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Socialization

MCAT glossary · Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior

Definition

The lifelong process by which individuals internalize the norms and roles of their society.

Socialization in plain English

Socialization is how you slowly absorb the unwritten rules of your society — what's polite, how to behave, what your role is — until they feel like 'just how things are.' Nobody hands you a manual; you pick it up from family, friends, school, and media, the way you learned to say 'please,' wait your turn, or lower your voice in a library without ever being formally taught. The key word is 'internalize': the rules stop feeling like outside orders and become part of how you naturally think and act. And it's lifelong — you keep learning new roles as you become a student, a worker, a parent, and so on.

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