ABSTRACT
Human beings develop their various attributes—their sentiments, their capacity for linguistic communication and thinking, their ability to play diverse social roles—not by biological maturation but in the course of social interaction. Even at the very rudimentary level, meanings emerge in a social matrix; living and acting together are prerequisites for the development of symbolic communication. Most adults take their symbolic environment so much for granted that they have difficulty in imagining their experiences prior to induction. Among the most important of the life conditions to which all human beings must adjust is the presence of other people, who become involved in socialization as agents of instruction, as models to be imitated, and as sources of reinforcement. By inflicting punishment and providing rewards, socialization place limitations upon the avenues along which personal growth can take place. Students of socialization sometimes underestimate the extent to which meanings are learned or clarified through symbolic communication.
