Synopsis

Bringing together leading authorities, this handbook reviews the breadth of current knowledge on socialization processes from earliest childhood through adolescence and beyond. Contributors present cutting-edge theories and findings pertaining to family, peer, school, community, media, and other influences on individual development. The important, growing areas of genetics and biology, cultural psychology, and affective science are given particular attention. Essential topics include the effects on children of different parenting strategies and family structures; factors that shape gender development, emotional competence, and achievement motivation; the role of relationships in the socialization process; and strategies for intervention with antisocial youth.

Reviewer: Christopher J. Graver, PhD, ABPP-CN(Madigan Healthcare System)
Description: The process of human socialization is at the heart of our complex societies and has drawn considerable interest from multiple disciplines. This book helps to synthesize these perspectives to provide a handbook that covers socialization from childhood through old age.
Purpose: The purpose is to bring together leading experts in psychology, genetics, affective sciences, and other related field in order to present innovative theories and methods in socialization research.
Audience: The editors do not specify an audience for this book, but it certainly would be appropriate for psychologists, psychiatrists, and affective neuroscientists. Educators, social workers, and therapists will also find this of interest. The editors have a reasonable research record in this area and they have brought together a large cast of contributing authors that make for a solid lineup.
Features: The main sections cover historical perspectives on socialization, socialization within biological frameworks, socialization across the lifespan, socialization within and outside the family, cultural perspectives on socialization, and targets of socialization. The chapters are well laid out with clear subheadings and a logical progression of topics. The literature is well reviewed, focusing on seminal articles and containing exceptionally current references. Summaries end each section along with suggestions for future research. The coverage is not only diverse, but complementary. While some chapters delve into basic science topics, there are plenty of references to applied research and suggestions for further reading. The one major weakness is that tables and figures are virtually nonexistent and would have afforded easier digestion of the copious information.
Assessment: This is an excellent handbook on the topic of socialization. From neuroscience to developmental psychology, this book offers topics of interest to anyone involved in socialization. The literature is well reviewed, critically analyzed, and thoughtfully extended to new directions. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a more complete book on socialization.

Biography

Joan E. Grusec, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Her research interests focus on the impact of parenting on children’s socialization as well as determinants of parenting practices. She is the author or editor of several books, including Parenting and Children’s Internalization of Values: A Handbook of Contemporary Theory (coedited with Leon Kuczynski). She is a former Associate Editor of Developmental Psychology.
 
Paul D. Hastings, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology in the Centre for Research in Human Development at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. He completed his graduate studies at the University of Toronto and postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Waterloo and the National Institute of Mental Health. His research interests are focused on the joint contributions of socialization influences and physiological regulation to trajectories of adaptive and maladaptive development.