Question: Topic - Political Socialization
Examine what effect the major agents of socialization have had on you and your thinking about politics/government. Here are some possible ways to develop your thoughts about this assignment. What is your earliest memory of thinking about politics? When did you first begin to know something about presidents or political parties? What influence along these lines did your family have on you? Your school(s)? Your neighborhood (or maybe your former country)? Your peers, experiences, etc.?
When did you begin to form political opinions of your own, not just repeating what you had heard? Do you consider yourself conservative - liberal - radical - moderate - nothing? What are your general attitudes toward authority in its various forms? Are you usually obedient, respectful, resentful, passively aggressive, or openly hostile? If you have no real political leanings or beliefs, why do you believe that is the case?
Political Socialization Instructions: Each student will write an essay on the topic below, 5 to 6 typed (12-pitch) double-spaced pages long. This will be an academic paper. APA FORMAT That means check spelling and grammar. Use paragraphs. Use (with proper referencing) the Barbour/Wright text and two other academic book or journal sources, i.e. Political Science Quarterly, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, etc. (NOT newspaper articles, news magazines, or WEB sites.)
Format (APA format): You need to open with an introductory paragraph describing what you intend to convey, and end up with a concluding paragraph that ties the paper together. Do not just list facts and definitions from the book or articles. Analyze them and show how they fit together and how they fit into the general theme of your essay. You have many options for themes and approaches. Write this so that it is meaningful to you as well as meeting the course requirement as described herein. Note that this paper is to be five to six pages of text - if you add a title page and/or bibliography page (which may be needed) they are not part of the 5-6 pages.