Persistence and Discontinuity in Political Soscialization

Research Project

Project/Area Number	08452010
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Politics
Research Institution	Hosei University
Principal Investigator	OKAMURA Tadao Hosei University, Faculty of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (10061128)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MATSUMOTO Masao University of Saitama,Faculty of Economics,Associate Professor, 経済学部, 助教授 (00240698)
Project Period (FY)	1996 – 1998
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1998)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,400,000) Fiscal Year 1998: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000) Fiscal Year 1997: ¥4,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,300,000) Fiscal Year 1996: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Keywords	political socialization / second political socializatlion / political cynicism / generational change / maturational change / implicit party support / no political party to support
Research Abstract	This is an empirical study of development and transformation of political attitudes in contemporary Japan. Our data is based on the results of survey queationnaires administered in the autumn of 1997 in Tokyo area to nearly 1,300 teenagers and 840 adults. It is presumed that political socialization in childhood and adolescence is important determinant for adult political attitudes. But political learning is not restricted to children. It is a lifelong process. Development of political attitudes in adulthood may be called second political socialization. Current researches seem to study first political socialization and second political socialization separately. It is our proposal to consider these two together and comprehensively, namely what will persist, change and discontinue from children to adults. Concerning the images political authority figures, such as Prime Minister and Diet Members, we observe persistence and change in this regard. Japanese children do not regard political authority as kind, benevolent, and good. Adults show the same tendency in this regard. Children see political figures in terms of so to speak "stereotype". Adults, on the other hand, evaluate each individual political figure separately. We participated in the surveys of political attitudes and political socilalization ten years ago and thirty years ago. These experiences enable us to use the method similar to cohort analysis, and to observe "generational" change and "maturational" change. One of the remarkable trends is the increase of of political distrust and political cynicism. This trend should be discussed, not in Western terms, but in the context of Japanese political culture, for we can find a kind of support to the Japanese political system in seeming political cynicism. Another trend is the spread of "no political party to support". To consider this problem, the concept of "implicit party support" is introduced.