Political Socialization Political Socialization and Learningand Learning

April 8, 2011April 8, 2011

ObjectivesObjectivesBy the end of this meeting, you should By the end of this meeting, you should

be able to:be able to:

a)a) Describe the stages of political Describe the stages of political socialization.socialization.

b)b) Explain how agents of socialization Explain how agents of socialization are influential on individualsare influential on individuals’’ political political outlook.outlook.

c)c) Distinguish life cycle, period effects, Distinguish life cycle, period effects, and generation effects on political and generation effects on political attitudesattitudes

What is Political Socialization?What is Political Socialization?a)a) There are two general ways to look at There are two general ways to look at

political socialization:political socialization:• The process by which people learn the The process by which people learn the

attitudes, values, and behavior to fit into attitudes, values, and behavior to fit into political lifepolitical life

• The process of political learningThe process of political learning

Describe an Describe an experience that experience that influenced your influenced your

outlook on outlook on politics.politics.

Childhood SocializationChildhood SocializationPre-School SocializationPre-School Socialization

a)a) Before children go to school, they tend to Before children go to school, they tend to have only have the haziest of ideas about have only have the haziest of ideas about governmentgovernment

b)b) Most pre-school children are only able to Most pre-school children are only able to identify the president and policemen as identify the president and policemen as authority figures and they are more likely to authority figures and they are more likely to view the latter as more benevolentview the latter as more benevolent

c)c) Most pre-school children are able to identify Most pre-school children are able to identify the US flag so there is some identification the US flag so there is some identification with their country, if not necessarily with its with their country, if not necessarily with its governmentgovernment

Childhood SocializationChildhood SocializationEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood

a)a) Children begin to notice government Children begin to notice government quickly after they enter school but quickly after they enter school but the ideas tend to be very general and the ideas tend to be very general and positivepositive

b)b) Children tend to view the president in Children tend to view the president in the same vein as the benevolent the same vein as the benevolent policemen. His power is undefined policemen. His power is undefined but is generally a positive and kind but is generally a positive and kind figurefigure

Childhood SocializationChildhood SocializationLate ChildhoodLate Childhooda)a) By 10 or 11, children start to develop more By 10 or 11, children start to develop more

advanced attitudes towards governmentadvanced attitudes towards governmentb)b) A division begins to develop between and A division begins to develop between and

elected officials and their positionselected officials and their positionsc)c) A general adult sense of citizenship begins A general adult sense of citizenship begins

to develop. No longer is being a citizen to develop. No longer is being a citizen confined to not breaking the law and being confined to not breaking the law and being nice but more advanced concepts like nice but more advanced concepts like voting and being politically involvedvoting and being politically involved

d)d) Overall, in this period, children tend to be Overall, in this period, children tend to be largely uncritical of governmentlargely uncritical of government

Young Adult SocializationYoung Adult SocializationAdolescenceAdolescencea)a) During this period, people begin to During this period, people begin to

develop more adult attitudes towards develop more adult attitudes towards government government

b)b) Children begin to understand the Children begin to understand the division between the individual and division between the individual and societysociety

c)c) Nascent party identification and Nascent party identification and ideology begin to developideology begin to develop

d)d) One description of this period is as One description of this period is as one of one of ““de-idolizationde-idolization””

Childhood Socialization to Childhood Socialization to CitizenshipCitizenship

a)a) One question that political scientists ask: To what One question that political scientists ask: To what extent does the way in which people are socialized extent does the way in which people are socialized have an effect on their adult behavior?have an effect on their adult behavior?

b)b) African Americans, Mexican Americans and some poor African Americans, Mexican Americans and some poor rural whites have more negative attitudes towards rural whites have more negative attitudes towards government.government.

c)c) Political events clearly impact the process of Political events clearly impact the process of socializationsocialization• Dramatic national events (9/11, Watergate, etc.) Dramatic national events (9/11, Watergate, etc.)

can affect young peoplecan affect young people’’s attitudes immediately.s attitudes immediately.• Elections, particularly those that are more Elections, particularly those that are more

influential, seem to increase partisan attitudes influential, seem to increase partisan attitudes among adolescents.among adolescents.

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationFamilyFamilya)a) Politically active parents and Politically active parents and

especially those that discuss politics especially those that discuss politics with their children are more likely to with their children are more likely to have children that politically involvedhave children that politically involved

b)b) There is generally a view that parents There is generally a view that parents and children have similar attitudes and children have similar attitudes towards issuetowards issue• There are clearly generational issuesThere are clearly generational issues• Children tend to over report the level of Children tend to over report the level of

issue similarityissue similarity

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationFamily (cont.)Family (cont.)

c)c) The thing that is most likely to be The thing that is most likely to be transferred from parents to children is transferred from parents to children is partisanship although there does partisanship although there does seem to be some decline of this seem to be some decline of this relationship over timerelationship over time

d)d) Generally when children do not absorb Generally when children do not absorb their parentstheir parents’’ partisanship they are partisanship they are more likely to move to independent more likely to move to independent rather than the opposing partyrather than the opposing party

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationThe processThe process

a)a) Communication- children may be more Communication- children may be more likely to absorb parentslikely to absorb parents’’ partisanship partisanship because the parents are likely to most because the parents are likely to most clearly communicate that identification clearly communicate that identification with their children. When issue stances with their children. When issue stances are clear, children seem to pick them are clear, children seem to pick them up as readily as partisanship. The up as readily as partisanship. The problem is those signals are rarely as problem is those signals are rarely as clear as partisanship.clear as partisanship.

