When political socialization research began in the 1960s the question of which agent was responsible seemed dominant. As the field has progressed researchers have realized that for some topics parents are important (e.g. political partisanship and culturally-based attitudes); for other topics schools are vital (e.g. knowledge of democratic ideals and government structures/processes); for still other topics peers are important. For immigrant adolescents the school and siblings play a special role. School effects are mediated through the content of the curriculum but also the climate for discussion in the classroom and the development of collective action in the school. Institutions of higher education can sometimes impart complex understanding to form “civic-minded graduates.” For understanding political positions or arguments, the cognitive maturity of the adolescent or young adult plays a role. The paper will review research (especially in the U.S. and Sweden) and integrate the material presented by other speakers.
