...Political Socialization is the process in which a person gains political views. This is the cause of agents of socialization such as family, education, religion, gender, race/ethnicity, region of country, socio-economic status, mass media, opinion leaders, and historical events. Peer groups can also reinforce political views. The political spectrum is a system of classifying political positions that makes up independent political parties. The left side of the political spectrum consists of a liberal perspective while the right side consists of a more conservative perspectives. Political parties are groups of people who have similar beliefs and try to control the government by winning elections and holding public office. America has a two-party system, meaning it is dominated by two opposing major parties. These are the Democratic and Republican parties. Minor parties are also vital to American politics by...
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...Political Socialization is an ongoing process that begins early in life which eventually identifies one’s beliefs and/or expectations in politics. Political Socialization can begin on the playground and continue to the office or the dinner table. A person’s upbringing can have a large impact on political socialization, because children consciously and unconsciously mold a foundation of their parent’s political beliefs. These political views are reinforced throughout their lives. Common agents that have an effect on a person’s political socialization are family, peers, religious influences, political parties, and mass media. There are two distinctive levels of political socialization. There is a primary level which is the subliminal influence (unconscious), and there is the secondary level which is the more formal influences (conscious). The primary level is socialization through family, peers, and social groups. A person is actually unaware that they are being conditioned to think in a particular way...
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...Political Socialization The process in how a person forms their political ideals and values by taking in what is around them. People are politically socialized by different agents of socialization. These agents include a person’s family, the media, where they have received their education, their peers, religion, faith, geography, age, and gender. This definition holds true in America and in different countries as well.. Everyone is politically socialized in some manner. The importance of age in the process of political socialization is rather important. Young or old, the ideals of how the government is seen by someone has a direct effect on what their age is. The agent of age is unique because some agents of political socialization turn into factors of age in political socialization. These factors include family, school, media, and religion. Why do young people older citizens’ majority of the time seem to have different political outlook from each other? Anja Neundorf gives a three part answer to contribute a reason to this question. The first part of an answer to why older and younger people differ in political views states “So-called age effects refer to changes that are associated with basic biological processes or progression through the life-cycle as social roles change with age or as the accumulation of social experience increases” (Neundorf 2). In other words as an individual gets older their behavior changes according to where they are in the life cycle. Political...
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...socialization Process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, language, social skills, and value to conform to the norms and roles required for integration into a group or community. It is a combination of both self-imposed (because the individual wants to conform) and externally-imposed rules, and the expectations of the others. In an organizational setting, socialization refers to the process through which a new employee 'learns the ropes,' by becoming sensitive to the formal and informal power structure and the explicit and implicit rules of behavior. See also organizational culture and orientation. Elements of Socialization[edit] Socialization is a fundamental sociological concept, comprising a number of elements. While not every sociologist will agree which elements are the most important, or even how to define some of the elements of socialization, the elements outlined below should help clarify what is meant by socialization. Goals of Socialization[edit] A kindergarten in Afghanistan. Arnett,[1] in presenting a new theoretical understanding of socialization (see below), outlined what he believes to be the three goals of socialization: impulse control and the development of a conscience role preparation and performance, including occupational roles, gender roles, and roles in institutions such as marriage and parenthood the cultivation of sources of meaning, or what is important, valued, and to be lived for In short, socialization is the process that prepares...
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...the years making changes in how our politics, culture (socially), and economics are handled and seen. We, as a society, need to keep encouraging people to look beyond stereotypes and recognize the contributions that each person, female or male, can make to the workplace and our social order. Furthermore, women have had to fight for equality in politics in the United States by winning the right to vote, as well as a seat at the political table. The Nineteenth Amendment in our Constitution gave women the right to vote in 1920. Although, gender stereotypes about female politicians and voters still exist till this day. Since gaining the right to vote, women have worked in many levels of government in the United States. For example, President Ronald Reagan named Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice in 1981. Currently, out of the nine sitting justices three are women. Gender stereotypes still exist, despite the rising presence of women in American politics. The 2006 statistics of the Studies Pilot Study from the American National Election showed that voters of both genders, regardless of their political influences, anticipated men to...
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...intricate role in shaping and controlling political opinions. Media is extremely powerful in the sense that without an adequately functioning media, it is virtually impossible for a sophisticated social structure like the U.S. Government to exist. All known sophisticated social structures have always been dependent upon the media’s ability to socialize. The U.S. government generally will exploit the media, often times manipulating the enormous power of the printed word. This exploitation ultimately empowers the U.S. government by strengthening it with the ability to determine and control the popular perception of reality. One way in which government achieves this objective is by misusing the media’s ability to set the agenda. Contrary to popular belief, the media is in fact an enormous power in society. Separate independent news organizations do not exist for the most part. Rather than creating an independent structured agenda of their own, smaller news organizations adapt to a prepared agenda, previously constructed by a higher medium. Based upon this information alone, it is quite apparent that media has the characteristics of a hierarchical rule. In order for the U.S. government to control and determine the public’s popular perception of reality, the government must shape and oversee the information that the media reports to the people. This particular process of democracy is known and referred to by political scientists as cognitive socialization. However, most people refer to it...