Agents of SocializationAgents of Socializationb)b) Rational Adaptation- As children reach Rational Adaptation- As children reach

adulthood it is rational for them to adulthood it is rational for them to mimic the partisanship and attitudes of mimic the partisanship and attitudes of more experienced people of similar more experienced people of similar backgrounds. Parents are an obvious backgrounds. Parents are an obvious choicechoice

c)c) Genetics- Studies of identical and Genetics- Studies of identical and fraternal twins suggest that parts of fraternal twins suggest that parts of our genes may make a person our genes may make a person predisposed to have certain attitudes predisposed to have certain attitudes on some issueson some issues

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationSpouseSpousea)a) There is some research that suggests There is some research that suggests

that marriage has a socialization that marriage has a socialization effect. One major panel study found effect. One major panel study found that over time spouses became more that over time spouses became more like each other in terms of like each other in terms of partisanship and issue attitudespartisanship and issue attitudes

b)b) It seems like generally there is more It seems like generally there is more movement of wives towards their movement of wives towards their husbandhusband’’s positions than vice versas positions than vice versa

c)c) Divorce issueDivorce issue

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationPeer GroupPeer Group

a)a) There is conflicting evidence about There is conflicting evidence about the importance of peer groups in the the importance of peer groups in the development of partisanship and development of partisanship and issue attitudesissue attitudes

b)b) The consensus is that whatever The consensus is that whatever influence peer groups have it is influence peer groups have it is generally less than that of parentsgenerally less than that of parents

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationPrimary and Secondary SchoolPrimary and Secondary Schoola)a) Internationally most governments Internationally most governments

require some political education in require some political education in schoolschool• Inset 2-1: What did you find interesting?Inset 2-1: What did you find interesting?

b)b) There is disagreement about how There is disagreement about how effective civic education is at imparting effective civic education is at imparting political values political values

c)c) In the US, it does seem that early In the US, it does seem that early education does tend to reinforce education does tend to reinforce attitudes of patriotism and obedience to attitudes of patriotism and obedience to authorityauthority

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationPrimary and Secondary School (cont.)Primary and Secondary School (cont.)

d)d) Despite political education in school, Despite political education in school, adolescents tend to be very poorly adolescents tend to be very poorly informed about political affairsinformed about political affairs

e)e) One thing that does have a strong One thing that does have a strong effect on political activity later in life is effect on political activity later in life is extracurricular and community extracurricular and community activities. Those who are more activities. Those who are more involved in high school are much more involved in high school are much more likely to be active politically as adults likely to be active politically as adults

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationHigher EducationHigher Education

a)a) The general finding is that young The general finding is that young people that go to college are more people that go to college are more likely identify themselves as liberals likely identify themselves as liberals and express liberal attitudesand express liberal attitudes

b)b) That fact is attributed to three broad That fact is attributed to three broad ideas:ideas:• Increased awareness of multiple viewsIncreased awareness of multiple views• ‘‘EnlightenmentEnlightenment’’• Ideological indoctrinationIdeological indoctrination

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationHigher Education (cont.)Higher Education (cont.)

c)c) The effect of college does appear to The effect of college does appear to cycle over time. Students in the 1980s cycle over time. Students in the 1980s and the 1990s were more conservative and the 1990s were more conservative than students in the 1960s and 1970s.than students in the 1960s and 1970s.

d)d) What is clear is that college appears to What is clear is that college appears to have an effect on attitudes. Young have an effect on attitudes. Young people with a college education have people with a college education have more liberal attitudes than those of the more liberal attitudes than those of the same age without a college educationsame age without a college education

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationAdult SocializationAdult Socialization

a)a) Socialization does not stop when a person Socialization does not stop when a person reaches adulthood, however attitudes tend reaches adulthood, however attitudes tend to be relatively stable by the mid 30s to be relatively stable by the mid 30s

b)b) Generation effects- collective effects that Generation effects- collective effects that occur during the period when a cohort occur during the period when a cohort reaches adulthoodreaches adulthood

c)c) Life style effects- changes that occur due to Life style effects- changes that occur due to changes in age (i. e. conservatism and age)changes in age (i. e. conservatism and age)

d)d) Period effects- time dependent changes (i. Period effects- time dependent changes (i. e. Great Depression, Vietnam War, etc.)e. Great Depression, Vietnam War, etc.)

Agents of SocializationAgents of SocializationAdult Socialization (cont. )Adult Socialization (cont. )

e)e) Since a partisanship and attitudes Since a partisanship and attitudes tend to become stable (not tend to become stable (not unchanging) in early adulthood, there unchanging) in early adulthood, there can be major cohort differences in can be major cohort differences in partisanshippartisanship

f)f) What effect do you think that the two What effect do you think that the two current wars and the Obama current wars and the Obama presidency will have on partisanship presidency will have on partisanship and attitudes?and attitudes?

For Next TimeFor Next Timea)a) Read Clawson & Oxley, chapter 3.Read Clawson & Oxley, chapter 3.

b)b) Why might BBC news be better set-Why might BBC news be better set-up to serve a democracy than up to serve a democracy than American news? Why might it be a American news? Why might it be a worse model? (see pp. 61-62) worse model? (see pp. 61-62)

c)c) Name an advantage and a Name an advantage and a disadvantage of the concentration of disadvantage of the concentration of local news into a few large local news into a few large companies. (see pp. 65-68)companies. (see pp. 65-68)