Anticipatory socialisation is the process of learning and adopting the values, behaviours, and norms of a group or role you expect to join in the future.
For example, a student doing an internship is preparing for the professional world.
The idea, first described by sociologist Robert Merton, helps explain how people reduce uncertainty and smoothly transition into new roles and identities
Key Takeaways
- Definition: Anticipatory socialisation is the process of learning and practicing the values, norms, and behaviors of a group or role before fully entering it. This preparation helps people adapt more smoothly to future transitions.
- Origins: The concept was introduced by sociologist Robert K. Merton to explain how individuals adjust to expected social roles. It highlights how learning begins before formal membership.
- Examples: Common cases include students taking internships, recruits training before military service, or immigrants learning about a new culture before moving. These practices reduce uncertainty and build readiness.
- Functions: Anticipatory socialisation eases role changes by providing knowledge, skills, and expectations in advance. It also fosters identity development and confidence in new settings.
- Limitations: Not all expectations match reality, which can lead to stress or disappointment. Over-preparation may also reinforce stereotypes or unrealistic assumptions.
Purpose and Function
The main purpose of anticipatory socialisation is to reduce uncertainty and ease the transition into new roles.
By learning expectations in advance, individuals gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to navigate unfamiliar situations.
This preparation makes role changes – such as starting a new job, entering a relationship, or adjusting to parenthood – less stressful and more manageable.
Anticipatory socialisation also supports identity development, as people begin to see themselves in terms of future roles and adapt their behaviour accordingly.
In this way, it acts as a bridge between past experiences and upcoming responsibilities, helping individuals adjust smoothly to the demands of changing life stages.
The process is often associated with adolescence, when young people spend significant time planning or being educated for the future roles they aspire to occupy.
Examples
- Internships and Work Experience: Students take internships, part-time jobs, or volunteer positions to practice the norms and skills of their future careers.
- Education to Employment: High school or college students may dress more formally, network, or adopt professional behaviours as they prepare to enter the workforce.
- Dating and Marriage: Couples who date or live together before marriage are rehearsing the expectations and responsibilities of married life.
- Parenthood Preparation: Expectant parents may read parenting books, attend classes, or set up a nursery in advance of the child’s arrival.
- Retirement Planning: Adults prepare for later life by saving money, researching healthcare, and imagining new roles outside of work.
- Cultural Transitions: Immigrants may learn a new language, study cultural customs, or join community groups before moving to another country.
- Rites of Passage: Ceremonies such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or a quinceañera, publicly validate changes in status and can act as forms of anticipatory socialisation by marking preparation for adult responsibilities.
Theories and Origins
The concept of anticipatory socialisation was first introduced by sociologist Robert K. Merton in the 1940s.
Merton observed that people often begin to adopt the attitudes, values, and behaviours of groups they aspire to join, even before they gain formal membership.
This idea fits within the broader framework of socialisation theory, which explains how individuals learn and internalise the norms and expectations of society.
By highlighting the ways people “rehearse” future roles, Merton showed that socialisation is not limited to childhood but is an ongoing process that prepares individuals for new statuses throughout life.
How does symbolic interactionism explain anticipatory socialisation?
Symbolic interactionism offers a micro-level perspective on socialisation, focusing on the day-to-day interactions between individuals and the shared meanings and symbols exchanged.
These interactions are fundamental for developing both a self-concept and an understanding of society.
From the perspective of symbolic interactionism, anticipatory socialisation highlights the active role individuals play in shaping their identities.
People use symbols, meanings, and interactions to “rehearse” future roles, such as imagining themselves in a new status or modelling their behaviour on others.
This view emphasises that socialisation is not only imposed from outside but also involves self-directed learning and interpretation as people prepare for life transitions.
Development of Self-Concept and Role-Taking:
A central idea in symbolic interactionism is that individuals develop a self-concept through social interaction, a process often described as the looking-glass self.
People imagine how they appear to others, consider how others might judge them, and then shape their behaviour accordingly.
In anticipatory socialisation, this involves mentally assuming the perspective of others or imagining oneself in a future role (role-taking).
Individuals engage in “internal conversations” about how others might respond to their anticipated behaviours and adjust their actions in preparation.
Active Construction of Identity:
Symbolic interactionists emphasise that people are active and creative agents in their own socialisation.
