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Unit 5: Political Socialisation

when it reinforces other socialising agencies, but the role of Roman Catholicism in many European Notes
countries, liberal-democratic and totalitarian, offers illustrations of its conflict with both state and
education, and is possibly a vital factor in the political behaviour of women in some countries.”
Youth movements do play an important part in the process of national integration particularly in
the developing countries. Let us also have a look at the role of the political parties that are more
diffuse because of their need to win wider support. The role of the government as a whole must
be looked into, particularly in countries like Germany and Austria where financial support is
given by the state to voluntary youth groups and organisations to encourage political education.

Lasswell’s Common Set of Categories
Factors Institutions Effects
Power Government and Law Giving and receiving of support in connection
with important decisions (authoritative
commitments enforceable if challenged by the
use of severe deprivations against challengers)
Enlightenment Mass Media and Giving or receiving of news or scientific
Scientific Publications information
Wealth Industry, Money and Giving or receiving of services or resources
Credit
Well-being Nutrition and Medicare Giving or receiving of opportunity for safety,
health and comfort
Skill Occupation, Profession, Giving or receiving of opportunity to discover
Arts and perfect latent capabilities
Affection Families, Larger Identities Giving or receiving of opportunity for love
and loyalty
Respect Classes, Ranks, Castes Giving or receiving of opportunity for
recognition
Rectitude Ecclesiastical, Ethical Giving or receiving of opportunities to
organisations facilitate and apply norms of responsible
conduct.

We should also examine the experiences that a man gathers during the course of his employment.
One gains a great deal of insight into human nature by the way in which the employer behaves
towards his employees. Brought up as a child in a family living on democratic lines and given to
cooperation by nature, a person may develop a strong sense of resentment, even of violence, if he
finds his employer behaving in a wrong manner. Herein figures the issue of the attitude of
dominance towards the subordinates, attitude of deference of the subordinates towards their
superiors, or a sort of sensitivity of power relationships. The job as well as the formal and informal
organisations built around it, like unions and clubs, may constitute the channels for the explicit
communication of political information and beliefs and any sort of participation in the process of
collective bargaining or involvement with a strike can be a powerful socialising experience for
workers and employers alike. The striking labourer not only learns that he can shape the
authoritative decisions being made about his future, but he gains knowledge of specific action
skills, such as demonstrating and picketing, which may be used in political participation.
The channels of mass communication exercise their own impact upon the ‘cognitive map’ of the
individual’s personality. By reading newspaper reports, listening to radio talks and seeing television
films, people develop taste as well as distaste for certain norms and values. Thus, while free mass
media—press, radio and television—inculcate different sets of values in the minds of the individuals,
a controlled system of mass communications may play a quite effective part in bringing about a lot
of conformity in their views.

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