ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes two distinct sites of socialization in contemporary schools: the classroom and the "playground". Sociologists use the term socialization to describe the efforts of powerful members of a society to shape the behavior and values of less powerful members of the society. As children grow into teenagers, friends become an increasingly central part of the incentives to attend school. Schools play a secondary role to families in socializing children. Most schools expect a movement from external discipline based on behavioral control to self-discipline in conformity with key moral values. Many contemporary conservative critics suggest that schools are failing in the area of socialization because they have stopped emphasizing moral virtues. The number of socializing rules in schools varies by society and level of instruction. In the United States, primary schooling is very heavily encased by rules.
