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The primary socialization received in childhood is just one part of the lifelong socialization process. Adults go through a process of resocialization, which is the learning of new norms and values that occurs when they join a new group or when life circumstances change dramatically. Learning new norms and values enables people to adapt, though newly learned things may contradict what was previously learned.
Though senility and certain diseases associated with old age can impair a person’s ability to learn and adapt to new situations, many adults experience change throughout life. A new job, the loss of friends or a spouse, children leaving home, and retirement are all milestones that require resocialization.
Most instances of resocialization are mild modifications, such as adapting to a new work environment. Extreme forms of the process can include joining the military, going to prison, or otherwise separating from mainstream society.
Degradation Ceremony
A degradation ceremony is a sociological concept developed by Harold Garfinkel that describes a type of resocialization process by which an individual’s social identity is publicly stripped away and replaced with a new one. This process is often used to enforce norms and resocialize individuals into new roles, especially in settings where the group or institution demands strict conformity.
The main purpose of degradation ceremonies is to:
- Break down an individual’s old identity, making them more open to adopting new norms and values.
- Reaffirm the group’s boundaries and shared standards by clearly differentiating acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
- Reinforce the authority of the institution or group leaders conducting the ceremony.
Examples of degradation ceremonies include:
- Prisons: New inmates are often subjected to rituals like being stripped of personal belongings, assigned uniforms, and referred to by an inmate number instead of their name. These practices symbolically strip away their identity as free individuals and reinforce their new role as prisoners.
- Military Boot Camps: Recruits might endure verbal humiliation, physical challenges, and uniform assignments, which strip away their civilian identity and instill a collective military identity.
- Religious Orders: Initiates in some religious groups may undergo rites of passage that emphasize humility and obedience, such as shaving their heads or renouncing personal possessions.
- Courtrooms: Public trials, especially when highly publicized, can serve as a form of degradation ceremony where the accused is labeled as deviant or criminal.
While degradation ceremonies can be effective in enforcing conformity, they are often criticized for their potential to dehumanize individuals, perpetuate power imbalances, and cause psychological harm. Critics argue that such ceremonies can undermine self-esteem and fail to address the root causes of non-conformity, instead prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation or understanding.
The Social Construction of Life Stages
Resocialization occurs throughout life as individuals transition through different stages. Sociologists generally divide a person’s life into five stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and dying. Each stage brings unique challenges and adaptations that require individuals to unlearn certain behaviors and adopt new ones. These stages are socially constructed, which means that different societies apply different definitions and assumptions to each stage.
For example, in the transition from childhood to adolescence, individuals must adjust to increased independence, peer influences, and academic or social expectations. Adulthood often involves resocialization into roles such as workforce participation, marriage, or parenthood. In later life, retirement and aging may require individuals to redefine their identities and social roles. Because life stages are shaped by cultural norms, resocialization varies across societies. In some cultures, childhood is seen as a time of play and learning, while in others, children are expected to contribute to household labor or income. Similarly, old age may be honored in some societies while marginalized in others. By recognizing how socialization continues across life stages, sociologists highlight the ongoing nature of resocialization as individuals navigate changing social expectations and personal transitions.
The Workplace
One of the most common areas of resocialization is the workplace. Each job comes with its own expectations, routines, and social norms, requiring to adjust their behaviors and attitudes to fit into the organizational culture. A new job brings with it new norms and values, including the following:
- What papers to fill out
- What equipment to use
- What tasks to complete and when to complete them
- When to arrive at work
- When to take a break
- When to leave
The employing organization also has its own values. The socialization process involves learning how strictly the company enforces work-related norms, such as whether it’s acceptable for people of different job levels to fraternize outside of working hours, or whether a very late arrival will incur some kind of punishment. During resocialization, people learn how to modify behavior to fit the new situation.
Total Institutions
Most Americans are socialized to think for themselves and make their own decisions about daily tasks. That changes when they are resocialized by what sociologist Erving Goffman labeled a total institution. A total institution is an organization or setting that has the following characteristics:
- Residents are not free to leave.
- All actions are determined and monitored by authority figures.
- Contact with outsiders is carefully controlled.
- The environment is highly standardized.
- Rules dictate when, where, and how members do things.
- Individuality is discouraged.
Examples of total institutions include prisons, mental hospitals, and the military. In these total institutions, part of the resocialization process includes the loss of some decision-making freedom. The military decides what its soldiers wear, how they spend their time, and when and what they eat. To be promoted to a higher rank, they must demonstrate that they have been resocialized and have successfully adapted to the military’s norms and values.
The Drama of Life
Resocialization is not just about learning new behaviors; it also involves adapting to social roles. Goffman’s concept of dramaturgy helps explain how individuals modify their actions based on the expectations of the roles they are given throughout life. Goffman believed that when we are born, we are thrust onto a stage called everyday life, and that our socialization consists of learning how to play our assigned roles from other people. We enact our roles in the company of others, who are in turn enacting their roles in interaction with us. He believed that whatever we do, we are playing out a role on the stage of life.
Anticipatory Socialization
Not all resocialization happens after a life change. Sometimes, individuals prepare for future roles in advance. Anticipatory socialization occurs when we start learning new norms and values in anticipation of a role we’ll occupy in the future. Making necessary adjustments in advance makes the actual transition into the new role easier. Also, by adopting some of the norms and values of a future role, we can evaluate whether that role will be right for us when the time comes to assume it.
Examples: A police officer who is about to begin working the night shift adjusts his sleeping habits several weeks before his start date. He goes to bed an hour later each evening, anticipating his new schedule of staying awake all night and sleeping during the day. Likewise, some couples live together before getting married to see whether they feel comfortable in that future role. They test the role of spouse before committing to it legally.
