Why is the family considered the most important agent of socialization?

The family, as a social institution, plays a primary role in supporting the life of society and performs the following functions: reproductive, educational, economic, domestic, and recreational. Undoubtedly, the most important function of the family, along with reproductive, is educational! This is the main purpose of the family and it has long been known that for the normal, full-fledged development of a child, a family is vital, and any other social institutions or public institutions cannot replace it. 

There is no better way to start than to talk about the role of the family in our social development, as a family is usually considered to be the most important agent of socialization. As infants, we are completely dependent on others to survive. Our parents, or those who play the parent role, are responsible for teaching us to function and care for ourselves. They, along with the rest of our family, also teach us about close relationships, group life, and how to share resources. Additionally, they provide us with our first system of values, norms, and beliefs – a system that is usually a reflection of their own social status, religion, ethnic group, and more.

The socialization that we receive in childhood has a lasting effect on our ability to interact with others in society (or within the social confines of any institution). Furthermore, I believe in the old saying, “ It takes a village to raise a child”. The “village”, along with the family, contributes unequivocally to the way a person is socially perceived to be within any social setting and due to that fact, family or people acting as family members will always be considered the most important agent of socialization.