Where is the child's environment? A group socialization theory of development.
1995/07/01 by Judith Rich Harris · 1,816 citations
Psychology · #Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression #Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development #Child development #Childhood development #Cultural Differences and Values #Developmental psychology #Group (periodic table) #Group behavior #Group development #Psychology #Social psychology #Socialization
paper · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.102.3.458
published in Psychological Review 102(3), 458-489 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 1995/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Abstract
Do parents have any important long-term effects on the development of their child's personality? This article examines the evidence and concludes that the answer is no. A new theory of development is proposed: that socialization is context-specific and that outside-the-home socialization takes place in the peer groups of childhood and adolescence. Intraand intergroup processes, not dyadic relationships, are responsible for the transmission of culture and for environmental modification of children's personality characteristics. The universality of children's groups explains why development is not derailed by the wide variations in parental behavior found within and between societies.
Citations
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