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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

religion, political socialization, political values

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Political Science

Abstract

I believe that the religion a person was socialized in has lingering affects on his or her political values. Parents play the most prominent role in the political direction of their children both early in life and up through young adulthood (Niemi and Jennings 1991). This is because parents transmit political values to their children through socialization, the everyday conversations and interactions about the political world as well as broader norms and values that occur within the family, thus influencing their political attitudes and behavior. Religious ties also greatly contribute to individuals’ political attitudes and behaviors (Wald and Calhoun-Brown 2010). In America, religion plays a prominent role in society and thus also in political socialization. Pew’s 2007 Religious Landscape Survey found that 83% of the American population affiliates with a specific religion, 78% of those identify with a Christian religion. This research will address the relationship between religion and political socialization. Put simply: parents socialize children, and religion influences political behavior. Thus, religious socialization from parents should play a prominent role in socializing political behavior. I hypothesize that religious and political socialization interacts to influence political attitudes and behaviors.

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