What is the Sociological Basis of Physical Education?

Socialisation is the general process of acquiring culture. Children become aware of the culture because of their parents, teachers and others. During socialization, they learn the language of the culture as well as the roles they are to play in life. For instance, girls learn how to be daughters, sisters, friends, wives, and mothers.

In addition, they learn about the occupational roles that their society allows them. We also learn and usually adopt out culture’s norms through the socialization process. Norms are the conception of appropriate and expected behaviour that are held by most members of the society.

While socialization refers to the general process of acquiring culture, anthropologists use the terms enculturation for the process of being socialized to a particular culture. You were acculturated to your specific culture by your parents and the other people who raised you.

1. Socialization is important in the process of personality formation.

2. While much of human personality is the result of our genes, the socialization process can mould it in particular directions by encouraging specific beliefs and attitudes as well as selectively providing experiences.

3. This very likely accounts for much of the difference between the common personality types in one society in comparison to another.

4. Socialization is the process by which children and adults learn from others.

5. We begin learning from others during the early days of life; and most people continue their social learning all through life unless some mental or physical disability slows or stops the learning process.

6. Sometimes the learning is fun, as when we learn a new sport, art or musical technique form a friend we like. At other times, social learning is painful, as when we learn not to drive too fast by receiving a large fine for speeding.