POLS 101 MODULE 4.2: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

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1 POLS 101 MODULE 4.2: POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION Prof. Bryan McQuide University of Idaho Connecting the Concepts We ve learned about political ideologies our previous module where do these come from? How do we develop our political beliefs, attitudes and values? Let s find out! What is political socialization? Political socialization is the process in which we develop our political opinions, beliefs and values. This is a lifelong process which begins in childhood and continues through adulthood. Political scientists have identified various sources of these beliefs we develop we call them agents of socialization 1

2 vfamily vschool vreligion vpeers (or social groups) vmedia vpolitical Events vpolitical Leaders Family: this is the most important source of our political beliefs. Children accept their parents values and attitudes and tend to take on the party identification of their parents. Studies have found that many adults have the same party ID as that of their parents Habits from Home, Lessons from School Article Discussion What did the authors find in their study? If talking about politics is forbidden in the home, then children tend to grow up less likely to engage in political discussions If parents actively talk about politics and voting at home with their children, their children are more likely to grow up following politics and taking part in voting and other political activities If schools hold political debates in class and hold mock elections for high school students, then those students are more likely to be active participants in politics as they get older Religious organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.) can also play a positive role in mobilizing young people to become active and vote (however this must be nonpartisan!!! They can lose their tax-exempt status if they steer members in a partisan direction) How might we use these findings to improve political participation rates? 2

3 Application How much did your family talk about politics? Do you have the same party ID as both of your parents? Did your parents encourage you to become an active citizen? How? Did your parents talk about politics at home? Did your parents take you with them when they went to vote? School: next to family, schools are one of the most powerful agents of political socialization. The goal of schools in is to develop loyal and productive citizens, preparing children for citizenship. EX: reciting the Pledge of Allegiance Singing patriotic songs Every political system engages in some forms of indoctrination using schools, even democracies. Religion: Increasingly important, but related to family Many Americans views are shaped by their religious affiliation, esp. on moral issues Impact of religious vote in 2004 may have been significant due to moral values referendums gay marriage ban referendums 3

4 Peers: As children get older, their peers become influential socialization agents. As humans, we are social animals so we are highly influenced by others. From adolescence on, this is a lifelong agent. If discussing politics with our friends is cool, then we are more likely to engage in political discussions. Or, if being liberal is not accepted in our social circle, we are more likely to be influenced to change if we choose to remain in that group. Media: has become a powerful agents of political socialization. Can have cross-cutting effects with peers. Americans watch an average of 52 hours of TV per week! Most Americans get their news from TV than any other source. Could media coverage be shaping our views? Problem of selective exposure we watch the shows, read the articles and especially blogs that fit our preconceived views! (recent 2009 Ohio state University study findings) What about you do you try to read articles from both sides or just the articles that fit your ideological views? Where Americans Get Their News '60 '64 '68 '72 '76 '80 '84 '88 '92 TV Newspap Radio Magazine People source: Vital Statistics 4

5 Application Do you discuss politics with your friends? What if you happen to be the only one in your group of friends believes something politically? Do you conform or continue to be the minority voice? More Agents of Socialization Political Events: these have limited impact in most cases. Many events have symbolic effects that contribute to increased patriotism Major political events may have a strong socialization impact on an entire generation s views. EX: Great Depression generation (these voters tend to vote on economic issues) EX: WWII generation (these voters are most concerned with security, defense issues) EX: 1960 s generation (suspicious of government) EX: 9/11 generation (???) EX: 2007-? Economic Crisis (???) Recap What is political efficacy and why is it important? What is the gender gap? What is public opinion? What influences it? Why is public opinion important in a democracy? What is political ideology? What is the difference between liberal and conservative ideologies? Be able to identify libertarian, populist, liberal and conservative ideologies. What is political socialization and why is this concept so important in political science? (why do we care about this?) What are the 5 major agents of political socialization we discussed? 5