MR61504 Comparative Politics

Review Question
1. How does the mass media contribute to political socialization?

2. What role do various social groups play as agents of political socialization? Compare
gender and religion as agents of political socialization in any two countries

Lecturer Name` : Mdm. Diana Peters

Name : Nasra Amsyelacibah Binti Mohammad Nasir Matric

Student No. : MA1912011T

The development of information technologies such as the use of mass media including
newspaper, electronic media and social media in the political world has created a new
dimension in shaping a views on political socialization. Popular media or culture is used to
explain how mass media has an impact or contribution on political socialization in general.
Basically, the role of the mass media is to provide information to the public. According to this
information, the mass media plays a role in the process of political socialization. When
information is disseminated quickly and widely to the public it can certainly affect the political
process of socialization. The media, most notably television and the Internet, have a
considerable impact on the lives and political development of adolescents. A teenager today
spends on average eight hours a day using media (Strasburger et al., 2009).1

Social Media nowadays for example, play a central role not only within the political
processes of every type, ranging from coverage of major political events and institutions to
effects on campaigns and elections but also in any individual's life, providing many necessary
information services as well as offering possibilities for self-enlightenment and entertainment.
We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep us moving the
right direction and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health care, education,
personal relationships, travelling and anything else that we have to do. The media have a
powerful role as people have come to treat television, radio, newspapers, magazines and
internet as the basis on which to think and act in the world. Thus media have a potential power
to influence peoples’ attitude, opinion and behaviour around many sensitive issues, such as
gender, ethnicity and age. It can be further argued that, although the question about mass
media direct effect on British politics is a contentious one, it would be practically impossible to
prove that the media has no effect at all on liberal politics. However, it can be difficult at times
to determine whether the media plays a direct or an indirect role in affecting politics.

First contribution is mass media is easily accessible to the public because it has an
aspects such as the content taken through social media nowadays. Basically, the content
discussed in social media is an issue that directly related to politics today. So that the content
can encourage people to be attracted and find out more about the issues of their interest.
People have the rights to find the information what they want, adjusted to the issues they want
to know. The information contained in social media illustrates opinions from various
perspectives, both the community, political elites, and certain community groups or political
parties. With the suitability of the content needed by people, the value delivered through social
media can be accepted by them. In addition to the content received by people, the approach
taken also affects them to focusing to the development of issues available through media.

1
Strasburger VC, Wilson BJ and Jordan AB (2009) Children, Adolescents, and the Media, 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
 Second contribution of mass media is, when we discussed about social group as one of
an agent of political socializaton. Through media, the social group can communicate directly
with the political elite and becoming more active in political participation. In addition, they can
also take part in criticizing government policies through social media. Political socialization
carried out through social media was able to encourage active participation of young people.
This needs to be a concern for various parties to be more active through social media if they
want young people to be more active in participating. However, young people who are part of
social group use social media as a medium for political socialization must also focusing and
criticizing what content is available in it. The distribution of information available on social
media does not have all the legal of information and objectives, so social group as internet
users must be able to pay attention to the truth of that information.

Thirdly, mass media has helped indirectly in the effort to create public minds about
political issues in a country. Mass media has an interest in political persuasion in country. It can
also convey information appropriately and extensively, embracing the number of listeners,
viewers and readers who do not have a lot of time. According to the Mac Bride Report (Unesco
1984: 153), social media which has a large following are able to act as a forum for
revolutionary ideas and expose the abuse of power and scandal.2 The information distributed by
mass media can increase public awareness and knowledge in political socialization. Increased
knowledge in politics is very important to mature society in making decisions about politics,
especially in Malaysia as democratic country. The political scenario and development during
nowdays have been in effected lately made the community more sensitive and more serious in
wanting to know the actual case. Therefore, mass media plays a role in getting coverage and
explaining the prevailing political issues.

Fourth contribution is mass media play the most influential 'power tool' in a political
socialization because mass media provides a public sphere for the people to free up their
political inclusion freely and without any pressure. The term public space refers to a specific
space or region in society where each individual may be free to interact and so on influences a
political act. With the existence of social media now, it is possible to make a contribution to
users, especially to marhaen who are thirsty for news that is more 'transparency' and not
biased to some parties. People are able to judge the news they receive by making comparisons
based on their logical thinking.

In conclusion, the contribution of mass media may bring the impression and change to
the top of a political socialization. If a leader or political organizer is wise in using social media
in expanding empirically, his influence goes through a positive method, then they will help the
leader and administration. In any case, if an ordinance that puts people in the interest of
political, then the high probability mass media will be used by the people of that country to
overthrown the government legacy.

2
Mac Bride (1984: 153). World Communications : A Handbook, er. George Gerbner and Marsha Siefert (New Yor :
Long Man, 1984), 14-27
2. What role do various social groups play as agents of political socialization?
Compare gender and religion as agents of political socialization in any two countries

Social groups play role as an agents of political socialization. Their impact varies with the
nature of societies. The more highly developed and complex society is, the greater will be the
number of social groups and more important role they will play in the process of socialization.
As the complexity and development increases in society so does the value of social groups.
There are three types of social groups which socialize politically in different ways. Firstly, there
are social groups with a distinctly political character. Political parties and political youth groups
fall in this category. They are established clearly for the purpose of disseminating political
values, mobilizing political action and recruiting the political leaders. The second type represents
those groups which are instituted for non-political purposes, but which are found to carry on
political education and mobilization along with their other activities for example labour union
and students union. These groups aim at collective bargain in their particular field. But even
these groups are led by the leaders following particular political ideologies. Some of them are
even active members of a particular political party. They impart political education to their
followers and take part in active politics from time to time. The third type of secondary groups
does not have any political character, nor do they ever try to impart political education to their
members. But mere participation in their routine affairs gives their members opportunities to
develop orientations that have political relevance.

In political socialization, religion and gender are also part of the agent of political
socialization. The religions of the world are the bearers of cultural and moral values, and often
related to the political implications. Influential religious leaders, who view themselves as
teachers bring their followers together in socializing children through education, lectures, and
religion. In most countries, there is a formal relationship between government and religious
domination. China and Iran for example, competitive leaders play a major role in political
recruitment. In authoritarian systems, recruitment may be dominated by a single party, as in
China, or by unelected religious leaders, as in Iran.

Whereas gender is a political socialization agent, it is usually the gender agency that can
shape one's social experience and life opportunities. In many countries, it signals the
importance of political issues and roles. However, gender differences in politics have narrowed
in most industrialized countries, although this has persisted in most less developed countries.
For example, modern women's thinking styles encourage women to become politically active
and to change the social aspect of women's aspects should enter the political arena. The
reduction of gender differences in self-image, in the role of parents, and in relation to the
economy and political system affects the patterns of political participation, political participation
and public policy. This was explained by comparing two countries between Thailand and
Malaysia.