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The Impact of School Days: How Teachers and Peers Change Our Political Opinions.
Political Behavior Theory explores how many different factors quantify and illuminate how they influence an individual's political views, ideology, and willingness to participate in the political system. Especially in the important growth environment of school, the influence of teachers and peers cannot be ignored. During the busy school year, young people's time is often devoted to their studies, making education an important arena in shaping their political outlook.
"In the United States, students spend approximately 180 days each year in primary and secondary schools. This is not only a process of learning knowledge, but also an important period for the formation of values."
Research shows that parents’ political views have a significant and long-term impact on their children’s political stance. However, teachers and other educational authority figures are also considered to have a significant influence on students' political orientations. Especially at certain ages, teenagers are more susceptible to the influence of their surrounding environment and pay more attention to and absorb the opinions of those around them.
"Socialization is the process by which individuals acquire knowledge, habits and value orientations that will be useful in the future."
In addition, peer influence also plays a key role. Interactions between friends often occur within the same generation, and the social issues they face together arise as a result. This ability to communicate together not only helps establish individual positions but also facilitates future ideological growth.
From a short-term perspective, media coverage and election issues also have an important impact on political orientation, especially in an election year. The power of the media has an undisputed role in shaping public opinion and can influence public choices and voting behavior.
“Few people would deny the importance of mass media in contemporary politics, especially in the democratic transition after World War II, when the media became a key battlefield.”
This impact is particularly evident among different social groups. Regardless of age, gender or race, every social group can change political outcomes through collective action. In the United States, the voting behavior of Hispanics is further evidence that they are becoming a powerful political force, although their turnout remains low.
In the current political climate, immigration issues are of concern to many Hispanics, and their political positions are divided by social issues. For example, Cuban Americans have relatively high support for the Republican Party. By analyzing the voting behavior of different Asian groups, the researchers concluded that social identity theory can help explain these diverse choices.
"Both social identity and pluralism theories can help us understand how social groups influence political outcomes."
However, motivations for political participation cannot always be explained by rational behavior. Many studies have shown that an individual's motivation to participate is often influenced by the surrounding community. For example, seeing friends voting will motivate you to vote. In this process, social psychological analysis also provides us with a deeper understanding.
In the process of studying the interaction between biology and political science, scholars have begun to explore the genetic basis of political behavior. Within this field, the link between certain genes and political ideology has attracted widespread attention.
"Genepolitics reveals the potential influence of genes in ideological orientation and raises the question of how biological factors intersect with social environment."
As the social environment changes, these theories evolve. Although the connection between biology and political behavior remains controversial, it is undeniable that an individual's political behavior is constantly shaped by everything from school to friends to cultural background.
Finally, when we look back at our student days, we will find that the formation of interpersonal relationships is not just about interaction, but also a foreshadowing of future political choices and actions. This makes people think: How did our current political stance gradually take shape during our student days?