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...influence agents of socialization and social institutions have on our opinions. Not only that if society has divergent ideas on guns, a consensus of a culture may be potentially at risk on what to do and who decides. Members of a societal group, also play a part on whether influence of guns falls in play on certain positions. It’s these developed concepts that form ideas, norms, laws, and beliefs for the culture of guns we know today. Now a gun also known as a firearm, is often referred to as a weapon that fires a projectile. While according to Andersen, Taylor, & Logio (2015), a culture represents...
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...The organization I chose volunteer for is the League of Women Voters of California. The league is an organization for both men and women that strives for participation in government. What sets them apart is their goal of encouraging people to make informed and educated decisions. The League of Women Voters is non-partisan and does not support any particular political part or candidate. When I contacted the local office I was told by Cheryl, the woman who oversaw my volunteering, that they needed a makeover for their brochure and flyer. This brochure was extremely outdated and needed a serious overhaul. In conjunction with a classmate, I redesigned the brochure to give it a more modern appearance making it more eye catching in hopes of creating more league memberships and provoking more donations. I would have to say this became my main goal of my volunteering experience. Although I was asked that the writing on the brochure went unchanged I wanted to do redesign the graphics and layout of the brochure to make is more interesting and readable. In a way I feel like the hard work I put into the brochure would strengthen and increase the growth of the league. The second piece I worked on with my classmate was the organizations flyer. The flyer was essentially of form that people could use to join the League of Women Voters or simply enclose a donation and at the same time give a little information about the group. In both the brochure and flyer color played an important...
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...POLITICAL SCIENCE/INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 360 Western European Politics Fall, 2015 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:45 pm Mundelein 620 Lake Shore Campus Dr. Vincent Mahler Coffey 327 (773) 508-3067 E-mail: vmahler@luc.edu Office Hours: TTH: 10:00-11:15 am, M: 5:30-6:45 pm, and by appointment This course begins with an introduction to the comparative politics of developed democracies, focusing on political culture and attitudes; interest groups and political parties; political institutions; and public policy. We will then go on to discuss a (lively) overview of contemporary Western Europe by longtime reporter and commentator T. R. Reid. Next, we will explore political institutions, processes, behavior and policy in three major Western European countries, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Four times, spaced throughout the semester, I will offer brief factual comparisons of Western Europe and the United States in important areas, including public policy, the economy, education, social policy, and moral issues. If time permits, the course will conclude with a brief examination of the institutions and policies of the European Union, a regional organization linking twenty-eight European countries. In an effort to enliven our discussion, at the beginning of most classes I will introduce an unusual fact, song or comedy sketch that in some way deals with Western Europe, with a particular focus on the smaller European countries. READING ...
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...Political Knowledge: Voter Information and the Democratic Citizen Many Americans proudly assert that the “American Experiment” has been a success. The optimistic and patriotic American will point to the “stability” and strength of the country's democratic institutions upheld by the United States Constitution as proof that the democratic notions and principles that were envisioned by the Founding Fathers continue to flourish to this day. A pessimistic individual on the other hand may easily point out that the current political climate exemplifies the decline of civic responsibility, and ultimately, the decline of democratic rule. In Washington, politicians are split along partisan lines, battling one another on decisive and controversial issues such as raising the debt limit, balancing the budget, and health care reform. While politicians carefully calculate the potential consequences of their decisions, the same battles are being waged ferociously on other fronts by the media and other self-interested groups. Ultimately, the results of these policy decisions depend on which party could convince the American public of what is in their best collective interest. This is precisely the nature of politics and democracy, and neither one is always fair. In a world where interest groups and lobbies have tremendous sway and influence over those in power, and when media reporting of the issues lacks fairness and accuracy, it should be the citizen's duty and responsibility to ensure that...
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...POLITICAL SCIENCE 1 Spring 2013 The Government of the United States Syllabus El Camino College Section 2620: M/W, 9:30am – 10:55am Room: Social Science 212 Instructor: Van P. Chaney, MPA E-mail: vchaney@elcamino.edu Phone: 310-660-3593 Website: http://profspace.com/vchaney Required Texts: AM Gov 2012, Losco/Baker ISBN: 978-0073526379 Taking Sides, 18th ed, Mckenna ISBN: 978-0078050329 Course Objectives: 1. Identify the theoretical foundations and the applications of the American political system. 2. Analyze major political institutions: the presidency, bureaucracy, Congress, Judiciary, elections, political parties, and interest groups. 3. Examine and assess the implementation of democracy, including the different perspectives of elitism, pluralism, and majoritarianism. 4. Evaluate the role of the mass media in the political process. 5. Identify and discuss political culture and the function of political socialization. 6. Compare and contrast the relationship of federal and state governmental systems and processes with emphasis on California. 7. Evaluate and analyze the interdependence of economics and politics. 8. Distinguish between civil rights and civil liberties and their evolution in American society. 9. Assess the federal and state judicial systems and their impact on public policy. 10. Examine and discuss the process of public policy making in relation to international and domestic...
