Political SOCIALIZATION [AP Gov Review, Unit 4 Topic 2 (4.2)]

Summary

In this video, the focus is on political socialization and how cultural factors shape our political beliefs. The presenter discusses six key influences: family, schools, peer interactions, media, civic and religious organizations, and globalization. Each factor plays a role in forming political ideologies, from childhood family discussions to the impact of social media and the global exchange of ideas.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The family is the primary influence on early political socialization, with children often adopting similar political views to their parents.
• 🏫 Schools can shape how students think about politics, though not necessarily making them more conservative or liberal.
• 📚 The 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission are examples of how different historical narratives can influence political beliefs.
• 👫 Peer interaction and social conformity play a significant role in political socialization, pressuring individuals to conform to group beliefs.
• 📺 The media, especially cable news, provides a constant stream of political viewpoints that can shape public opinion.
• 🎤 Pundits on cable news, though primarily entertainers, have a large influence on how people think about politics.
• 🏛️ Civic organizations like the Boy Scouts instill values that can influence political ideology.
• 🕌 Religious organizations can attach political ideologies to their religious beliefs, influencing congregations' political views.
• 🌐 Globalization brings political influences from other cultures, which can affect domestic political socialization.
• 🌍 Immigrants can introduce values that contrast with local beliefs, potentially reshaping political attitudes over time.
• 📈 Political socialization is a complex process influenced by a variety of factors, not just formal education or direct political discourse.

Q & A

What is political socialization?

Political socialization is the process by which individuals develop their political beliefs and attitudes.

How does family influence political socialization?

Family, particularly parents, often serve as the first and most significant influence on children's political beliefs, as children tend to adopt similar political opinions as their parents.

What role do schools play in shaping political ideology?

While schools do not necessarily make students more conservative or liberal, they can shape how students think about politics and the world, especially through classes like AP Government or civics classes.

How does the 1619 Project relate to political socialization in schools?

The 1619 Project, which presents a perspective that views U.S. institutions as tainted with racism, can influence students' political ideology when taught in history classes.

What is the 1776 Commission and how does it contrast with the 1619 Project?

The 1776 Commission was formed in response to the 1619 Project, aiming to present U.S. history as something to be proud of, emphasizing progress and the advancement toward freedom and democracy.

How do peers affect political socialization?

Peers can exert social pressure towards conformity, leading individuals to adjust their political beliefs to align with those of their peer group.

What is the impact of media on political socialization?

The media, including cable news and social media, provides a wide range of viewpoints that can shape political attitudes and beliefs, especially among younger audiences.

Why should viewers be wary of political pundits according to the script?

Viewers should be wary of political pundits because they are primarily entertainers and may not present the world and its complexities accurately.

How do civic organizations contribute to political socialization?

Civic organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, can instill values like patriotism and self-reliance, which can shape members' political beliefs.

What is the role of religious organizations in political socialization?

Religious organizations can influence political beliefs by linking political ideologies with religious teachings, which are then reinforced through regular attendance and participation.

How does globalization affect political socialization?

Globalization brings political influences from beyond borders, affecting political culture. For example, immigrants can introduce values that may contrast or align with local beliefs, influencing political socialization.

Outlines

00:00

🏠 The Role of Family in Political Socialization

This paragraph discusses the significant role that family plays in shaping an individual's political beliefs from a young age. It highlights how children often adopt similar political views as their parents, a pattern observed in studies such as the one by Christopher Aitken in 2002. The script also humorously references the speaker's own family, indicating that political discussions are common at their dinner table and that their son, despite being young, already shows an understanding of political complexity. The paragraph emphasizes that despite the rise of social media, which may slightly weaken this familial influence, family remains a pivotal factor in early political socialization.

05:01

🏫 The Influence of Schools and Media on Political Socialization

The second paragraph delves into the impact of schools and the media on political socialization. While schools, including those offering courses like AP Government, can shape how students think about politics, they do not necessarily make students more conservative or liberal. However, the paragraph points out that certain educational materials, such as the New York Times' '1619 Project' and the conservative '1776 Commission', can significantly influence students' political ideologies by presenting history from different perspectives. The media's role is also explored, noting how exposure to a variety of viewpoints and the rise of cable news pundits have contributed to shaping public opinion, despite the speaker's caution about the potential for these figures to oversimplify complex issues.

👫 Peer Pressure and Organizational Influence on Political Beliefs

This paragraph examines how social conformity among peers and participation in civic and religious organizations contribute to political socialization. It explains that individuals are likely to conform to the political ideologies of their peer groups, even if this means altering their own beliefs. The paragraph also discusses how organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, instill values that can influence political attitudes. It gives an example of how religious organizations, with their varying political leanings, can affect the political beliefs of their congregations. The speaker also touches on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious affiliations, showing how political ideologies can influence membership choices.

