CHANGING IDEAS ABOUT SOCIALIZATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF MODERNITY

The article discusses changes in the understanding of socialization processes for younger generations, driven by current transformations. Social scientists highlight among them the processes of globalization, digitalization, and creolization – the emergence of new behavioral forms, social norms, and cultural practices as a result of the spontaneous merging. The integration and mutual penetration of the above processes create a multi-layered and contradictory identity of a modern person, on the one hand, uniting local and global levels of identity in a single personality structure, and on the other hand, making the stability of the structure itself vulnerable. The complexities of socialization in contemporary life, its variability, multi-channel nature, and nonlinear dynamics have led to the development of new methodological approaches and research strategies, along with a reevaluation of canonical theories. Modern perspectives on socialization have significantly strengthened the roles of agency, subjectivity, and interactivity among younger generations. Contemporary theories cluster around three key ideas. First, socialization is a bidirectional process, involving influences from parents on children and vice versa. Second, children and parents co-create new social experiences through mutual interaction. Third, interactions among socialization subjects and agents generate nonlinear, qualitative personality changes, giving rise to new social practices. Modern theories of socialization focus on contextual changes and pay greater attention to adolescence rather than early childhood. Research topics encompass the shift in a child’s activity from family to engaging with a more diverse world; the progression from socialization to self-socialization; exploring the many-sided nature of late-life socialization; transformations in socialization processes linked to increased life expectancy and quality of life; studying elderly individuals as both agents and targets of socialization; and analyzing the influence of digital technologies, social networks, gadgets, and polymedia on socialization processes.