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...SSC1 - General Education Social Science Course of Study Theories and Methods What is the role of science and the scientific method in the social sciences? The purpose of the social sciences is to study systematically all aspects of the human condition and of human behavior, using a methodology borrowed from the physical sciences wherever possible. This insistence on systematic and methodical study is what distinguishes the social sciences from philosophy, art, and literature, which also comment and reflect on all facets of the human condition. In fact, insights into the nature of human behavior and the characteristics of societies have been expressed by artists, poets, and philosophers since time immemorial. How do the social sciences differ from natural and physical science? Competencies covered by this subject 113.1.1 - Social Science Theory and Methodology Scientific Method in Social Science To prepare for further study in this domain, you will want to familiarize yourself with ways in which the scientific method is applied in the social sciences. Keep in mind the crucial comparison between social and natural science. Consider the following questions: What is the scientific method? Scientific Method for Sociology An area of inquiry is a scientific discipline if its investigators use the scientific method, which is a systematic approach to researching questions and problems through objective and accurate observation, collection and analysis of data, direct experimentation...
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...Culture and Socialization Learning to be Human Understanding Cause & Effect • Correlation - the existence of a regular relationship between two sets of occurrences or variables. • Causation - a relationship in which one event or situation brings about the other. • Correlation does not imply causation. But a causal relationship must mean that two variables are correlated. Sociological Imagination • The more we understand what is happening in the world, the more frustrated we often become, for our knowledge leads to feelings of powerlessness. We feel that we are living in a world in which the citizen has become a mere spectator or a forced actor, and that our personal experience is politically useless and our political will a minor illusion (Mills 1959) Macro argument. Chapter 3 Culture & Society The Concepts of Culture Culture - The values the members of a given group hold, the norms they follow, and the material goods they create. Values - abstract ideals. For example, monogamy is a prominent value in most Western societies. Norms - definite principles or rules people are expected to observe Society - a system of relationships that connects individuals who share the same culture. The Concepts of Culture Culture and society are closely related. Cultural variations among humans are linked to different types of society. No culture could exist without a society; equally, no society could exist without culture. The Concepts of Culture Ethnocentrism – judging...
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...1. Interest groups- organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. 2. Alexis de Tocqueville- French political writer noted for his analysis of American institutions 3. public goods - benefits that everyone gets whether or not they join the group, 4. private goods- benefits that ONLY come to those who are members 5. free rider problem- Why would anyone join a group that will provide benefits to everyone regardless of membership? 6. union shop- anyone working for the company has to join the union or at least pay a part of the dues to cover cost of negotiating contracts 7. right-to-work laws- outlaw union shop contracts 8. benefits for group membership: solidarity- make people feel good for joining a group and working with others to make the world a better place. 9. Material- include things like discounts on goods or services, or low cost life or auto insurance. 10. Information- provide members with information that they find interesting and useful. 11. “Federalist Number 10”- how the new government created by the Constitution would help deal with the problem of factions. 12. Faction- He lumps parties and interest groups togetheras including both large groups (majority factions)and small groups (minority factions) ofpassionate people who are united bysome interest. 13. democratic pluralism- checking and balancing 14. lobbying- those activities...
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...to keep up! They actually go hand in hand. “While the spread of education has undoubtedly been one cause of economic growth in most countries, the reciprocal relationship is also important. The development of general education in the United States and Europe may be due in large part to the rapid rate of economic and social change, which renders it increasingly difficult to provide adequate socialization and occupational training for youth in the traditional family, church, and apprentice-oriented systems of education. In an era characterized by rapid technological change, urbanization, and shifts in the sectorial and occupational distribution of the labor force, the skills of the fathers do not meet the needs of the sons; indeed, the skills sufficient for the sons in their young manhood may be obsolete before they reach middle age. For this reason education and training have become increasingly specialized, their functions carried out by full-time teachers in institutions designed solely for that purpose, that is, in schools. At the same time, the content of education has become increasingly general, with the stress on literacy and the broader aspects of economic and political socialization of youth rather than on specific occupational skills” states Bowles. “It is probably also true that the individual income elasticity of demand for education as a consumer good exceeds one, resulting in the more rapid growth over time of private expenditures on education than of the economy...
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