ABSTRACT
Societies differ in the values that predominate, and so socialization means different things in different cultures. For most of us it takes place largely within the family, with the parents as the main agents of socialization. The cognitive approach makes the child an agent in its own socialization, rather than being molded by reinforcement or imitation. The child develops an understanding of the culture, together with a developing sense of right and wrong. Closely allied to socialization is moral development. Piaget viewed moral development as the development of moral reasoning: that is, it is a process of cognitive development. Play is an important mechanism in development. Infant play is solitary and exploratory; early childhood play is parallel; preschoolers’ play is associative; middle childhood play is cooperative. Through play, children learn about the nature of the physical and social world, and develop physical, cognitive, and social skills to manipulate it.
