POL 222 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Classic Case, Continentalism, Free Trade
22 Jun 2018
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POL 222 CHAPTER 13 NOTES
INTRODUCTION
The mass media (principally TV, newspaper, radio, Internet) = primary
sources of most Canadian’s knowledge and opinion about topical political
issues and current personalities
Another important link between people and the government is the public
opinion poll as parties, advocacy groups, govenments and the media
themselves seek to discover Canadians’ opinions on every conceivable matter
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
Outlining various agents of political socialization – the sources of public values
and information
Surveys the state of the media in Canada and concludes with a discussion of the
proliferation of public opinion polls
About the acquisition or transmission of such political values, attitudes and
information
The definition of cultural hegemony
The dominant value, beliefs, assumptions and expectations of society as
established historically by political, economic, religious, media or other
elites
DEFINING POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION (AKA POLITICAL
LEARNING/EDUCATION)
Political socialization = the process whereby individuals acquire their political
values, attitudes, beliefs and orientations
Consists in part of direct, individual observation of political phenomena, but is
mostly performed by intermediaries or agents of socialization
Relatively easy to identify the main agents of political socialization in Canada,
but much more difficult to evaluate their relative impact
I: FAMILY
Considered as the basic cell of Canadian society
1st major influence on a child’s attitudes and values
Families provide children with certain circumstances of birth, especially their
regional and ethnic origins and their social class
Most children absorb attitudes and values, some of which are of political
significance. Parents’ casual comments about policies, politics and police are
good examples
Some parents deliberately try to indoctrinate their children with certain political
values such as supporting a particular political party or developing a sense of
civic obligation
II: SCHOOL
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The decrease of the family’s influence and the greater use of childcare centers
increased the importance of the school
An early influence that it is likely to shape basic lifelong values.
All school systems in Canada and elsewhere deliberately attempt to inculcate
certain basic values and attitudes, including some of the political nature, such as
feeling of affection on support for the country, the governmental apparatus, the
head of state, police, flag and national anthem.
As provinces and territories have jurisdiction over education, they may contribute
to distinctive regional political cultures and identities at the expense of the overall
country
The radically different accounts of certain historical events found in French and
English textbooks, such as whether Louis Riel was a traitor or a hero are often
cited as examples of the biased role of formal education in this process
The forces of dualism, regionalism, and continentalism in Canadian society makes
it difficult for the school system to develop a pan-Canadian sense of national
identity
III: PEERS
Simply those around us who are part of our lives or have influence, such as
friends, acquaintances, or co-workers
We are all susceptible to peer influence throughout others
Whenever and wherever two more people communicate, political issues of oen
kind or another may arise, and one person can influence the other.
In peer-group discussions around the water cooler, one person often becomes
dominant because of that person’s knowledge position, or strength of character
Ironically, people may actually gain more information about politics from their
networks of loose acquaintances than from their families and close friends. The
reason for this, as sociologist Marc Granovetter explained is that our relationships
with family and friends tend to be “closed networks”- that is , the people are more
likely to be closely connected. Political information, therefore circulates wthin the
network and usually reinforces what we already believe.
In our widely group of acquaintances, by contrast, each person is likely to have
different friends, family and acquaintances.
“Thhis open network” includes many potential sources of new information and
ideas
OTHER AGENTS OF OTHER SOCIALIZATION
The term “mass media” includes: political parties, religious faiths, groups of
various kinds, corporations, think tanks and government itself are also influences
on political attiudes, values and opinions
Political parties practice the art of persuasion and seek to influence opinions
and party preferences on a daily basis
Individual corporations are in the business of persuasion, trying to sell their
own goods and services. Companies will also try to influence political
attitudes and opinions, an effort that is called advocacy advertising
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Advocacy adveritising= advertising that advocates a political point
of view rather than trying to sell a good or service
Involved in the free trade debate, especially during the 1988
election campaigns, expressing through speeches, debates, letters,
advertisements, information sessions with employees and inserts in
newspaper
Used the media to try to influence Canadians’ opinions on tax changes,
environmentalism, drug patents and nuclear energy
Churches
Influenced the political values, atitudes and opinions of their members
Classic case: Roman Catholic Church in Quebec in 1960, where it had a
close relationship with political authorities and often told its members to
behave politically
While that church continues to take stances on political issues, some
positions such as those LGBT community- appear to have softened
Many interest groups are sources of useful information about public policy
and it is sometimes difficult to separate them from “think tanks”, whose
main purpose is to provide analyses of such policies
Think Tanks
Right side: the Fraser Institute, the C.D Howe Institute, the Canada West
Foundation and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Centre: Institute for Research on Public Policy, the Caledon Institute and the
Canadian International Council
Left: the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Broadbent Institute and the
Council of Canadians
Governments
Engaged in efforts to influence public views and behaviour such as encouraging
physical fitness, discouraging smoking, impaired driving, racial discrimination,
violence against women, the use of drugs
Expected to inform the public about new laws, regulations and programs
There is a fine line between providing simple information and extolling the
virtues of such initatives for partisan purposes
Following 1995 Quebec referendum, Jean Chretien’s government spent
hundred of million of dollars in a pro-Canada adveritisng campaign in that
province
This resulted in the Sponsorship Scandal where some went back into
members’ pockets and campaigns
Harper government was criticized for its aggressive promotion of the
Alberta oil sands and for what some saw the Conservative Party
promotion in communicating new government policies
The Mass Media
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Document Summary
The mass media (principally tv, newspaper, radio, internet) = primary sources of most canadian"s knowledge and opinion about topical political issues and current personalities. Another important link between people and the government is the public opinion poll as parties, advocacy groups, govenments and the media themselves seek to discover canadians" opinions on every conceivable matter. Outlining various agents of political socialization the sources of public values and information. Surveys the state of the media in canada and concludes with a discussion of the proliferation of public opinion polls. About the acquisition or transmission of such political values, attitudes and information. The dominant value, beliefs, assumptions and expectations of society as established historically by political, economic, religious, media or other elites. Political socialization = the process whereby individuals acquire their political values, attitudes, beliefs and orientations. Consists in part of direct, individual observation of political phenomena, but is mostly performed by intermediaries or agents of socialization.
