WHAT IS
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION?
By Carl Patton, FreedomJournal
Truly political socialization is a
fundamental and/or major process by which Black people in the United States are
programmed to accept the existing political structure of capitalism and its
underlying oppressive conditions in regard to the Black experience. It has also
come to be a system that has confused and mis-directed many who profess to be
Leaders and/or Activists. Thus with a Leadership structure confused and
suffering from Political Socialization the Black community continues to wander.
Cultural exploitation is the most
damaging form of exploitation Blacks are confronted with. Thus, political
socialization is a systematic form of cultural exploitation. The growth and
development of political socialization in regard to the Black experience can be
realized through the maturational process with reference to early childhood and
adulthood.
The agents of political socialization
their messages and how they structure and develop the Black political self
definitely extend the reality of the socialization process. The nature of the
Black political self and its impact on Black political practice is tied to
political socialization and the Black experience.
The ideas, loyalties and dispositions
that people have about politics are counter to one's own definition of self
interest. These assumptions are often not met with any systematic calculation.
Further these irrational and emotional feelings to a great extent are a product
of the values of the elements that dominate in society. Thus, these elements
allow the manipulation of the masses by the dominant sector that is counter to
their own self interest.
Political socialization and political
culture are two key concepts in noting how Black people come to hold certain
political beliefs and how they relate to political behavior. Culture is noted
in repeat responses to certain stimuli. Any collectivity of people over a period
of time develops certain responses. Political culture refers to expected
responses of people in a given society with regard to stimuli, expected
responses, and the beliefs of that society about stimuli and responses.
Hence socialization is a process by which
people learn these responses, transforms and make new dimensions in the
culture. As domination proceeds culture becomes mature and the socialization
process becomes a part of one's own being.
The eventual result is the oppressed
element grows to accept domination as a way of life and as the natural order of
things. Frantz Fanon (writing in the realm of Colonized Mentality) argues that
the oppressed elements are psychologically conditioned to accept their state of
oppression. In the process they pose no threat to the existing regime and in
fact fully support their own oppression. Evidently Blacks do not have an
understanding of domination and its relationship to political socialization.
In an attempt to explain this process
Marxists have rendered theories and arguments. But the Marxists refusal to
qualify the question of race and its relationship to the total working class
stifles any theoretical or alleged practical overture that they may have toward
relief of the oppressed. Certainly from birth individuals in the United States
are conditioned and programmed through their environment to accept and project
what is established as a correct outlook or perspective for an American
citizen. People that share a common perception of environment over a period of
time will begin to manifest common responses to certain stimuli and the sum of
these responses becomes their personality. Culture is a response to society as
a whole, but personality is how individuals see society.
The maturational process as evident
in one's political personality begins with certain attachments to basic
symbols. From early childhood U.S. society provides for the development of
certain positive responses to basic symbols. As the maturational process
extends to adulthood. Here we see a grasping of other symbols that relate to
the previous one's and some informational content for those symbols and later
explanations which purport to explain the place of importance of these symbols
in the life of oppression. Thus, the maturational process from its inception
introduces one by way of indoctrination to certain values and attitudes that
eventually forms one's political personality.
The dominant factors in U. S. society
have historically promoted free enterprise (in a positive manner) and communism
(in a negative manner). Persons not taking these two principles and making
their own analysis as to the Black experience will undoubtedly make conclusions
not in their best interests. By the time one is 15 he has formed explanations
for certain institutions, and eventually comes to hold irrational beliefs that
are counter to one's own definition of reality.
A dying and drowning man that reaches
for abstract theories that are noted to make an analysis of the existing
economic and political structure is in a dilemma. There are no economic,
historical and political theories that have not made a transition from the
time, place and condition in which they were written. The Bible, the Word of
God is the only source of information, Truth and Knowledge that has Not Changed
overtime. God is not in the Luck business. However, the wager on an economic
system of analysis developed in 18???? is the "Fools Bet "and
"Hustling Backwards." Meanwhile, the FreedomJournal will take the
road of Faith and ride the Mighty Wings of the Creator.
Cont. Part
2: Political Socialization
carl@freedomjournalpress.comcastbiz.net
All rights reserved FreedomJournal Press 2009.
