Political socialization is the process of peoples’ acquiring political values in the course of time and living in a particular community (Greenberg, 2009). In this respect there are different stages of socialization which people get through in accordance with their entire life. Moreover, a deeper analysis of this political process in social life finds juxtaposition in a mere extent of peoples’ awareness of what is going on in their country. As a matter of fact, it is all about politics and citizenry represented in a definite country. The question is about the United States and peculiarities of political socialization as applied to different layers of the society (as for ethnicity, gender, stratum, etc.). It came out to be that people living in America seem to be unaware of what the politics are going to implement in the economical and social growth of the country. In turn it provokes conflicts in the American society which destabilize the overall state of affairs in it. Hence, political socialization is an opportunity of every American to get involved into the political process being in evidence in America.
My personal involvement into the political socialization is at its initial stage. The thing is that I originate from Asia and came to the United States in 2008. However, it makes a difference for me as a newbie here. My rights and my personal participation in social and political life of the country are based on sincere desires to shift the things for better. First of all, it corresponds to me as a citizen and then to the rest of the society. Even though my level of involvement into the affairs of national concernment is too small to date, I do not screw down but am interested in political issues taking place in America every now and then.
Constant speculations on the American way in politics resulted in my personal involvement into political socialization. It was not spontaneously, but grounded on concrete events in the USA (internal and external) which preceded my arrival to the country. The main agents of socialization which influenced were my family being aware of what the concept of American politics is, then it was in college, and afterwards the overall society pushed on my choice in political values. However, the main obstacle faced is considered with cultural issues of the multinational and multiethnic American society. As it might be seen, political socialization as referred to ethnical minorities in the US goes through the difficulty of recognition (Greenberg, 2009). On the other side, it reflects on my everyday life, as an immigrant from Asia. However, there is no point on my being outside the core issues taking place in the US. Thereupon, family, college, and society are the best precursors for getting an idea of political socialization. To say more, parents are those people who are likely to teach children to behave and seem like a citizen of a definite society (Berns, 2009). Thus, it is parents who impact me more than other agents of socialization.
The first reason which corresponds to failure of Americans to be actively engaged in politics and government is ordinary indifference. This point is strict as there are many Americans who think that nothing is changing in the American society. First of all, it is based, perhaps, on the decline in the healthcare system. Some experts admit the following: “Americans tend to be poorly informed about government and public policy in general and, indeed, have long recognized that there are logical reasons why most would be “rationally ignorant” on such matters” (Moe, 2001, p. 7). Thus, it is kthe matter of poorly informed American society which is now taken for granted. Moreover, a decrease of personal interest in state affairs gives grounds for no democratic development at all.
The second reason provoking a failure of citizenry in American society falls into a lack of political knowledge spread among Americans. The question is that there is a case of constant stagnation in poitical aspect of life in America. IThe compaartive studies indicate a decline in politicalculture within the American society. Furthermore, it is now considered with the limitation of political knowledge for the society as for an interval of fifty years:
While data allowing for a systematic comparison of knowledge levels over the past 50 years is less comprehensive than one would hope, the evidence strongly suggests that Americans are about as informed about politics today as they were fifty years ago (Carpini, 1999, p. 9).
Finally, the third reason for American failure in terms of an active position in politics and government presupposes that most Americans are beyond sharing information on current political issues (Gastil, 2000). Hence, the American society is far from the real state of affairs, as there is not distribution of ideas on current issues under consideration in the Congress or in some other instances as well. In turn this inflicts lack of extensive deliberation. The thing is that people used to live their life and feel free to do what they supposed to do until the moment comes. Americans hold a reactive position when there are some difficulties in the economical sector of the country. On the other hand, the healthcare reform has plenty to talk about in case when the Americans face inadequate policy of insuring the population. In its turn it also belongs to particular substantial troubles as somewhat like pandemics. The sticking point is in some racial, cultural, and ethnical barriers which prevent Americans from sharing information on politics and current state of affairs in the country at large.
To conclude, America is a liberate democracy where each citizen should take an active part in political and social issues. It is important to make the United States closer to the ideal society where each citizen is self-conscientious about personal activity contributed into the national issues. However, as a matter of fact, the ethnicity in America is still a weak point for solving political problems. Thus, it would be a great breakthrough in the American social life when different ethnical and cultural groups would be apt at gathering wits. It is a prerequisite for coherence to the strong American national idea. On the other hand, it is a predominant feature for providing stability and consensus between the majority and minorities living in America. Thus, aligning to the idea of political socialization, Americans should take it into consideration that solving the problem of political knowledge distribution through masses would be a so-called panacea from a holistic unawareness throughout the country. To say more, along with a decrease of ethnical struggle in America, the political life is capable of rendering all controversies null.
References
- Berns, R. M. (2009). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (8 ed.). Stanford, CT: Cengage Learning.
- Carpini, M. X. (1999). The Transformation of Civic Life. In Search of the Informed Citizen: What Americans Know About Politics and Why It Matters (pp. 1-39). Nashville, Tennessee: Middle Tennessee State University.
- Gastil, J. (2000). By Popular Demand: Revitalizing Representative Democracy Through Deliberative Elections. Berkley, CA: University of California Press.
- Greenberg, E. (2009). Political Socialization. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
- Moe, T. M. (2001). Schools, vouchers, and the American public. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.