Political socialization is a concept concerning the “study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes and behaviours”.
It refers to a learning process by which norms and behaviour acceptable to a well running political system are transmitted from one generation to another. It is through the performance of this function individuals are inducted into the political culture and their orientations towards political objects are formed.
These Agents of Socialization all influence in one degree or another individual’s political opinions: Family, Media, Friends, Teachers, Religion, Race, Gender, Age and Geography. These factors and many others that people are introduced to as they are growing up will affect their political views throughout the rest of their lives. Most political opinion is formed during childhood. Many Political Ideas are passed] down from Parents to young Adults through them expressing their beliefs.
Factors :
The agents a child surrounds him/she with during childhood is crucial to the child’s development of future voting behaviours. Some of these agents include:
1. Family:
Glass (1986) recognizes family as a primary influence in the development of a child’s political orientation, mainly due to constant relationship between parents and child, detailed in the table Family as a Primary Influence below.
2. Schools:
Most influential of all agents, after the family, due to the child’s extended exposure to a variety of political beliefs, such as friends and teachers, both respected sources of information for students.
3. Mass Media:
Becker (1975) argue that the media functions as a political information-giver to adolescents and young children.
4. Religion:
Religious tradition can have a strong effect on someone’s political views. For example, Protestants tend to be more conservative.
5. Political Parties:
Scholars such as Campbell (1960) note that political parties have very little direct influence on a child due to a contrast of social factors such as age, context, power, etc.
6. Work Place:
To be added.