Peer groups have become a significant agent of socialization in modern times. Children who attend day care, school and after school activities tend to spend a lot of time with their peers. These groups are an important part of socialization because children learn gender socialization through interacting with one another. For example, "children develop a strong preference for playing with members of their own sex – girls with girls and boys with boys." (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2013, P.415). Peer groups also influence gender socialization through communicating bodily changes with each other. Through this process the peer group becomes the new reference group. If the popular kids begin developing physically, the other children will desire the same thing. Peer groups are not only important during early development, but also play a role in adulthood.
In early adulthood we reach one of life's milestones, which is attending college. Becoming a college student means becoming a part of a new social group. "Socialization entails learning to be a member of a group" (Sternheimer, 2011, P.1). The process of socialization comes into place here because we must learn how to behave accordingly in a new group. We must learn the rules, norms and schedules that come with college. Students must learn how to address a professor, understand a syllabus, and study in order to pass a class. A student must learn to adapt to a hectic schedule, based on school work, which is a common norm in college. .
The process of socialization also occurs in college due to our peers. "Informal groups of people of similar ages, at work and in other situations, are usually of enduring importance in shaping individuals' attitudes and behavior" (Giddens, et al and others, P.69). Students in our classes may have an effect on how we perform in class. We may observe a student slacking off or cheating and decide to imitate those behaviors, or we may choose to study and work hard as we observe another student doing.