Navigating a complex landscape:Parental political socialization in the Netherlands

Abstract

Adolescence is a crucial life-phase for political learning. During this formative period, adolescents develop and stabilize their political preferences through the process of political socialization. This dissertation proposes that political socialization processes are influenced by the structure of the party system in which adolescents grow up. While two-party systems provide a relatively stable electoral context, multiparty systems present adolescents with a more fragmented and volatile political landscape, creating unique challenges for political learning. Drawing on original survey data from the Netherlands, I examine how adolescents form their party preferences amid such challenges, with a specific focus on the role of parents as socializing agents and the dynamics of intergenerational transmission in multiparty contexts. I explore various aspects of parental political socialization and intergenerational transmission in multiparty systems, such as the importance of the left-right spectrum for the socialization of party preferences, bidirectional socialization, moderators of transmission, and generational differences in ideological perceptions. My findings underscore the need for more integrative approaches to studying political socialization, emphasizing the importance of considering a broader range of political orientations and the role of children as agents in political socialization processes