Innovation and continuity in socialization, internalization, and acculturation

Internalization refers to the phenomenon whereby ideas, such as beliefs, values, and practices that are initially external to an individual become incorporated into the individual’s thoughts and actions (Kuczynski, Marshall, & Schell, 1997). Theoretical understanding of the process by which this comes about is undergoing major revision. Prior to the 1980s, internalization was considered to be an outcome of socialization, which at that time was itself conceptualized in a unidirectional and deterministic manner (see Grusec, Chaparro, Johnston, & Sherman, this volume). An implicit goal of early socialization theory was to understand the continuity of values from parents to children and, more generally, the process by which society and culture are reproduced in each succeeding generation (Corsaro, 1997). The products of internalization were considered in two ways: the transmission of cultural content such as values, beliefs, and practices from the older generation to the younger generation and the fostering of conformity to the demands and expectations of family and societal authorities (Kuczynski & Hildebrandt, 1997). The process of internalization was conceived as intergenerational transmission whereby children’s acquisition of values was accomplished through the direct action of socializing agents.