Political Socialization
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Political Socialization
When children are born into a society, at a very young age they begin to develop their ideas, personalities, beliefs and opinions. This is where socialization gets its roots. In a country like the United States, a person’s political agenda is one of the characteristics that define what type of citizen you are. Through many different areas of our life we are affected, persuaded, influenced about our beliefs, not just with politics but with what to buy, what to do, where to go and how to act. Some of the most important factors of socialization are family, religion, public education, mass-media and peer groups. These factors are called the Agents of Socialization whose sole purpose is the shaping of society and social control.
It is said that one is formed into the person they grow up to be at a young age. If this is true, the important details of our character would stay the same while the aesthetic characteristics change as we get older. I think that a person’s family is the most influential of all the agents of socialization. Throughout childhood your parents teach you the values, morals, and beliefs that they feel are socially productive. As a child matures into an adult, they tend to apply or reject their parent’s characteristics. Though Religion is not as big of a direct factor as family there is still a major correlation between religion and the political system. If you are a member of an organized religion, they may not tell you who to vote for but their ideas may fit the conservative or liberal side of politics. Catholics for example believe in a set of ideas which follow the more conservative side of politics this can be contrasted by some forms of Judaism which follow a more liberal set of ideas.
Many children get their first introduction into being part of a group or institution through public education. Again while not a direct influence to form beliefs; it is an open format for peer groups to be conceived. As humans we tend to segregate