Rethinking Political Socialization in the Digital Age: Media Use, Political Values and Expressive Behaviors

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Poster Session: Mass Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study theorizes the process of political socialization in which media use and personal values direct the influence of socializing agents on political expression. We postulate that early socialization processes affect political expressive behaviors indirectly through different patterns of media use. Adding another layer to the existing scholarship, we propose that personal values such as institutional trust and perceived freedom to talk provide important cognitive antecedents that not only guide media use but also channel media’s effects on expressive behaviors. This dynamic is examined with a particular focus on how digital media contribute to civic development. Most importantly, we compare the effects of key socializing forces on different forms of political expression across generations, providing a fuller understanding of how contemporary citizens take shape.

Authors

• Min-Hsin Su, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Jiyoun Suk, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Hyungjin Gill, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Hernando Rojas, U of Wisconsin-Madison