Type of research: basic Duration from: 01/01/91. to 01/01/94. Papers on project (total): 0
Institution name: Fakultet političkih znanosti, Zagreb (15) Department/Institute: Faculty of political science, Zagreb Address: 41000 Zagreb, Hrvatska (Croatia), Lepušićeva 6.
Communication
Phone: (041) 485-022
Phone: 385 (41) 485 022
Fax: 385 (41) 412 283
Summary: This reserach is directed at comparative analysis of
the development of political culture and the processes of political
socialization of youth in Croatia and internationally. This project has
shown that political education in the principles of freedom and democracy
is necessary in contemporary society, and that an education policy withaut
political science instruction is flawed. Empirical research was
conducted at the elementary school level, as previous international
reserach (R. Hess and J. Torney, 1967; D. Easton and J. Dennis, 1967) has
shown that this is the crucial point at which formation of fundamental
political attitudes towards the nation, government, law, symbols,
democracy, political efficinecy, etc. occurs in youth. This reserach
has shown, for example, that a significant number of Croatian students have
not formed opinions on democracy, political competance, national problems,
government authority, etc. The formation of this attitudes in Croatian
youth is at least two years later than in American youth. Compared to
American students, Croatian students had a significantly lower level of
political efficiency (awereness of possible individual political activity).
Croatian students also lack a progressive increase in political efficiency
with age, whereas with American students this is significant. Canonical
factor analysis showed that the relations between the defined dimensions of
political culture and conditions of political socialization are very
complex. The reserach uncovered four such (canonical) dimensions.
Keywords: Political culture: attachment to system, political efficacy, party identification, political participation; Political socialization: process personalization, proces institucionalization of govrenment; Political education
Research goals: The goals of this project are: 1. to analize
interpretations of political culture and political socialization. 2. to
analize processes and models of political socialization. 3. to review the
results of reserach on development of political culture, and the processes
of political socialization in Croatia and internationally. 4. to researach
development of political culture in primary students, with emphasis on
development of respect for the nation, government, symbols, democracy, etc.
and party identification. 5. to anlize methods of structurizing manifest
political attitudes, and define the basic (latent) dimensions of political
attitudes of youth. 6. to reserach determinants (sex, age, family, and
school) and processes of development of fundamental dimensions of political
culture. 7. to reserach and assess the theory about general depolitization
of education. The defined goals are met. The results are useful in
political education in schools (education in freedom and democracy). This
reserach is being continued at higher levels of education. Other information about the project.