Are we prisoners of socialization?

This is just a brisk write up about my thoughts about socialization.

Lets start with "what is socialization?"

Socialization can be described as a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms and social skills appropriate to his or her social position. My answer is a big Yes!. That is to say we definitely are prisoners of socialization. Life as it is i.e. from birth to death encompasses a high intensity of socialization. Males and females have different patterns they would at the most follow from birth, to adolescence then to adulthood. This has been so from generation to generation except for some anomalies.

Our level of socialization most times even defines our hierarchy in strata of Life. The way a literate would socialize is way different from the way an illiterate would. We are quick to judge and classify people according to socialization in these modern times. We live as though we owe socialization.

First we are guided by the social patterns we see at home by our parents, (who bring us up) then the opportunity of education comes in i.e. going to school where we mix up with people of different social strata, beliefs and backgrounds. Most likely at this stage we then discover our sexuality by socialization. After school, we join the labor market which happens to be a bigger socialization field for us humans. And it just gets bigger and more complex as time goes on. We join different leagues, clubs, associations and groups which mold and define our social characteristics as we age.There also exist what i call dividends of socialization.It can then be classified as good or bad. If we grow up with the wrong beliefs,and these beliefs fire back at us then we yield bad dividends unless otherwise it would yield good fruit.

For example a young man hurt by a woman who gets misguided by boys with bigger minds and egos than those young men they call “friends”, “homeboys” e.t.c would most likely end up being hard hearted/unemotional towards the women folk. Same does apply to their females should the same happen to them.

Is it not an irony that we can talk about casual sex openly but frank discussions about sexuality that unfolded within loving relationships are a taboo?

Thanks to socialization.

☆Jubril Blaize☆

     July 2011