Politics: The Basics, 4th Edition

Attitudes to democracy vary markedly in different countries. Dia-

mond (in LeDuc et al., 2002: 217–221) quotes a variety of studies

showing endorsement of democratic principles varying from highs of

83 per cent in Costa Rica, 81 per cent in Nigeria and 75 per cent in the

Czech Republic to much lower levels of 54 per cent in Zambia and 39

per cent in Russia and Brazil.

One explanation as to why people identify politically with distinct

social groups, or adopt particular political values, is that they have

been socialised into particular political cultures in which varying

lines of social division and commitment are important. However,

this does not explain why political cultures vary in this way. For this

we have to look at the history and social structures of the specific

countries concerned. It can be argued that the concepts of culture and

socialisation have merely assisted us somewhat in the systematic

description of the problem, rather than solved it.

106 PROCESSES

Table 5.1(a) Typical socialisation research findings: attitudes to president

Agreeing in school grade (%)

2 4 6 8 10 12

‘President cares a lot’ (1961) 75 56 46 43

‘President cares a lot’ (1974) 79 65 32 28 22 16

Sources: Hershey and Hill (1975); Easton and Dennis (1969); Hess and Torney (1967)

Table 5.1(b) Typical socialisation research findings: most popularly used

sources of information about foreign people

Nationality USA Bantu (sic) Brazil Turkey

6 year olds TV parents parents parents

movies (contact) friends

(parents)

10 year olds TV parents movies books

movies contact magazines texts

books teachers contact courses

courses magazines

texts

magazines

Source: Lambert and Klineberg (1967)