CHILDREN'S CONCEPTION OF POLITICS, A DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY Vlasta Zabukovec, Marko Polič * ABSTRACT Children of different age (8, 11 and 14 years) were questioned about the politics in general and in Slovenia. Their conceptions were rather naive, but the level of understanding increased with age. While the knowledge of the youngest group was at a very concrete level, the older children gave a greater variety of more complex answers. Rosenberg (1987, 1988; after Milbum, 1991) has proposed a "structural developmental" approach to political understanding. By this he means that the ideology can be understood through an examination of the structure or an individual's thinking about politics. Various componentes are involved in the structure of an individual's thinking, including the number of perspectives that a person takes on a specific issue and the relationships the person sees among these perspectives. Rosenberg proposed that individuals think about politics in three different ways: sequential, linear and systematic. The most complexs political thinking is the systematic one. Sequential thinkers do not use abstraction and generalization. They see events that occur close together in time as related to one another. Linear thinkers think in casual terms but do not go beyond models that view one variable causing another. Systematic thinkers go beyond simple causal models and consider that different factors may interact with each other in nonlinear ways and that there may be reciprocal relationships among different variables. Rosenberg's (1987, 1988) research indicates that individuals differ considerably in the type of thinking they use to solve problems, and that the sophistication of their thinking about politics and political situations is very similar to the way they approach traditional psychological cognitive problem-solving tasks. The development of political socialization is a complex process, connected with child's intelectual development and general development and by social, political and economical situation. According to Piaget's cognitive theory it could be expected that political conceptions become more complex and more abstract by older children. This opinion was * Oddelek za psihologijo. Filozofska fakulteta, Aškerčeva 2, Ljubljana ] PSIHOIOSICA OBZORIA - HORIZONS OF PSYCHOLOGY 93/2 confirmed in the investigation of Berti (1988). She followed the line of research of Adelson and coworkers and explored the notions "organization" and "conflict", which are fundamental to political thinking, as the word "politics" refers both to the way in which the community is organized and to the arena in which different conflicting projects or "policies" compete. 80 Italian children from 6 to 15 years old participated in the study. At the age 6-7 there is no political idea. The conceptions of 8 to 9 years old children differ from those described above owing to increasing recognition of conflicts and to the idea that large groups of people are ruled by "chiefs" or "boss" who give orders and impose prohibitions. This result could be explained by the fact of concrete operational thinking. A minority of children at this age express a general and abstract conception of the function of the law. Conceptions about government change at the age of 12 to 13. This conceptions differ from the conceptions of youger ones in the idea that making laws is the job of the whole community, not onlyof one or several political leaders. This idea does not reflect any present political system, but resembles conceptions on the origin of game rules that Piaget found at the same age level. For this reason, it appears to be rooted not in factual knowledge but in autonomous morality arising in preadolescence. The most substantial advances in children's political thinking take place after the age of 12 to 13 with the onset of formal operational thinking. 14 to 15 years olds spontaneously talk about conflicts, regard the constitution of a government as the starting point for the establishment of a community and express a general and abstract idea of the function of the law. As we have seen, the above described sequence agrees with the findings on children's social knowledge, in this way supporting the cognitive developmental approach. Adelson and O'Neil (1966) made investigantion in which participated children from 11 to 18. They have examined the development of political reasoning. The results showed that the most substantial advances take place in the periods between 11-13 and between 13-15 years. During the first period, children show a change from concrete, tied-to-present thinking to mature political reasoning in at least some of the items. In the second period, they become able to reason abstractly and use general principles. The onset of formal operational thinking allows children to have better understanding of the actual working of the political institutions and to understand the various ideologies and their links with the conflicting interests of different social groups. METHOD Subjects: The sample was comprised of 79 school children, 26 of 8 