ABSTRACT
The early childhood socialization process has seldom admitted of or been exposed to a thorough-going sociological or social psychological analysis. Most sociological methods work best in the study of persons most like the sociologist. These methods typically assume articulate respondents. They work least well with those persons who do not share the sociologist's perspective, and sociologists confront real problems when those studied are inarticulate. Normalized, everyday interaction between persons who have mastered a common language rests on some version of the speech act as outlined. Interaction between persons who have not mastered a common language produces problematic interactional sequences. Children not only show a refusal to be tactful toward adults, but they also reveal a similar tendency toward their own peers. The structured world of the adult rests on a small circle of stable social relationships and friendships that are given some significance in the adult's everyday round of activity.
