Real-Life Transition, Socialization and Resocialization

Privacy note

Do not include names, locations, or identifying details. You may use a composite or a fictionalized example based on real life.

Part 1:Your Post (350-500 words)

1) Describe the transition (briefly)

Choose one transition into a new environment (e.g., new school, new job, new team, moving cities/countries, joining an online community). In 2-3 sentences, describe:

• the new environment
• your role in it (newcomer, leader, member, employee, student, etc.)

2) List 3 norms you had to learn quickly. For each norm:

• describe the norm (whats expected)
• explain how you discovered it (observation, correction, consequences, etc.)
• identify the value it reflects (e.g., efficiency, respect, independence, teamwork, hierarchy, harmony)

3) Resocialization: what you had to unlearn

Describe one behavior that worked well in your old environment but caused friction in the new one. Then explain:

• why it used to be rewarded
• why it didnt fit the new setting
• what you replaced it with (your new strategy)

4) Identify two agents (people/groups/institutions) that shaped your adaptation (e.g., peers, supervisors, family, school, platform rules/moderators).

For each, explain the mechanism:

• direct instruction?
• modeling (watching others)?
• feedback?
• rewards/penalties?
• mentoring?
• formal training?

5) Reflection: identity and belonging

Answer one:

• How did this transition change how you saw yourself? or
• What did you gain and what did you lose in terms of identity/belonging?

Sample Scenario: First Part-Time Job in Customer Service

You start a part-time job (retail/food/service). You quickly realize the rules arent only about the written policy; there are unwritten expectations: how to greet customers, what counts as good attitude, when to ask for help, and how to handle mistakes. Youre trained on scripts and procedures, but coworkers also teach you how things really work. You learn that speed matters, but so does staying calm. You also notice that who has authority isnt always just the manager; experienced employees shape the culture.

Built-in angles: norms (emotional labor, scripts), values (customer satisfaction, teamwork), resocialization (school habits vs workplace habits), agents (manager training, peer coaching, consequences).