, and it tends to be more
effective if all the agents of socialisation are in harmony with each
other.
Socialisation as
a student
Socialisation has also played a role in the
decision to take up teaching as a profession. The first socialising agent in a person’s
life is the family. As a child, I was given the full freedom to choose what I
wanted to be when I grew up, and my parents supported the decisions I made. My
aunts who were also teachers, influenced me as they told me that I have
qualities to be a good teacher.
The society in which I grew up had the utmost
respect for teachers. Long after they finished school, adults fondly remembered
their teachers as important parts of their lives. This gave a great sense of
importance to this line of work.
The teachers who themselves taught me, made me
inclined towards the teaching vocation. Their vast knowledge on so many
subjects, their moral values and their dedication left and everlasting
impression. After juggling through many options, I finally decided to become a
teacher during my time in higher secondary school.
Socialisation as a student teacher
When I decided to pursue my
Bachelors' in Education, my family was very happy with my decision. My parents
support me in any way they can, be it encouragement, to helping to prepare
instructional materials.
People in the society also
support further education and constantly wish me well to excel in the course.
My peers in college help me become a better teacher by helping me improve my
weaknesses, discussing how to teach content and encouraging me to do better
each day. I also learnt skills and techniques from them to improve myself
further.
The teachers in college are
very supportive and help me to constantly improve. With the skills they teach
us, we learn that teaching is not as simple as it first seemed. The teachers
also inspire me to continue to do my best and become the best teacher I can be.
Negative impact
Although most of the people
around me support the decision of the teaching profession, there was a negative
attitude to being a teacher during my school days. My peers did not fancy the
idea of taking up the teaching profession, but instead focused more on pursuing
medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and engineering. Their view of this profession
had me conflicted for a while until I made my decision later on.
Conclusion
Many of the decisions we take depend on the surrounding people and
attitude. Ultimately my socialisation process led me to the teaching
profession, even though there was some negativity towards it.
