Political socialization has both an object and a subject. The object is each new generation of individuals who reach adulthood in any society. These generations are politically socialized through their experiences during their immaturity and early maturity. The subject is society as a whole, which actively seeks to politically socialize each new generation. It is necessary for the community as a whole to socialize young people in the political and philosophical norms of their society, making them productive citizens (Roberts 165).
The major influences in the political socialization process are the family, peer groups, social and political groups, and educational institutions. The most important of these early in life are, obviously, the family and educational institutions. A child primarily learns about political behavior from his or her parents. School further influences the child through lessons in the history of the community and society. The attitudes of teachers can have an important impact upon developing political beliefs, although they often will not counteract the attitudes of a child's parents (Roberts 165).
As an individual matures, peer group influences become more important. A young person will often reject the attitudes of his or her parents in favor of peer group attitudes. Other social group attitudes also become more important as the individual moves away from his or her family and into the world at large. Eventually, most individuals will identify with some large political group, such as a political party. These influences will become important in shaping the political attitudes of adults. Socialization occurs throughout a person's life and can change with circumstances. Most people, however, retain the major attitudes learned during the early parts of their lives; that which occurs later in life usually amounts to little more than "fine tuning" (Roberts 165).
This reflects my own experience. L...