In today’s society, almost everyone has a set of political opinions or principles. Still, most individuals never stop considering why they hold these beliefs or how they came to have them. Even now, it is essential to consider whether those are the peoples’ original thoughts or whether others influenced them. Political beliefs are generally acquired through a process known as political socialization rather than being innately present in people or created by them. Political socialization is how people learn facts, hold opinions, and develop the attitudes and values necessary to comprehend political systems’ operations. It is essential to look at the background of political socialization, evaluate its importance in modern society, and identify the factors that impact the process while assessing their relative importance.
Political socialization refers to the process through which people acquire and commonly absorb a political worldview that frames their perceptions of how power is distributed and how the world is structured. The idea of political socialization can be found in Plato’s philosophical writings, such as The Republic, where he explores ways to shape a person’s character so they might contribute to a perfect society (Greenberg 4). Later theories by philosophers of the Enlightenment era, such as John Locke, supported the notion that there are no inborn ideas in the human mind, that people are not born with political views, and that all ideas come from experience—for instance, one learns their political beliefs through political socialization (Toksöz 55). However, the study of political socialization is a recent one. In the 1950s, sociologists, psychologists, educators, and political scientists became interested in the topic, and research on it peaked in the 1960s and 1970s (Dekker et al. 8). Even if there is still a lingering interest in the case, some critics are beginning to write it off.
Numerous elements either directly or indirectly affect political attitudes. Family determines a child’s political views (Greenberg 5). The family environment, where the person is a natural member from birth, is where they acquire their first taste of social interaction. The family setting for the child who has met the family, especially up until the school period, is the source of fundamental values, attitudes, norms, and belief systems, and the available information source of decision is limitless. Due to this, the family has sociopolitical relevance as a factor in both behavior and the selection process.
Second, educational institutions play a significant role in political socialization. Education can be a tool for social change and is a crucial component of national development that aids national reconciliation. Its nature is open, secular, and universalist. Youth may not be able to take on their obligations shortly if they are not given the proper training in social and political dynamics, group learning, and living. In order to socialize the kids with politics, the school and the teachers are crucial.
Third, peer groups, families, and schools are crucial in helping young people learn political beliefs. When a political issue directly impacts young people, peer groups’ influence on political socialization is more pronounced. The problem of the Vietnam War in the 1960s serves as an appropriate illustration of this, according to Dekker et al. (7). Since being forced to fight in the war, claiming many lives, young people were at the forefront of the anti-war movement. However, it is generally acknowledged that young peer groups have more influence on lifestyle and attire than politics (Greenberg 5). Finally, the mass media’s impact on political socialization has grown significantly in the past few decades. The effect of the media on people’s political beliefs was not regarded as very relevant in early political socialization research from the 1960s, which was the conventional wisdom until recently (Dekker et al. 8). It is now well known that the mass media, particularly the electronic media, in other words, television, significantly influences how the country’s young and old population perceives politics.
In conclusion, political socialization is the process by which a political culture’s ideals, ideas, and sentiments are transmitted to future generations. In terms of timing and significance for shaping the outcome, the family comes first among these. The family is the most organic and informal institution there is. It serves as one’s first environment and has a significant forming influence on them. While providing its members with a natural and comfortable refuge within the means at hand, it also makes it quite simple for them to become acquainted with the more expansive facets of social life.
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Political socialization is the process through which people come to hold the political attitudes and values they do. The family is typically seen as having the most significant impact on a person’s political and general socialization. Families significantly impact how people regard religion, labor, and education. Institutions and socialization agents collaborate to influence and mold people’s political and economic norms and values. In addition to families, the media, peers, schools, churches, workplaces, and judicial systems are examples of such institutions. Political socialization is cumulative and is most substantial during childhood when it establishes the boundaries for what the government can do. The process is essential because a society’s political culture, which sets the parameters for political activity and governmental action, is founded on the opinions and values of its people. Regardless of how one feels about the process, few can deny the significance of forming political views that influence the direction of political and governmental action in a community.
Works Cited
Dekker, Henk, et al. “Political Socialization Theory, Research, and Application. History and Analysis of Forty Years of the Research Committee on Political Socialization and Education of the International Political Science Association: 1997-2019.” PCS–Politics, Culture, and Socialization, vol. 8, 2020, pp. 7–8. Web.
Greenberg, Edward. Political socialization. Routledge, 2017.
Toksöz, Savaş. “The Role of Agents of Political Socialization in the Use of Social Media.” Revista de Cercetare şi Intervenţie Socială, no. 74, 2021, pp. 48-74. Web.