Socialization helps people learn to function successfully in their social worlds  it is how we learn to use the objects of our society’s material culture and come to adopt the beliefs, values, and norms that represent its nonmaterial culture. This learning takes place through interaction with various agents of socialization, like peer groups and families as well as institutions. For example, family is the most common and earliest agent of socialization; they show the child how to use objects (such as clothes or a bike).

The generalized other is the common behavioural expectations that society has. For example, when you are invited to attend your friends birthday party, you probably have an idea about how you are expected to behave when you enter that environment – like whether it’s cool to bring a beer or how you should dress. We learn to morph our behaviour to the expectations of the generalized other whenever we anticipate being in a space or interacting with a community. The “rules” among your group of friends may vary from the “rules” that your parents’ group of friends have.