political culture & socialization. political culture public’s ____________________ toward...
TRANSCRIPT
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?