🌐 Globalization's Effect on Political Socialization

The final paragraph addresses the impact of globalization on political socialization. It defines globalization as the increasing interconnectedness of the world through economic partnerships and explains how this leads to the exchange of political influences. The paragraph uses immigration as an example, showing how immigrants bring their cultural values, such as a community-oriented approach from Asian countries, which can conflict with or be integrated into the individualistic values of the United States. This paragraph concludes by emphasizing the broad reach of globalization in shaping political attitudes beyond national borders.

Keywords

💡Political Socialization

Political socialization refers to the process by which individuals develop their political attitudes and beliefs. In the video, it is the central theme, explaining how cultural factors influence this development. The script mentions that most people form their political opinions based on humbler factors, such as family influence, rather than through in-depth study of political science.

💡Family

Family is identified as the first and foremost factor in political socialization. The script illustrates this with the example of the Heimler family, where the children are likely to adopt similar political opinions as their parents. It also references a study by Christopher Aiken that shows how first-time voters often rely on the political ideology they learned from their parents.

💡Schools

Schools are mentioned as a secondary factor in shaping political beliefs, particularly through classes like AP Government or Civics. The script discusses how schools can influence students' political thinking, even if they don't necessarily make them more conservative or liberal. It also touches on the controversy surrounding the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission, showing how different historical narratives can impact students' ideologies.

💡Peers

Peers play a significant role in political socialization through social conformity. The script explains that if an individual's peers hold a certain political ideology, there is pressure to conform to that belief system. This social influence can shape an individual's political attitudes.

💡Media

The media is described as a fourth factor in political socialization, with the script noting the impact of spending time in front of screens and the exposure to a wide range of viewpoints. It discusses how public figures and pundits can shape political opinions, and the script warns about the potential for these influencers to oversimplify complex issues.

💡Civic and Religious Organizations

Civic and religious organizations are highlighted as a fifth factor, with examples such as the Boy Scouts and various religious institutions. The script explains that these organizations can instill certain values and ideologies, such as patriotism or community values, which can influence an individual's political beliefs.

💡Globalization

Globalization is identified as the sixth factor in political socialization. The script defines it as the increasing interconnectedness of the world through economic partnerships and notes that it can bring political influences from beyond an individual's borders. It uses immigration as an example, where immigrants can introduce new cultural ideas that may conflict with or reinforce existing political values.

💡Ideology

Ideology in the script refers to a set of political beliefs or values that guide an individual's political stance. It is used throughout the video to describe how different factors can influence a person's political orientation, such as family ideology passing down to children or the ideological leanings of media figures.

💡Social Media

Social media is mentioned in the context of its impact on the traditional family influence on political socialization. The script suggests that while family remains a significant influence, social media has introduced new dynamics that can weaken the family's hold on shaping political beliefs.

💡Political Beliefs

Political beliefs are the opinions and attitudes that individuals hold about politics and government. The script discusses how these beliefs are formed through various socialization agents, such as family, school, peers, and media, and how they can change over time due to exposure to different influences.

💡Liberal and Conservative

Liberal and conservative are terms used in the script to describe different political ideologies. The video uses these terms to contrast the influence of different educational materials like the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission, as well as the different viewpoints presented by pundits in media.

Highlights

Introduction to political socialization and its role in shaping political beliefs.

Cultural factors influence political attitudes and socialization.

Family as the primary influence on political ideology, often mirroring parents' beliefs.

Study by Christopher Aiken in 2002 showing the impact of parental political ideology on youth voters.

Weakening connection between family influence and political beliefs due to social media.

Schools as a secondary factor in political socialization, shaping political thought but not necessarily ideology.

The 1619 Project and its controversial impact on historical and political education.

The 1776 Commission's alternative perspective on U.S. history and its political implications.

Peer influence and social conformity in shaping political beliefs.

The media's role in political socialization, including the impact of cable news and public figures.

Civic organizations like the Boy Scouts influencing political values through activities and teachings.

Religious organizations and their variable political ideologies influencing congregations.

Globalization as a factor in political socialization, bringing external political influences.

Immigration's impact on political culture through the introduction of different cultural values.

The importance of understanding the various factors that contribute to political socialization.

Encouragement for viewers to engage with the content and support the channel for more educational videos.

