Anticipatory socialization is when individuals prepare for new social situations by seeking information or practicing appropriate behaviors. It is often used to gauge compatibility and adjust to new situations, such as in professional life or meeting new people. Mental rehearsal and preventive behavior changes may be involved.
Anticipated socialization is a phenomenon studied in sociology in which individuals seek information or practice behaviors appropriate to the social groups or organizations they intend to join. An individual researching and mentally rehearsing the working conditions of a new job, for example, engages in advance socialization. It is not uncommon for people to do this whenever they expect to be in a new social situation as well. In some cases, it simply involves mental rehearsal and planning how best to handle the new situation. In other cases, it actually involves a preventive change in behavior in order to develop and practice social attitudes appropriate to the new situation.
People sometimes use anticipatory socialization as a tool to gauge whether or not they will be suited to a new social situation. A couple may choose to live together before marriage, for example, to see if their compatibility extends into day-to-day home life. If one is unable to adjust their social behavior or lifestyle to the new behavior, they may choose to avoid entering the new situation altogether. On the other hand, anticipatory socialization can allow individuals to adjust to new social situations that would make them extremely uncomfortable without such preparation.
Advance socialization is often studied in relation to preparing for new jobs and seeking advancement in professional life. A college student, for example, often engages in this type of socializing as he moves from the often informal life of a student to a new professional existence. This could involve dressing or acting highly professional even before finding employment. Additionally, some employees looking for better jobs choose to dress and act as if they already hold those positions. This serves both to prepare them for high positions and to communicate to others that they are socially and professionally compatible with their desired jobs.
It is not uncommon for people to engage in early socialization in their daily social existence. Meeting one’s close friends may not require much thought or testing, but the anticipation of meeting new people often results in this type of socializing. You may, for example, try out conversational topics and behaviors before meeting your spouse’s parents or other people far from your normal social group. In many of these cases, the mental rehearsal isn’t even strictly intentional. Rather, it arises out of fears and concerns about future interaction and serves to prepare for the various uncertainties of current social interaction.
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