years old, 25 of 11 years old and 28 of 14 years old. The same age children were from the same class. The interviews were taken in their schools. All of them took a part with their parents' permission. Instrument: The questionnaire has 20 questions. Most of them are opened. They covered three topics, the politics and the politicians, the democracy and the last one, political parties. i,Lv Procedure: Research was going on in february 1992. The youngest children answered individually, the others in a group. SODOBNO PQJMOVANJE KONSTOUKINE VEUAVNOSTl* ] Ç RESULTS AND DISCUSSION There are some specifics in the answers, depended on the child's development. In the Piaget's sense, younger children are egocentric, so they can not transcend a purely personal approach to matters which require a sociocentric perspective. So the answers were categorized in individual and group tendency. Another reflection of the concreteness of younger children can be found in their tendency to treat an activity as a simple or as complex one. So the answers could be put in these two categories. And the last one is the value of the answers, which could be posititive or negative. Older children stress the positive function of politics. All the results are discussed in percentages. Table 1 WHAT IS THE POLITICS? ...... PERSON ACTIVITY VALUE NOT KNOW AGE N Individ. Group Simple Complex Positive Negative 8 years 26 0 3.8 7.7 3.8 3.8 0 69.2 11 years 25 4 8 44 8 4 0 28 14 years 28 0 0 14.3 50 7.1 7.8 14.3 The knowledge about the politics increased with years. Many 8 years old children did not know what the politics is (69,2%), 14 years old were more concerned in activities in politics than in person. They threated the politics like the complex activity (leading of the country, representing the country), while the younger children emphasized simple activities (meeting of the presidents, meeting of the government). All three groups had positive approach to politics, older children were more concerned in value. Table 2 WHO ARE THE POLITICIANS? WHAT ARE THE POLITICIANS DOING? PERSON AcnvrfY VALUE NOTKNOW AGE N Individ. Group Simple Complex Positive Negative 8 years 26 7.7 0 65.4 3.89 0 0 38.5 11 years 25 8 4 48 44 0 0 8 14 years 28 0 3.6 32.1 92.8 7.1 0 0 Because they had to mentioned concrete acitivites or concrete actions of the politicians, the answer "not know" was rare. It was the highest for the younger group (38,5%). Younger children in their answers stressed simple activities of politicians (talking, go to meetings, traveling through the world), while for the older children the complex activities were more important (they represent Slovenia, they solve economic problems). Children of the age of 11 have stressed equaly simple and complex activities. 20 PSIHOOSKAOBZORJA-HORIZONS OF PSYCHOiOGY 93/2 Younger children more emphasized individual role of politicians (president), but the older ones group role (members of parliament). Table 3 j WHAT IS THE DEMOCRACY? PERSON AaiVlTY VALUE NOTKNOW AGE N Individ. Group Simple Complex Positive Negative 8 years 26 0 0 19 7.7 0 0 80.8 11 years 25 0 0 0 12 8 0 80 14 years 28 0 7.1 0 35.7 21.4 0 39.3 Because the conception of democracy is rather abstract, the percentage of "not know" answers was 80,8% at the age of 8 and 80% at the age of 11. 8 years old children very often mentioned simple activities (the possibility of talking), 11 years old emphasized complex activities (country fight for independence). The group of 14 years olds gave more complex answers on this question. They found out the group role of democracy (all people have the same rights), they had possitive attitude to it (free country, democratic country) and they emphasized complex activities in the democracy (fighting for the rights of people). Table 4 HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE COUNTRY IS DEMOCRATIC? , PERSON ACTIVITY VALUE NOT KNOW AGE N Individ. Group Simple Complex Positive Negative 8 years 26 0 0 11.5 0 7.7 0 73.1 11 years 25 0 0 4 4 4 0 80 14 years 28 7.1 14.3 25 14.3 17.9 0 32.1 The percentage of answers "not know" was rather high, specially for the group of 11 years olds. 8 years old children stressed simple activities (time without war) and positive value of democratic countries (independent country). The oldest children had more complex answers again. They thought that the group role is the most important (all people have the same rights) and they had positive attitude to democratic country ("smart" life). But it was rather surprising that they mentioned more simple activities than complex ones. When they had to answer which country is the most democratic and which is the least democratic, they were rather confused, they classified the same countries in both groups, what indicates that they do not have developed this conception yet. SO{X)BNO POJAC>\ttlsUE KOhCTOUKTNE VEUAVtviOSTl' | Table 5 i WHAT IS THE POLITICAL PARTY? i 21 PERSON ACTIVITY VALUE NOT KNOW AGE N Individ. Group Simple Complex Positive Negative 8 years 26 3.8 3.8 7.7 3.8 0 0 88.5 11 years 25 12 0 12 4 0 0 72 14 years 28 0 42.8 0 0 0 0 60.7 The majority of children did not know what the political party is, specially younger ones. 8 years old children emphasized simple activités (people talking). 