A secondary school student begins questioning family beliefs after discussions…

Concept

Socialization is the lifelong process through which a person absorbs the norms, values and beliefs of their social groups. The family is the first (primary) agent of socialization, but the peer group is a powerful secondary agent: as a child grows, age-mates become a key point of reference, and discussion with them can lead a person to re-examine and revise beliefs that were first learned at home.

Application

In this scenario the student begins questioning family beliefs after talking with friends and adjusts some views because of the peer group. The source of the change is the age-mate group and the outcome is a reshaping of previously held attitudes. This is exactly what the influence of the peer group means within socialization.

Contrast

• Authoritarian behaviour in early childhood centres on adult and parental control in the earliest years, a family-authority mechanism rather than a change driven by age-mates.

• Group games describe the form of play activity, whereas the scenario is about changing ideas through discussion, not about games dominating peer time.

• Development of moral values in childhood is a broad outcome produced by many agents together and is not specific to the peer-driven belief change described here.

Therefore the concept best represented by this scenario is the influence of the peer group.