AIM – How does political socialization occur? Do Now: Why are you a conservative or liberal?

I. Public Opinion A.The distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues B.There is not one public C.Opinions and views can change quickly

II. Why is Government Policy often at odds with Public Opinion? A. Government was not designed to represent the day to day will of the people B. It is not easy to know exactly what the public wants or thinks C. The more active and knowledgeable people are about politics the greater their weight

III. Process of Political Socialization A. The Family (Informal Learning) B. Religion (Informal Learning) C. Mass Media “The New Parent” D. School (Formal Learning)

A. The Family (Informal Learning) 1. Has a monopoly on early development 2. Greatest amount of time and emotional commitment 3. 80% of children can identify with a party by fifth grade 4. Children are the same party 59% of the time as their parents 5. Children tend to be more idealistic than their parents

B. Religion (Informal Learning) 1. Protestants tend to be more conservative than Catholics 2. People who are Jewish tend to be more liberal 3. Fundamentalists tend to be conservative

C. Mass Media “The New Parent” 1. Children spend more time devoted to watching TV than school 2. They are less likely to read newspapers or watch the news

The Media’s Influence Over Our Lives 95% of American homes have at least one television, and it is turned on for an average of 7 hours per day Crime is rampant on television – professions such as police officer, lawyer, and physician are overrepresented By age 16, the average American will have seen twenty thousand homicides on television

The Media and the Molding of Perceptions According to sociological research: the media portray men as rugged and dominant, women as submissive On primetime TV, male characters outnumber females two to one. Men are often portrayed in higher status positions The elderly and minorities are underrepresented

Interpretations of Social Scientists The media contribute to socialization by displaying models for children to imitate The underclass is stigmatized Most adults believe TV is addictive, but deny they are personally addicted There is a correlation between aggressive behavior seen on TV and real life aggression The media promote accepted social values and norms The media perpetuate classism, racism, and sexism

D. School (Formal Learning) 1. Used to promote civic values, national loyalty and basic values of government 2. Various types of government use school to ensure the youth will grow up to be supportive of the government’s agenda 3. Studies indicate that the longer students stay in school the more liberal they become