George Mead wrote about the socialization process and upon reflection of my time living in England, I can definitely see how the process applied/applies to me. Its a shame that I didn't know about this earlier as I could have anticipated the issues that I would have encountered.
The first stage is the play stage. At this stage children get to know themselves by how others view them. This is done through role playing with their playmates. (Ritzer 2013)This stage I would identify in my transition as the time that I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall and was still in the United States Air Force. I say this was the play stage because while I was living here, I was not really living here. I had the comforts of my work, the social structures that I knew and my little America as my safeguard. I would 'play' being a local by going to the local shops, taking part in voluntary work and other things that I thought locals did. This was different than the next stage because it was not a constant, it was only on the weekends and in the evenings because I was on base with other Americans doing the same job as I did in Korea and the US.
The game stage is when the child has to play many roles and it is more organized than seen in the play stage. It is for a longer period of time but the person has to be aware of other roles outside of his own. (Ritzer 2013) The game stage began for me on July 7, 2009, when I had to apply for my visa, start paying my rent and council tax and look for employment. I no longer had the safety net of the base, I was out on my own (except for my husband) doing what everyone else did and this time, it was all of the time. Its kind of the time where I did not really feel Ike I belonged here or in the military but no where.
The last stage is the generalized other. This is when the person becomes part of the community and they can view themselves from the point of view of the community. This is when the person is the result of the social relations around them. This is also when they start trying to uphold their end of the bargain to prevent any delays on their behalf. (Ritzer 2013) Now more than ever have I actually felt that I have moved to this point in my transition here. I understand most of the rules now so I am able to abide by them. I feel a part of the community I am in, more so than my association with the military. I have passed that time where I miss the military because I feel integrated in the local community bar my accent, I try to acclimate myself and it is true that once you get to this stage, you do feel more of yourself. I would say that I finally feel settled.
Ritzer, G. (2013). Classical Sociological Theory, (6th ed). Boston: McGraw Hill.
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