Political Socialization of Younger Generations: Participation, Beliefs, Attitudes and Knowledge.

Although the study of socialization processes has existed for decades in the social sciences, recent local and global transformations have challenged existing assumptions and renewed interest in these processes. These transformations include intersecting crises such as globalisation, insecurity and misinformation and a diversification of young people’s democratic practices (from local radical acts of resistance to global peaceful demonstrations). Additionally, the emergence of the right-wing conservative movement, growing concern about populist candidates, and increasing political polarization pose uncertain scenarios. The acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the new generations and how these prepare them to exercise their role as citizens in the recent local and global contexts becomes an important question.

These scenarios challenge knowledge about intergenerational socialization processes, the role that families and schools can or should play, and the role of traditional media and social networks, among others. To address these challenges, this panel accepts theoretical, empirical, and experimental contributions that aim to discuss (1) findings of different agents of socialization and their role in acquiring knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors relevant to the exercise of citizenship throughout life, (2) the social transformations and their impact on political socialization processes, and (3) the challenges that social shifts and generational differences put on current knowledge about political socialization processes.