[ot-caption title=”In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the American flag soars over a state park (via Keith Srakocic/AP Images)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AP12020113730.jpg”]

Today, people question the origins of political views and what may have influenced them, especially for young people. There is a belief that young people’s political opinions are often determined by the views of their parents. In the United States, for example, if your parents are Democrats, you are more likely to become a Democrat and likewise for the Republican Party. There have been studies that prove that parents’ political views really do influence maturing children when attempting to understand and form opinions on politics for the first time. According to the Huffingtonpost.com, research performed by Jack McLeod and Steven Chaff shows that the way that children discuss certain things in society, such as politics, with their parents affects their overall views on the topic. Not only do parents influence their children’s political views, but they can also have huge influences in different realms such as religion, gender, and ethnicity.

Often, children look up to their parents as role models to follow and seek guidance in. Therefore, parents’ views will affect how young people think. When an unknown topic of discussion comes up, such as politics for a young child, it is only natural that the child seeks explanation from his or her parents. When parents discuss views with their children, they will most likely want their child to agree with their beliefs or views. Parents may tend to push their certain political views on their children making them have more Democratic or Republican views, for instance, when they discuss politics. In addition, parents can openly display their political views in the house or even in the community. This visible ideology certainly reaches and influences young people. In an email interview, PC Senior Andrea Cureton said, “Kids are a product of the environment in which they grow up. So, if your parents have specific political views, then you are more likely to share their ideas.” Similarly, PC Freshman Rhea Kumar noted, “Children look up to their parents as role models and if their parents view a certain situation a certain way, the children will, too.”

Sophomore Josh Jacobs expressed his belief that young people should try to participate in various activities and educate themselves on politics, so that they can form their own political and idealogical opinions. When asked whether childrens’ political views are determined by their parents’ views, he explained, “The answer is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Rather, children are influenced by the activities and clubs that they participate in. If students are not politically active or do not seek to educate themselves about various political means, then they will default to what they have been told by their parents and how they have been influenced at home. Activities such as debate, Model United Nations, forums with guest speakers and various clubs provide ways for students to hear different viewpoints in order to form their own. So, it is critical to participate in various activities to avoid being unfairly taught what to think.”

Along with these activities, in today’s advanced and interconnected society, technology makes it much easier for young people to access diverse opinions. Watching the news on TV, reading articles on the internet and viewing political content on social media devices are easy ways to become informed and be able to form opinions based on discussion and private decision rather than parent bias. It is especially important for students to form their own political opinions as many upperclassmen will be voting in the upcoming 2016 election.  Their ability to research and understand candidates’ ideologies is very significant.  In fact, throughout American history, students have voiced their opinions and played a huge role in leading political movements through mechanisms such as protests. This reality shows that students can have a major influence in politics by forming personal opinions and expressing ideas or concerns.

PC Sophomore Erin Carr said, “I think that most childrens’ political views are indeed influenced by their parents’ views because it’s simply the way that the parents raise their children. However, this is not always the case, as some children oppose their parents’ views.” In this interview, Carr discussed how some children are heavily exposed to their parents’ views but are not influenced because they end up disagreeing with their parents. Sophomore Emily Williams added, “Children are also affected by their peers, school, and social media outlets.” This fact shows that there are many different possible influences on children that can sway them toward a particular political idealogy. So, while parents can heavily influence their childrens’ political views, there are other sources for young people to utilize in order to establish personal opinions on important political topics without being pushed in one direction by a role modeling parent.

Sources:

huffingtonpost.com

ushistory.org