POL SCI 164A Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Mass Media
27 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
PS 164A Reading
Children & Politics, Greenstein
CH2: A Case Study in Early Political Learning
- Interview with Judith, 10.5 years old
- Better than average, lives in modest middle class neighborhood
- Purpose of interviews: provide background to design questionnaires later
administered
- So format of interview was loose and unstructured “encouraged
her to tell me what she knew, thought, felt about the poltical terms
recited to her”
- Findings:
- *** no interview was typical, but Judith’s exhibited common
findings with children of similar characteristics: girls, middle class
children, middle age groups in the sample
- Unfamiliar with terms
- Abstract categories
CH3: Children’s Feelings about Political Authority
- People have assumptions about their leaders (varies across leadership roles and
societies)
- Feelings of New Haven children sometimes resembled adult views, sometimes
very childlike
- Adult ambivalence toward political authority
- Adult assessments of political leaders are inconsistent, abiding distrust
manifested
- BUT specific politic roles are held in high esteem - senator, mayor,
governor
- President - public respect for his role and symbolic position at the
pinnacle of the nation
- Mere fact of incumbency can improve a leader’s reputation with
people previously skeptical
- Shown in study interviewing Stevenson supporter previously
critical of Eisenhower after the election
- Effect visible also when vice president assumes presidency
unexpectedly (Kennedy)
- Also a rise in post election of reelected incumbents
- Willingness to rally around president when his role of
national leader in the international arena is emphasized (ex.
Roosevelt’s wartime leadership)
Document Summary
Ch2: a case s dy in early poli ical learning. Be er han average, lives in modes middle class neighborhood. P rpose of in erviews: provide backgro nd o design q es ionnaires la er adminis ered. So forma of in erview was loose and ns r c red (cid:343)enco raged her o ell me wha she knew, ho gh , fel abo he pol ical erms reci ed o her(cid:344) *** no in erview was ypical, b j di h"s exhibi ed common findings wi h children of similar charac eris ics: girls, middle class children, middle age gro ps in he sample. People have ass mp ions abo heir leaders (varies across leadership roles and socie ies) Feelings of new haven children some imes resembled ad l views, some imes very childlike. Ad l assessmen s of poli ical leaders are inconsis en , abiding dis r s manifes ed.