Transcripts

hey there and welcome back to heimlich's

history now i've been going through unit

4 of the ap government curriculum and in

this video that means it's time to talk

about political socialization so if

you're ready to get them brain cows

milked with them let's get to it so in

this video here's what we're trying to

do explain how cultural factors

influence political attitudes and

socialization so the real question here

is how is it that you and i come to

believe in one political ideology or

another and as much as i'd like to tell

you that all americans form their

political beliefs by spending hundreds

of hours pouring over complex works of

political science and delving into the

depths of various primary documents of

our national and constitutional origins

now there are a few people who do that

but in general most of us form our

political opinions based on humbler

factors and the process by which we form

our political opinions is called

political socialization so let's talk

about the six factors that work together

in our political socialization first and

foremost is the family and many studies

have borne out the truth that children

will often hold the same or similar

political opinions held by their parents

for example it probably won't surprise

you to know that politics is often a

discussion around the heimler dinner

table and my children pick these things

up maybe without even knowing it so if

you asked my six-year-old son which

political party deserves our vote then

you would no doubt hear this uh that's

complicated yes that is the right answer

my son i'm raising him right in fact in

2002 christopher aiken published a study

demonstrating that while experienced

adult voters considered a variety of

factors when it came to how they voted

younger voters casting their ballots for

the first time almost always relied on

the political ideology they picked up

from their parents i should say that

since the advent of social media this

connection has shown some signs of

weakening but even so the family remains

the biggest early influence on people's

political ideology okay the second

factor in political socialization is

schools and though there is no wealth of

evidence that suggests that students

become more conservative or more liberal

as a result of being in a k-12 class it

does have the potential to shape how a

student thinks about politics and

therefore the world there's some classes

like ap government or civics class that

directly shape how a student thinks

about politics but again back to the

point i just made these classes usually

don't make a student more conservative

or more liberal even with direct

exposure to these modes of thought but

there are also other factors in school

that while not directly engaging

students in political socialization do

influence their political beliefs

nonetheless in this day and age it is

the history classroom that has created a

political firestorm for example in 2019

the new york times released something

called the 1619 project which was a

series of resources that argued the

following every american institution is

tainted with racism because everything

was built whether politically

economically or socially on the

institution of slavery and some teachers

used this material in their history

classes well as you probably know such

an interpretation of u.s history is

politically contentious to say the least

such a perspective grows out of a

liberal liberationist mindset which

seeks to challenge the dominant

historical narrative and uplift the

voices and actions of those who have

been historically oppressed you can

imagine that as a student if you were

taught this it would have an influence

on your political ideology well in

response to this conservatives formed

the 1776 commission and produced

resources that explained u.s history

through a different lens u.s history was

not something to be ashamed of they

argued but rather something to be proud

of yes americans have had their

blemishes but ultimately american

history is filled with progress and the

advancement toward ever more freedom and

democracy and by contrast you can see

that if this was the version of history

you were taught it would have an

influence on your political ideology in

the opposite direction so schools both

in direct and indirect ways influence

our political socialization the third

factor in our political socialization is

our interaction with peers social

conformity plays a huge role in what a

person believes like if your peers all

hold to political ideology x and you

hold the political ideology why there is

a huge amount of social pressure even if

it's not direct to conform your beliefs

to the peer group a fourth factor in our

political socialization is the media

spending so much time in front of

screens has given people of all ages but

especially young people more access to a

wide range of viewpoints almost daily we

see people saying things in the public

square that shapes the way we think

about politics and we also see people

getting cancelled for offensive

statements and that can have a way of

convincing us that we don't want to be

on the other side of that counseling and

so we adjust our beliefs and language

accordingly additionally with the rise

in the last 20 years of cable news we've

seen a tremendous increase in

conservative and liberal pundits who

tell us with authority exactly how we

should think about everything that

happens look as long as i have any

platform to stand on i will always warn

anyone who listens to me to be very wary

of those pundits they are first and

foremost entertainers and they care very

little about presenting the world and

all its complexity as it actually is

nevertheless much to my chagrin they

have very large audiences and they are

able to shape the way people think about

politics a fifth factor in political

socialization is our participation in

civic and religious organizations an

example of a civic organization would be

the boy scouts or the girl scouts the

boy scouts organization was founded with

the explicit mention to teach boys

patriotism courage self-reliance and

kindred values now since 1910 when that

was written the scout's commitment to

patriotism has undergone some change but

nevertheless if you're a scout it will

affect the way you think about to use

their own language god and country in

other words political socialization is

happening in a civic organization like

that an example of a religious

organization would be membership and

attendance in a church or a synagogue or

a mosque now all religious organizations

vary in terms of their political beliefs

you've got liberal churches and

conservative churches liberal synagogues

and conservative synagogues liberal

mosques and conservative mosques but the

point is whatever political ideology is

joined to the organization's religious

belief is the political ideology the

congregation will be hearing about week

after week and that has an influence for

example evangelical christian churches

saw a significant shuffling of members

during the covet 19 pandemic some

churches when they reopened require

masks in order to participate in worship

and that offense was all it took for

many members to reject what they thought

of as overt liberal political

socialization and choose another church

that aligned more with their political

beliefs and the sixth factor in

political socialization is globalization

by definition globalization is the

increasing interconnectedness of the

world by means of economic partnerships

let me hasten to add that is a very

basic definition but it'll do for our

purposes however along with those

economic connections come political

influences as well like in a globalized

world we are all influenced by factors

well beyond our borders for example

through immigration people bring their

cultural ideas to bear on the political

culture of the united states immigrants

from asian countries have a much

stronger sense of the good of the

community above the individual and as

they immigrate to america that value can

run counter to our strong belief in the

triumph of the individual even so in

some cases such a belief might take root

and affect a person's political

socialization okay thanks for watching

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