Essay Example on Political socialization can be defined as the Processes

It's not until one encounters other factors and becomes more independent that they may start questioning their initial beliefs and begin to venture out to adopt accept alternate ideas Schools are another a crucial agent in the development of political socialization as it is the first large scale organization of which the child becomes a member Nezanna This is where a child is exposed to a variety of political beliefs from other people such as teachers and friends More importantly the teacher is the authority figure who rewards thinking and behavior that conform to what is deemed desirable by the society and who sanctions or withholds rewards from those who fail to conform Danziger and Smith 89 However as students we re taught from a young age what educational authorities deem appropriate which means we re unavoidably taught from a bias perspective As we enter adulthood and surround ourselves with co workers or the people we meet by joining various groups church organizations Facebook etc our beliefs are further influenced by adopting viewpoints behavior patterns and attitudes of others Unlike interactions with family and school where a teacher or family member is the one exercising authority a peer group allows people whom are at similar levels of maturity to interact with one another As a result direct communications from peers allow for a rich exchange of political information because such political messages have the immediacy credibility and power of personal interaction Danziger and Smith 90 People tend to gravitate towards those that hold similar beliefs and values in order to strengthen their personal opinions and lessen the possibility for conflict of interests

Moreover unlike teachers journalists do not have formal training in how to educate citizens about government and politics as a result the news often can be more sensational than informative American Government and Politics in the Information Age 226 Events which can be assimilated with the media are another important agent that affect adult political attitudes While the context of everyday life has slow evolutionary effects on a person's political behavior a specific event can act as a sudden and powerful agent of political socialization Danziger and Smith 95 A person may hold a certain view towards a particular subject but then an event may occur that shifts and changes their opinion People are influenced by the world around them and such an event can have a direct impact on one's life For example someone who previously advocated for less strict gun control legislation may change their beliefs and advocate for stricter gun control due to a mass shooting reported on by the media Political standards attitudes values and norms are inaugurated into an individual's mind from the time they are a child and continue throughout their entire life through the process of indoctrination It would be nearly impossible to escape political socialization influences because they are everywhere from family to religious groups to everyday events taking place around us Everyone has had different encounters during their lives coming into contact with diverse people and situations but this is the reason there will always be varying viewpoints and opinions with regard to politics the reason the political system perpetuates