Session 8: What dominates political socialisation?

Political socialisation is a process by which an individual develops his political culture that in turn influences the individual's political behaviour. This whole shaping of political socialisation into an individual's political behaviour moulds and eventually transforms accordingly the individual's political beliefs, attitude, behaviour, ideas and opinions. These political beliefs do not necessarily have to be based on the situation of his own society. They can also be that individual's views on a good society.

Political socialisation can take place through several means for example through family, school by means of 'civic education', peers, religion, different preferences of the social and the economic classes, minority status, media, key political events and the government.

Though an individual's political beliefs are influenced by all the above factors, the extent to which these factors alter that individual's political culture differs. In my view, the most important factor that cause political socialisation is the government.

Similar to every other aspect of a society, the government plays a very important role in political socialisation too. This is because the government has its control over many other factors that influences the political beliefs of an individual for example the government can alter the school curriculum or the 'civic education' and this plays an important role in imparting an impression of the political system prevailing in a society and in consequence influencing the political beliefs of an individual. Similarly, government to a greater or a lesser degree can also effect the mass media that also influences an individual's political culture. In addition, the government is an entity that can bring a change to the minority rights. Minorities could react if they realise that their basic needs and wants are not being fulfilled or they are being differentiated against other citizens. It is only the government which can prevent the minorities from reacting by granting them their rights and ultimately, effecting their political beliefs.

In a nutshell, even though there are several factors influencing an individual's political culture, in the spectrum of political socialisation government influences political culture to a great degree as the extent to which other factors influence the process of an individual's political socialisation also depend on the government.