11 years old children stressed individual role in political party (president) or simple activities (they have meetings). 14 years old talked about group role of political party (organization with special goal). Table 6 WHAT IS THE OPPOSITION? What is the oposition? What does the oposition do? AGE N NOT KNOW NOT KNOW 8 years 26 0 3.8 11 years 25 4 8 14 years 28 0 0 It is not suprising that children did not know what are the differences between the political sides. Only low percentage of the older children answered to this question (25%, people around the president, the main political party). Table 7 WHAT IS BETTER, IF THERE IS ONE, FEW OR MANY POLITICAL PARTIES? AGE N YES NO NOT KNOW 8 years 26 11.5 84.6 3.8 11 years 25 20 64 12 14 years 28 7.1 82.1 10.7 WHY YES NO AGE N Person Activity Value Person Activity Value 8 years 26 0 7.7 0 0 11.5 44 11 years 25 4 8 0 0 16 20 14 years 28 0 7.1 0 0 21.4 32.1 PSiHOlOSKA CeZORJA - HORIZONS OF PSYCHOLOGY 93/2 More than a half of younger children were sure that it's better if there are many political parties, because many people could have more ideas. Children of 13 years old were not quite sure what's better, if there are many, few or one political party. They argue if there are a lot of people, they can't consider the ideas of all of them, but the others thought that many parties could solve more problems. Children of 14 years old answered that smaller number of political parties is the best, because they can talk to each other and can solve problems quickly, the decis-sions are more complex, they can make better decission if they consider more parties than only one. WHAT IS THE OPPOSITION? Younger children did not know what the opposition is. Children of 14 years old also did not know, but a few of them told that the opposition is a party which is not the most important. WHAT DOES THE OPPOSmON DO? The result was the same as for the previous answer. The oldest children thought that the opposition take control the main political party, the party which has a power. The most of them did not want to work in politics when they will be grown up. They thought that politicians must work too hard, they spent a lot of time in job, they have to travel a lot and they are worried all the time. One of them meant, that to be a poUticians is too responsible, but the others thought that the politics is stupid, nonsense and so on. Specially younger children (8 years old) gave answers with value. The reasons mentioned by the children, who want to work in politics, were that they can travel a lot, they could meet a lot of interesting people and they could learn a lot of interesting things. CONCLUSIONS The majority of children stress the activity in politics, younger children the simple activities, older ones more complex activities. The tendency of egocentric perception by younger children is not obvious. But they are more oriented to person than older children. The older children give more answers with value then the younger. They have more positive attitude to politics in the whole. Younger children (Syears old) give answers more on concrete level than on abstract one. They can name some activities and are able to tell some facts, but they can not apply their knowledge effectively to the question. Their thinking is egocentric, tied to present and current experience. The political thought of the youngest is constrained by personalized, concrete and present oriented modes of approach. Their thinking is sequential. 11 years old children give the answers on both levels, on concrete and on formal one. Their answers were similar both to the answers of younger and older group. They stress the connection between the events, but it is linear. 14 years old children are closer to formal stage of thinking, although some answers were also on concrete level. Their thinking is more general and abstract. SODOBNO POJMOVANJE KONSTRUKTNE VEUAVNOSn* They are able to reason from premises. They consider many factors in interactive way. The mature modes of reasoning are capable of sliping back easily. The political reasoning is also connected with knowledge. Younger children have less experience and less knowledge on this topic (8 years old). The older ones are more interested in political information, that does not include only knowledge, but also the apprehension of consensus, a feeling for the common and prevailing ways of looking at political issues. They reflect internalization of adult perspectives. REFERENCES Adelson J., O'Neill R.P., Growth of Political Ideas in Adolescence, The Sense of Community, Journal of personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1966; Berti A.E., The Development of Political Understanding in Children between 6 -15 Years Old, Human Relations, Vol. 41, 1988 Milbum M.A., Persuassion and Politics, Pacific Grove: Brooks and Cole, 1991, 61 -63 Piaget J., Inhelder B., Intelektualni razvoj deteta. Zavod za ud'benike i nastavna sredstva, Beograd, 1982 241 PSíOLOSka OeZORJA - HORIZONS OF PSYCHOLOGY 93/2