Political Socialization
Socialization explores how people acquire political values and maintain or develop their political culture. It has played a huge role in post-World War II Germany and the transition from a fascist regime to a partitioned state with both communist and democratic zones, and finally to a unified nation. Thus, Germany is particularly interesting for its fractured continuity of socialization and sweeping transformations in culture and ideology.
Family and Education
After Germany’s disastrous loss in World War II, the political values of families came into question. Parents then became socialized into the democratic system alongside their children. In Germany, as in other nations, family has always been the socializing agent most removed from the government. But for reasons mentioned above, the majority of socialization in eastern Germany is direct, as opposed to indirect (through the family). In terms of trends, the gap between generations has recently widened because of the development of new post-materialist values.
Education has been a much more essential socializing agent than family in Germany. In both the east and west, the government has used civics classes in schools and other means to “sell democracy” and strengthen democratic values. However, the general trend is modernization, specifically moving away from this one-sided portrayal of democracy as more and more Germans accept government legitimacy. In addition, the tracking system of public schools results in different types of political socialization for children in different tracks or socioeconomic classes.
Religious institutions are not as politically relevant in Germany as in other nations like the USA or Iran.
Media
The press has been highly politically active in modern Germany. In the absence of a national, state-controlled media source, large media conglomerates hold much of the influence on the people. Newspapers and TV programs are often regionalized, which results in a diversity of socializing forces. To combat the kind of propaganda seen in Nazi and partitioned Germany, journalists focus on neutrality and plurality.
Interest Groups
Germans are very involved in associations based on their occupational, religious, socioeconomic, and recreational interests, but these do not generally involve political socialization. The largest associations are trade unions and professional associations, more than 1,000 have legal lobbyist status. Though associations almost never have official ties to political parties, they do work closely together. For instance, labor unions help to spread the values of the Social Democratic Party, while the SDP advocates the protection of laborers’ rights. A prominent trend is the rise of neo-corporatism. Corporations are more and more openly involved in political negotiations.
Political Parties
As discussed in “Political Culture - On the Policy Level”, Germany has several political parties that each socialize different groups of people. For example, the conservative Christian Democratic Union dominates politics and affects the political values of Catholics, elderly and rural Germans, while the Social Democratic Party and Free Democratic Party affect the values of urban and working class Germans. Parties exert strong influence over their constituents, inspiring high party loyalty among members.
Banner image by Crafty Dogma of Flickr
Family and Education
After Germany’s disastrous loss in World War II, the political values of families came into question. Parents then became socialized into the democratic system alongside their children. In Germany, as in other nations, family has always been the socializing agent most removed from the government. But for reasons mentioned above, the majority of socialization in eastern Germany is direct, as opposed to indirect (through the family). In terms of trends, the gap between generations has recently widened because of the development of new post-materialist values.
Education has been a much more essential socializing agent than family in Germany. In both the east and west, the government has used civics classes in schools and other means to “sell democracy” and strengthen democratic values. However, the general trend is modernization, specifically moving away from this one-sided portrayal of democracy as more and more Germans accept government legitimacy. In addition, the tracking system of public schools results in different types of political socialization for children in different tracks or socioeconomic classes.
Religious institutions are not as politically relevant in Germany as in other nations like the USA or Iran.
Media
The press has been highly politically active in modern Germany. In the absence of a national, state-controlled media source, large media conglomerates hold much of the influence on the people. Newspapers and TV programs are often regionalized, which results in a diversity of socializing forces. To combat the kind of propaganda seen in Nazi and partitioned Germany, journalists focus on neutrality and plurality.
Interest Groups
Germans are very involved in associations based on their occupational, religious, socioeconomic, and recreational interests, but these do not generally involve political socialization. The largest associations are trade unions and professional associations, more than 1,000 have legal lobbyist status. Though associations almost never have official ties to political parties, they do work closely together. For instance, labor unions help to spread the values of the Social Democratic Party, while the SDP advocates the protection of laborers’ rights. A prominent trend is the rise of neo-corporatism. Corporations are more and more openly involved in political negotiations.
Political Parties
As discussed in “Political Culture - On the Policy Level”, Germany has several political parties that each socialize different groups of people. For example, the conservative Christian Democratic Union dominates politics and affects the political values of Catholics, elderly and rural Germans, while the Social Democratic Party and Free Democratic Party affect the values of urban and working class Germans. Parties exert strong influence over their constituents, inspiring high party loyalty among members.
Banner image by Crafty Dogma of Flickr