Political Culture & Socialization

Political Culture• Public’s ____________________toward & their ______________

within the political system– Supportive public facilitates a development of a new political system– Lack of support erodes foundation of the political system

• Three levels of political culture– ____________________Level – how people view the values &

organizations of the political system• National pride, national identity, and legitimacy of government• Feelings of legitimacy are foundational for successful systems

– ____________________Level – expectations of how politics should function & individuals’ relationship to the political process• Principles of government, role of citizens, perceptions of political rights• Participants are involved in the political process• Subjects passively obey government officials & the law• Parochials are hardly aware of government & politics (illiterate, rural, etc.)

– ____________________Level – public’s policy expectations of the government• Role of government, government policy priorities

Two types of political culture

• ____________________Political Culture– Citizens agree on appropriate means of making

decisions– Agree on major problems in society– Agree on how to solve problems

• ____________________Political Culture– Citizens are sharply divided on both legitimacy of

the regime & solutions to major problems– Political subcultures – citizens may have sharply

different views on at least some political matters– Issues: boundaries, nature of regime, correct

ideology, etc.

Why culture matters

• Encapsulates the history, traditions, and values of society

• Understanding political culture understanding how people in a nation think & act politically

• ____________________– cultural pattern is related to type of political process people expect & support– Support for a democratic system is higher in societies

with a participatory political culture– Authoritarian states more likely to endure with many

parochials– More democracy = more emphasis on self-expression

Political socialization• How individuals form political attitudes & political culture• Continues throughout entire lifetime• Agents of socialization:

– ____________________– ____________________– ____________________– ____________________– ____________________

• Direct & Indirect Socialization– ____________________involves explicit communication of information,

values, or feelings towards politics– ____________________occurs when political views are molded by

experiences

• Can be unifying or divisive– ____________________– brings people within a country together

• Public education

– ____________________– causes splits within society; example subcultures• International conflict, death of popular public figure

Family• Primary agent of socialization• Children acquire basic political values & behavior

patterns by adolescence from their families• Transfer of political beliefs from one generation

to the next• Participation in family decision-making increases

child’s sense of ____________________• Increase in single-parent families and women in

the workforce influences children’s political socialization

• Beliefs are not same as ____________________– People used to normally take same political party as

parents– Changing now

religion

• Also linked to ____________________• Carriers of ____________________, which have

political implications• Religious differences make for political

differences– More complicated than at first glance– Usually on social issues: abortion, gay marriage,

LGBT rights, war

• Opinions vary within given religious institutions• ____________________religious communities tend

to support political activity too

Schools• Affect political skills & resources of the public• Primary schools teach basics of ____________________

– Responsibilities of citizens– Expectations about government

• Designed to ____________________affection for the government / system– Pledge of allegiance & the flag– Encourage emotional attachments to the system

• Some systems send different messages to different groups of people– Example: some Muslim nations segregate boys and girls within the

school system, creating different experiences and expectations, & different content of instruction

• College courses introduce students to more ________________ ideas

Peers & Community

• Playgroups, friendship cliques, school & college fraternities, small work groups, etc.

• Motivate or pressure members to conform to ____________________ & ____________________accepted by the group– May attend political demonstrations because your friends do– Ostracized for not voting

• Teenagers: peer pressure isn’t as strong in developing political values– Unless it directly involves you (war draft, minimum wage, etc.)

• Later on, peers are often in same ____________________, so you share similar opinions– Teachers or doctors have similar political opinions on matters

related to careers

Mass media

• TV shows, news reports, magazines, celebrities, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, Instagram accounts – they all shape your political opinion!

• Provide information about relevant issues: drugs, abortion, crime, war, etc.– All have some ____________________– Leads to political discussion– You shape opinions based on information & how it is presented – Sometimes shaped by who shares the same ideas

• You are biased too based on your interpretation of information– ____________________– read or watch sources that reinforce your

own views– ____________________– miss or ignore contradictions to your views

Other socializing factors

• ____________________– life experiences and social divisions are often politically relevant

• ____________________– shape political attitudes (economic groups, professional associations, etc.)

• ____________________– attempt to mold issue preferences, get the apathetic involved, & find issues to mobilize support

• ________________________________________– good or bad experience shapes political beliefs and attitudes

Discussion Topic

How has each agent of socialization affected your political beliefs?