The Role of the Family (Essay Sample)

Family as an Agent of Socialization
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Family as an Agent of Socialization
Family plays a significantly important role as the most vital agent of socialization. People in a family depend on each other for several things, resulting into an interaction process that cannot end. Families also include many people, such as mothers, fathers, children, uncles, and grandparents, who are always available in case one of them needs to discuss an issue. Most families work together to form an unbreakable bond of unity and teamwork. Therefore, as the most fundamental agent of socialization, family teaches children their heritage culture, good manners, and good peer relationships.
For starters, family teaches children their heritage culture in a bid to make them understand their traditions and customs. Heritage culture can comprise aspects, such as cultural practices, values, and knowledge (Wang & Benner, 2016). Elders also teach children the need to respect and embrace their cultural background so that they can have a good time when interacting with other people from the same culture. Children need to learn cultural traditions from their family first before understanding other aspects of culture from other people.
Further, family teaches children good manners to interact well with other people. Good manners revolve around aspects, such as good eating habits and a presentable dressing code (Freeman & Showel, 2010). Children should learn at home that dressing in a presentable way makes people in the community respect and admire them. Good eating habits, on the other end, entail observing table manners and a healthy lifestyle. When a child learns such things from their family, they go through an easy time socializing with others at school and other places where people meet to interact and share ideas.
Finally, family serves as institution to enlighten children on the need to have good peer relationships. Children have peers both at home and school. Family comes in handy by teaching children how to interact with peers through good adolescent activities (Wang & Benner, 2016). The activities can include celebrating cultural events together and associating with people from different cultural heritage. Family can also teach children how to prepare cultural food