Socialization - A Perspective

When I noticed the idea of socialization, I started to notice how my views of the world have gradually changed. We are all sponges sucking up the norms and behaviors of those around us. Therefore, there is no difference between any human being and I, except for being sponges at different places.

For example, all the social expectations regarding what’s right and wrong are artificial. All the ideas of what to do and what not to do is flexible over time. Yet, how come we see so many similarities between cultures in the world? What guides our universal values and morals, and what stopped them from diverging through out the centuries? If Erving Goffman's Dramaturgy views the world as theater in which we play roles in, then the world is full of many similar plays.

My theory to this is simple. At a certain point of time the majority of the world’s population were close to each other. They traded and communicated with a shorter proximity, and developed general code of ethics that they agreed upon. Huge empire such as the Greek and the Roman Empire had huge social impacts in the territory they controlled. And in both case, those territories have spread over more than ten countries of today.

Even in the modern Arab history in the Arabian Gulf, such normalization process took place between tribes. Each tribe has its own territory, and every territory has its own unique culture. However, they all come together when it comes to how to treat guests. That is feeding him and hosting him for three days at least, before even asking him why he came about.

Sociologists often consider the nurture aspect when looking at people behavior. However, I believe the nature has a role in shaping culture too. The environment in which people live in changes the way they view the world, and those that live in it. It also changes simple behavior such as temper and humor. Why is that many people that live in huge crowded cities have a bad temper and are angry all the time? Why is that people that live close to the sea, have a calmer behavior? This is true to all the countries I’ve been to. It is also valid here in Doha, between the Bedouins that live in harsh environments in the desert and the Hathars who have lived traditionally in smaller villages on the coastlines. Yet, because this observation is not based on any scientific study, I’m in no position in stating it as a fact.