[Tom Bombadil]

have you ever read The Lord of the Flies?

The one I always use is "what socialization? The kind that occurs on the playground, or the kind that occurs on the schoolbus"? ....you can see the light click on if they are really interested and listening because..... you are right, it is 'Lord of the Flies" in both cases.

[FourPeas]

The kind that occurs on the playground, or the kind that occurs on the schoolbus

A family member actually thinks this type of socialization is good. Afterall, it's reality.

[Ironword]

Interestingly, the word "socialization" is never defined by public-school educrats -- it's one of those empty-vessel words that the public-at-large fills with various, "convenient" or "apparent" definitions (i.e., general social skills, manners). However, the term is properly / professionally defined as "introduction of youth to consumer culture and maintenance of adults within consumer culture" (cf., Macmillan Encyclopedia of Communication and Information).

And that's the nature of the game in the public schools, but also in many high-end (i.e., expensive) private schools. And thus, curricula also become a mirror or reflection of the pop culture of the day, at the cost of academics.