Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

What is the Difference Between Education and Socialization

The key difference between education and socialization is that education is a process where knowledge and attitudes are acquired, whereas socialization is a process where norms, beliefs, values, and standards of society are learned.

Education refers to the transmission of knowledge and values, especially in schools and universities, using methods like teaching, learning, and discussions, whereas socialization refers to the process of internalizing standards and beliefs of society.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Education 
3. What is Socialization
4. Education vs Socialization in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Education vs Socialization

What is Education?

Education can be defined as the process of receiving and giving knowledge and values from one person to the other. Education can take place anywhere. Nevertheless, formal education is given in schools, universities, and other formal educational institutions. Formal education takes place under the supervision of teachers or educators. In most countries, formal education is compulsory up to a certain age. Initial formal education is given to children by preschools and primary schools. In most countries, education is given in stages: primary education, secondary education, and tertiary education. Informal education, on the other hand, can take place anywhere – home, workplace, society, as well as through social interactions.

Some countries offer education freely, whereas some countries offer paid education. Although education was earlier known as the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to another, nowadays, educational goals have changed. Modern educational goals include critical thinking, skills needed for modern society, and vocational skills. Educational reforms are updated from time to time to increase the quality and efficiency of education.

What is Socialization?

Socialization refers to the internalizing of standards and principles of society. This process helps individuals to behave well in society. There are two basic parts of socialization: primary socialization and secondary socialization. Primary socialization occurs from the birth of a person through adolescence, whereas secondary socialization occurs throughout one’s life.

People need social experience to learn about their culture and to survive in society. When socialization happens, a person learns how to become a member of a group, community, or society. Typically, socialization has numerous goals for both children and adults. For example, it teaches children how they should behave in a formal environment – like in a classroom setting rather than behaving informally like they are at their homes. Schools can be identified as one of the main sources of socialization for students of all ages. Thus, in the schools, students learn behavioral norms that are suitable for school as well as for society.

What is the Difference Between Education and Socialization?

The key difference between education and socialization is that education is a process where knowledge and attitudes are acquired, whereas socialization is a process where norms, beliefs, values, and standards of society are learned. Furthermore, education focuses on the social institution responsible for learning, but socialization focuses on how culture achieves itself.

Moreover, another difference between education and socialization is that education has stages like primary education, secondary education, and tertiary education, whereas socialization has two basic parts as primary socialization and secondary socialization. Besides, the methods of education involve teaching, learning, discussion, and group interaction, while the methods of socialization are exposure, modeling, identification, positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement.

Below is a summary of the difference between education and socialization in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Education vs Socialization

The key difference between education and socialization is that education refers to the transmission of knowledge and values, especially in schools and universities, using methods like teaching, learning, and discussions, whereas socialization refers to the process of internalizing the standards and beliefs of society.

Reference:

1. Cole, Nicki Lisa. “What Exactly Is Socialization?” ThoughtCo.
2. “Socialization.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
3.  “Education.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Education-learning-engineering” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Duck Duck Goose” By Ragesoss – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia