Political events as agent of political socialization: A case study of change in racial attitudes in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract Contemporary political socialization theory recognizes political socialization as an ongoing process and affords an influential role to political events. Yet, there is a paucity of systematic analyses of the ways in which political events affect adult political attitudes. The process of political transition in South Africa poses events which could affect political attitudes. In a time-span study the effect of political events on the attitudes of young white South African adults was investigated. In the study students from the Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg, were used. Past research showed that white South Africans harboured attitudes which would probably be incompatible with the ‘new South Africa’. Using two sets of survey data, from 1989 and 1991, it became clear that political attitudes started changing in a particular way. For instance, with regard to attitudes towards the African National Congress we saw dramatic reversals of prior attitudes. However, party identification and racial stereotypes were much more resistant to change. This can be explained in two possible ways. First, we were witnessing the early phases of attitude change and the more recalcitrant orientations could change at a later stage. Second, we argue that the adjusted National Party had been the most significant ‘event’ in these young adults' lives and that partisanship structured other political orientations. Should this pertain, it is likely that the early phases of political resocialization actually had set the final parameters of change.