Sagging and Socialization

“Sagging” is a modern phenomenon in which adolescents choose to buy and wear their pants several sizes too big. The wrong size causes pants to fall, or “sag”, below the waist and hips. So the wearer must continually pull their pants up, and even simple activities such as walking become increasingly difficult. While this lifestyle has taken root in many homes, African American adolescents have been the main targets. The idea that African Americans are the majority affected can be attributed to the idea of socialization in their communities.

Socialization is the process by which individuals internalize the values beliefs and norms of a given society and learn to function as a member of that society. Simply put, teens that choose to sag are doing something that has been deemed socially acceptable in their communities.

This idea of social acceptance of values and lifestyles starts at birth. At home, kids are exposed to older family members and family friends. Older siblings are typically the first people children are exposed to, and at home they want to imitate actions and attitudes because these family members are their role models. It is essentially a domino effect; younger kids look up to older kids because they believe the older kids are cool and right. They are being acclimated to this lifestyle and this way of dress from the day they come home from the hospital.

It all has to start somewhere, though. Older kids did not inherit their style from their parents. In class we talked about the media having an impact on the way kids dress and act. That is so true. Kids choose role models based on people they feel a connection with; someone who they feel comes from the same kind of socioeconomic background, or schooling, or even lack of schooling as they did. The areas kids focus their time on and find role models from are fame and celebrities. No matter what genre these musical celebrities stick too, or what type of movies and television shows these famous young stars perform in, if adolescents truly feel a connection, they are going to idolize them. Because kids look up to these celebrities, the same effect happening in the home is taking place. But instead of these kids wanting to act like older brothers and sisters, they are wanting to act like their idols; the chosen celebrities. What better way to try to be like someone than dressing like them?

The sagging phenomenon is a domino affect. Older kids are being inspired by this younger generation of people in the spotlight and imitate the way they dress, and in turn, these older kids, are inspiring even newer and younger generations of style. The whole idea circles back to socialization. Because kids are exposed to sagging at a young age, they are taught that it is an accepted way of life. Sagging is a norm in their society. It is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just their way of life as opposed to someone else’s way of life.