Final answer:
Agents of socialization, such as family, school, peer groups, and mass media, play a key role in shaping our social behaviors and norms from childhood. Family is the first and most influential agent, with schools and peer groups following in importance. option c.
Step-by-step explanation:
We are exposed to many agents of socialization throughout our lifetime. According to the text, the most pervasive ones in childhood include the family, the school, peer groups, and the mass media. The earliest agent of socialization is typically the family, which begins influencing children from birth. Families, along with schools, not only teach children about the tangible aspects of culture, such as objects and their uses, but also about behavioral expectations. Other significant agents include peer groups, which become particularly influential during adolescent years, and mass media, which reinforces norms and expectations.
Furthermore, gender socialization is significantly shaped by these agents, especially through family, education, peer groups, and mass media, all of which create and maintain normative expectations for gender-specific behavior. Institutions such as religion and the workplace serve as secondary agents in this regard.