ABSTRACT
People who carry out research in the field of adult socialization usually regret the absence of any well-developed theory to guide their inquiries and help them interpret their results. The concept of socialization itself lacks precision: the distinction between socialization and maturation is as treacherous as the distinction between nurture and nature. The connection between primary socialization and later socialization experiences is usually seen in simple terms of congruence and reinforcement, or of discontinuity and non-fit. The ‘screws’ were not powerful ‘significant others’ who changed their definition of reality and conception of themselves: they were contemptible (but with real power to punish); the prisoners were an elite. Systematic degradation did not strip them of their identities. The case studies bring seriously into question the importance of significant others in personal change, and they make abundantly clear the importance of the historical self.
