Forms and Functions of Adult Socialization

Sociologists usually assume that maximum socialization is optimal for a system without considering the effects of differential socialization. At a gross level, socialization can be conceived in terms of value commitment and behavioral conformity which may vary independently. Their combined variation produces four types with different systemic effects. Two are functional under normal conditions and two others in crisis. Thus, the integrative importance of values and behavior shifts with the state of the system, with social stability and change pressures. The functionality of maximum socialization is questioned on several grounds, including its social and economic costs, the effects of requiring the deepest social commitments to be pervasive or highly selective and the demands of social change.