New directions in socialization research

Discusses substantive and methodological issues deriving from a new consciousness brought about in part by the feminist movement. The 1st issue concerns the reproduction of gender-related insufficiencies by the organizational asymmetry of family structure, whereby children of both sexes are predominantly mother reared. The 2nd issue concerns current challenges to the traditional, logical positivist paradigm in socialization research by a paradigm more congruent with a concrete, historical, and relational mode of cognition. Before these new directions are explored, the present state of socialization research is discussed, followed by an overview of secular trends affecting the family. (42 ref)