When preparing for a new role, individuals observe and interpret the symbols, language, gestures, and behaviours associated with that role.
This process allows them to actively construct their identity and shape their own social reality in advance of entering a new environment.
Reference Groups
A reference group is a group that individuals compare themselves to, using its norms and values as a standard for guiding their own behaviour and attitudes.
People may use a reference group to evaluate their appearance, ideas, or goals, even if they are not yet members of that group but aspire to be.
Reference groups are a direct source of anticipatory socialisation. They allow individuals to practice and internalise the expectations of new roles before formally assuming them, enabling smoother transitions across different stages of life.
The Role of Reference Groups in Anticipatory Socialisation
- Guiding Behaviour and Attitudes for Future Roles: Individuals observe the behaviours, attitudes, and norms of a reference group that represents a desired future role. They then adopt these to prepare for that role. For instance, teenagers often use their peers as a reference group to evaluate themselves and acquire the values and norms appropriate for their anticipated roles. This may involve abandoning older behaviours to align with those of the desired group.
- Role Modelling: Reference groups provide role models for imitation. A small child who dreams of becoming an astronaut may dress and play like one, using astronauts as a reference group. Similarly, high school students might emulate the clothing or music tastes of a “cool clique,” hoping to be accepted or simply admiring their style.
- Preparation for Professional and Life Transitions: As individuals approach major life changes, reference groups guide their anticipatory socialisation. For example, college seniors might begin wearing suits and discussing business with friends who have already graduated or with recruiters, preparing for entry into the professional world. These peers and mentors serve as reference groups for their anticipated professional identity.
- Media as a Reference Group: The mass media can also function as a reference group, influencing individuals by presenting lifestyles, norms, and expectations that shape aspirations. Television, social media, and advertising provide powerful images of what is considered desirable or appropriate in future roles.
Critical Evaluation
Evaluation 1: Expectations vs Reality
One criticism of anticipatory socialisation is that expectations do not always match reality.
Individuals may prepare for a role based on idealised or second-hand information.
For example, students who imagine a career in medicine from television dramas may develop inaccurate assumptions about what the role involves.
This means their preparation may not actually equip them for the demands of the real role.
When reality clashes with expectations, the result can be stress, disappointment, or even disillusionment with the role.
This limits the usefulness of anticipatory socialisation, since preparation does not always translate into smoother transitions.
Evaluation 2: Unequal Access
Anticipatory socialisation is not equally available to everyone.
People from more privileged backgrounds often have greater access to internships, role models, or financial resources that allow them to prepare for future roles.
For example, wealthier students may afford unpaid internships that build experience, whereas others cannot.
This inequality means anticipatory socialisation can reinforce existing social class differences rather than reduce them.
It highlights a limitation in applying the concept universally, as not all groups benefit equally from the process.
Evaluation 3: Stress and Anxiety
Preparing for new roles can sometimes create stress rather than reduce it.
Over-preparation may heighten worries about the challenges of the role, leading to unnecessary anxiety.
For instance, expectant parents who over-consume information on infant care may feel overwhelmed rather than reassured.
This suggests anticipatory socialisation does not always function as a positive adaptation process. In some cases, it can hinder adjustment and well-being, showing that its effects are context-dependent.
Evaluation 4: Over-reliance on Reference Groups
Using reference groups in anticipatory socialisation can lead to distorted learning.
Teenagers often model themselves on slightly older peers or aspirational groups, but these reference groups may not always reflect the actual values and norms of future roles.
For example, adolescents imitating “college culture” portrayed in media may adopt unrealistic or even maladaptive behaviours.
This reliance may cause individuals to internalise inappropriate expectations, making future transitions more difficult rather than easier.
It highlights a limitation in assuming that reference groups always provide accurate guidance.
Reading List
- Merton, R. K. (1949). Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Free Press.
- Brim, O. G. (1966). Socialization Through the Life Cycle. In O. G. Brim & S. Wheeler (Eds.), Socialization After Childhood. New York: Wiley.
- Levinson, D. J. (1978). The Seasons of a Man’s Life. New York: Knopf.
- Giddens, A. (2021). Sociology (10th ed.). Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Ritzer, G. (2020). Introduction to Sociology. Sage Publications.
