ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the influence of groups of equals upon children and adolescents, though such groups do affect the behaviour of such subsequent age grades as university students or old age pensioners. The actual process of socialization is the same in the peer group as it is in the family and the analysis must, therefore, be carried out in much the same way, that is by focusing first on structural aspects and then turning to the interpersonal level. The chapter then examines the latent roles that young persons bring to their peer groups. Exact ages are hard to link to types of group structure, but in view of the progression from family-based activity through school to peer group-based activity, age roles are considered according to the various stages of schooling. The adolescents had imported the youth culture of the peer group into the school and it had largely taken the place of the official academic or vocational cultures.
