posits 'happiness' in its owner's cup. The amount of technical effort that has been expended on the spiritual contents of civilization, which Ward refers to as a spontaneous growth, is curiously underestimated in this passage." 2 The primary object of this thesis is not to elaborate a critique of Ward's conception of the nature of socialization and its function in human progress, for it is only fair to state that he does not consistently hold to the view expressed here. Our purpose is rather to utilize these conflicting statements as the point of departure in an attempt to interpret the function of socialization in the social process. The following points, implicit or explicit, in the passage quoted from Ward, may serve as a foil to the succeeding discussion: That material invention is independent of socialization.—We shall attempt to indicate to what extent scientific discovery and mechanical invention are conditioned by the process of socialization. That spiritual civilization is conditioned by material civilization. Our aim is to give a qualitative account of the factors, apart from the material influences, that determine social evolution. That spiritual civilization needs no special attention.-We shall endeavor to point out that the ongoing of civilization, both spiritually and materially, is increasingly dependent upon the socializing of the individual. Moreover, we hope to make evident the inadequacy of a program which is limited to the diffusion of knowledge alone for the socialization of the individual and the promotion of progress. Socialization may be studied from two aspects. From the standpoint of the group, we may define it as the psychic articulation of the individual into the collective activities. From the standpoint of the person, socialization is the participation of the individual in the spirit and purpose, knowledge and methods, decision and action of the group. 2 "Note on Ward's 'Pure Sociology,' II," in the American Journal of Sociology, IX (1903-4), 569. This definition emphasizes the process rather than the product of the process. Compare with Giddings' definition, "Socialization . . . . is the development of a social nature or character-a social state of mind-in the individuals who associate" (Theory of Socialization, 1897, p. 2). Ward uses the term "socialization" in a more restricted sense: "Socialization is conscious, intentional, wished for, and welcomed telic action, not of the individual as such, but of those individuals into whose hands society, by whatever means, intrusts the conduct of its affairs" (op. cit., p. 547). With this tentative definition of socialization, we proceed to a statement of the propositions to be maintained in defense of the thesis: 1. Socialization is an indispensable condition to mechanical invention and scientific discovery upon which material civilization depends. In this way the evolution of human wants is as much a factor in social evolution as the evolution of the technique of the control of nature. 2. Socialization is not static, nor absolute, but dynamic and functional with reference to the promotion of the group activities. The psychic interactions of persons in the group give rise to mental attitudes which determine the direction and rate of social progress. 3. The socialization of the individual is not complete with the education of the intellect, but involves the refinement of the feelings and the discipline of the will in the achievement of self-control so that the individual consciously modifies his behavior and shapes his purposes to promote more efficient co-operative activity and to realize the higher welfare of the group. |