Research on Political Socialization: A Historical and Contemporary Overview

Political beliefs vary from person to person. The question is, how do they acquire them? The solution is believed to be rooted in political socialization. Socialization is the process of acquiring values, beliefs, and political orientations, and it teaches individuals acceptable norms and behaviours to ensure society's functioning. Humans can function within society once they learn its norms and behaviour. Political socialization is no different. Political socialization teaches humans acceptable norms and behaviours by showing how others act and think in political culture. Considerably, there has been an increased focus on political socialization research. There is an obvious possibility that in new and re-established democracies, concerns are being raised about the next generation'’ political awareness and values. Understanding political socialization as a way to get plugged into a regime's political culture comprises cognitive, normative, and affective components. The origin and evolution of political attitudes and their change throughout life were the subjects of different studies. Research on political socialization proliferated through the 1960s and 1970s among scholars in Political Science, Sociology, Education, and Psychology. This paper reviews and synthesizes researchers' attempts at political socialization.

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