How Family Shapes Personality: The Primary Agent of Socialization

Family is the most important medium of socialization. The space for socialization becomes ready within the family before the birth of a child. Various types of families exist in the family structure of Bangladesh. We have learnt about this in the previous chapter. Whatever the type of family may be. Naturally, all the good and bad aspects of our family life influence our behaviours. Social morals and civic sense are introduced within our family. We acquire qualities like cooperation, tolerance, fellow feeling, brotherhood, sacrifice, love, etc., through family. In the process of socialization of a child, the relationship between father and mother plays the most important role among all family affairs. Good relations among parents are essential for the proper development of children's personalities. The conflict between the parents begets conflict among the children. The dear and near persons to a child are his mother and father. Social morals and civic sense are introduced within our family. We acquire qualities like cooperation, tolerance, fellow feeling, brotherhood, sacrifice, love, etc., through family. In the process of socialization of a child, the relationship between father and mother plays the most important role among all family affairs. Good relations among parents are essential for the proper development of children's personalities. The conflict between the parents begets conflict among the children. The dear and near conflict between the parents begets conflict among the children. The dear and near persons to a child are his mother and father. Of these two, 'mother' is the person to a child are his mother and father. Of these two, 'mother' is the most intimate. Naturally, socialization begins with the mother. The mother is the first institution in shaping a child's food habits and language learning. In its very childhood, the mother creates attraction for whatever types of food that influence the behavior of the child in his advanced life. We apply in our own family our learning and experience from what our mother did with us in matters like singing lullabies, techniques of learning the alphabet, the process of memorizing rhymes, and many more.

In some families of our society, only the father earns. In some cases, both parents earn. They need to apply many rules and regulations for the smooth direction of their family life. The behavior and values of individual parents influence the socialization of the children. A child's attitude of self-determination is the result of its parents' self-reliant personality. Likewise, the conduct of the other members of the family, including close relatives, also influences the behavioral patterns of a child's life. These matters promote a child's mental growth and personality formation.

 

Reference: Bangladesh and Global Studies, Class 9-10, 2025