Berger's Theory Of Socialization Essay

Traditional economics base the decisions of humans off of price and income; however, Berger and Luckmann differentiate their theory by utilizing social construction to explain behavior. At the most basic level, Berger and Luckmann view man as homo socius, individuals influenced and molded by their social surroundings into the person that they are. Two main types of socialization function to form humans: primary socialization, which begins at youth and develops as the core of one’s self and secondary socialization, which occurs as one accrues information, form their surroundings over time. Humans come to understand their personal reality through their own meanings of themselves and the world that they are in from these forms of socialization. …show more content…
There is room for deviance from the norms of society and when it occurs, sanctions are put in place to protect the social construct. If I were to throw my Starbucks coffee at the barista, I’d be kicked out of the shop. This is basic and extreme, however it exemplifies how sanctions can be applied to all types of deviance to correct social norms as institutions are stubborn and not open to change. Social norms are established from primary socialization as a product of individual’s upbringing. However, as secondary socialization occurs and your perceptions shift, your social construct is subject to change and can account for deviances from norms. Berger and Luckmann believe that the socialization we undergo allows us to typify certain actions and objectify them as part of our daily routine. This allows us to build off this typification as we under go secondary socialization and interact with other actors and learn our roles in the social