4.2 Political Socialization

1 min read•june 7, 2020

Isabela Padilha Vilela

AP US Government 👩🏾‍⚖️

240 resources

See Units

Definition

Political Socialization is the process in which people develop their political values, beliefs, attitudes and ideology. It is a process that is continuous, which means it happens throughout one’s life. In the U.S there are many different cultures and backgrounds, which contributes to a high variety of perspectives. Through the construction of beliefs (religious, economic, ethnical, etc.) and the participation in groups, individuals mature their own political values.

Socializing Agents

There are four main elements in people’s lives that define their socialization process: family, school, peers, and media. 📺

Type of socializing agent	Influence
Family	The Family is one of the strongest socializing agents due to the fact that a family’s attitudes towards their community and issues tends to shape an individual's opinions. In summary, people usually follow the political ideology of their parents.
School	The School is an important agent due to the fact that American schools picture presidents as heroic figures. Schools try to follow the goal of building the citizens of America.
Peers	Friends and Peers can easily shape the way one sees life as they can determine social norms, attitudes, and behaviors that shape an individual’s perspective about politics.
Media	The exposure of the media, which informs citizens of other people’s behaviors, can shape the way people form their opinions. Selective exposure consists of choosing access to media one agrees with, and avoiding to see what one disagrees.