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Political socialization and the role of media
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UNIT 1
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND THE ROLE OF MEDIA
BBEFORE YOU READ
Thinking about the topic
1. Answer the following questions.
1. How do people develop an understanding of their political culture?
2. What is political socialization, and why is it important?
3. What constitutes a political generation?
4. How do people get politically socialized?
5. What contributes to people’s political engagement?
6. What is the role of the media in political socialization?
7. How do modern media sources influence people’s political behavior?
8. To what extent are people dependent on media sources, developing their political beliefs?
9. What is the capacity of media outlets to socialize people to politics?
10. What is the level of people’s political engagement in your country?
2. Look at the following list of agents of socialization and tick those, which you consider the most important and explain your choice.
· Family
· Friends/peers/coworkers
· Education institutions
· TV and newspapers
· The Internet and social media
3. Define the following terms.
· Political self
· Political culture
· Political behavior
4. Comment on the following statements.
1. “People are sheep. TV is the shepherd. ” Jess C. Scott, Literary Heroin (Gluttony): A Twilight Parody.
2. The media presents an essential link between the nation and the government.
3. Media are powerful sources of indoctrination.
4. Media reinforces values instilled by other socialization agents.
READING I
Read the following text and answer the questions after it .
WHAT IS POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION?
1. People are inducted into the political culture of their nation through the political socialization process. Most often older members of society teach younger members the rules and norms of political life. However, young people can and do actively promote their own political learning, and they can influence adults’ political behavior as well.
2. Political scientists Gabriel Almond and James Coleman once observed that we “do not inherit our political behavior, attitudes, values, and knowledge through our genes. ” Instead, we come to understand our role and to “fit in” to our political culture through the political learning process. Political learning is a broad concept that encompasses both the active and passive and the formal and informal ways in which people mature politically. Individuals develop a political self, a sense of personal identification with the political world. Developing a political self begins when children start to feel that they are part of a political community. They acquire the knowledge, beliefs, and values that help them comprehend government and politics.
3. Political socialization is a particular type of political learning whereby people develop the attitudes, values, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors that are conducive to becoming good citizens in their country. Socialization is largely a one-way process through which young people gain an understanding of the political world through their interaction with adults and the media. Who (subjects) → learns what (political values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors) → from whom (agents) → under what circumstances → with what effects. Agents of socialization, which include parents, teachers, and the mass media, convey orientations to subjects, who are mostly passive. For example, parents who take an active role in politics and vote in every election often influence their children to do the same. Young people who see television coverage of their peers volunteering in the community may take cues from these depictions and engage in community service themselves. The circumstances under which political socialization can take place are almost limitless. Young people can be socialized to politics through dinner conversations with family members, watching television and movies, participating in a Facebook group, or texting with friends. The effects of these experiences are highly variable, as people can accept, reject, or ignore political messages.
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4. Some scholars argue that political socialization is akin to indoctrination, as it forces people to conform to the status quo and inhibits freedom and creativity. However, socialization is not always aimed at supporting democratic political orientations or institutions. Some groups socialize their members to values and attitudes that are wildly at odds with the status quo. For example, the Latin Kings, one of the largest and oldest street gangs in the United States, has its own constitution and formal governing structure. Leaders socialize members to follow gang rules that emphasize an “all for one” mentality; this includes strict internal discipline that calls for physical assault against or death to members who violate the rules.
5. Political learning begins early in childhood and continues over a person’s lifetime. People are the most politically impressionable during the period from their mid-teens through their mid-twenties, when their views are not set and they are open to new experiences. College allows students to encounter people with diverse views and provides opportunities for political engagement. Significant events in adults’ lives can radically alter their political perspectives, especially as they take on new roles, such as worker, spouse, parent, homeowner, and retiree.
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