Importance of Socialization: Analyzing the Skin Film and Conflict

This discussion board post examines the concept of socialization as presented in the film "Skin." The essay explores how the different forms of socialization experienced by the boy and the girl in the film contribute to the central conflict. The boy's social isolation, stemming from his environment and lack of interaction, is contrasted with the girl's more conventional socialization through school and friendships. The essay argues that the boy's lack of social skills, a direct result of his isolation, leads to a misunderstanding of social cues and actions, ultimately causing the girl to reject him. The analysis emphasizes that no single type of socialization is inherently superior, but social isolation can be detrimental, highlighting the importance of balance and diverse social interactions for healthy individual development and behavior. The essay also references the course content on socialization to support its arguments.

Running head: IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION
Socialization is a continuous process of social interaction with the help of which an
individual can acquire identity and skills that are physical, social as well as mental that is
crucial for their survival in the society (Hopper & Weinberg, 2018). The essay aims to
discuss various types of socialization that affect the behaviour of the individuals in the movie
“Skin.”
The behaviour of an individual is directly proportional to the behaviour of the people
that surrounds him/her. It depends on how biological factors affect forms of social behaviour
such as envy, cooperation, violence, and others. This is reflected in the character of the boy in
the movie “Skin.” His father is a butcher so all his life he has seen violence and bloodshed.
He has no one to interact with except animals. He craves love and affection that he never
gets. As he was isolated, he used to go and sit outside the school so that he and others could
socialize with him (Spiro, 2015). The girl, on the other hand, is well socialized. She goes to
school and even has a sister to interact with. Apart from that, she has a pet with whom she is
attached. She is well aware of her identity as an individual. Circumstances give a chance for
the boy to socialize when the girl comes and offers her friendship to him after losing her dog.
The boy is overwhelmed to find a friend as this is the first time that someone has approached
him. Since he is not aware of the essentials of socializing he, to make the girl happy, takes
out her dog from the grave and rips its skin and joins it to another toy dog to make the girl
happy. This action shows how detrimental social isolation can be for a person. The girl after
seeing the cruelty misunderstands the motives of the boy and breaks all ties with him and he
is again left alone (Spiro, 2015). He is even scared to sit outside the school lest he should
aggravate her anger. The central conflict in the movie, therefore, is that of social isolation.
None of the socialization is superior or inferior. All types of socialization should be
encouraged as it helps the individual to shape their ideas and be in the best of their behaviour.
If anyone kind of socialization is encouraged then that would mean demeaning the other

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IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION
forms of interactions. However, social isolation should be avoided as it harms the individual.
People should know how to balance the different kinds of socialization and act accordingly.

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IMPORTANCE OF SOCIALIZATION
References
Hopper, E., & Weinberg, H. (Eds.). (2018). The social unconscious in persons, groups and
societies: Mainly theory. Routledge.
Spiro, J. (2015). SKIN. Retrieved 1 February 2020, from https://vimeo.com/84284164