Adolescence is a critical phase for learning about politics and forming political views. Besides school, interactions with parents provide a key source of information. 'Adolescents hear how their parents talk about politics. They also observe their actions, such as voting, demonstrating, or choosing environmentally conscious behaviour, like taking the train instead of driving,' Durmuşoğlu explains. 'This exposure gives adolescents insights into their parents' political views, which they often adopt.'

A Two-Party vs. Multi-Party System

How parents influence their children depends on the political system. 'In a two-party system like the U.S., where people are either Democrats or Republicans, individuals often identify with one party for life,' says Durmuşoğlu. Much of the research on political socialization comes from these two-party contexts, showing that children often adopt their parents' party identifications in such systems.

Durmuşoğlu wanted to explore how this works in a multi-party system like the Netherlands. 'In the Netherlands, there are numerous political parties, and the landscape changes frequently—some parties disappear, lose significant support, while new parties can quickly rise to prominence. This dynamic means that parents are less likely to have lifelong party affiliations and often shift their party preferences.'

Parental Influence in the Netherlands: Left-Right Orientations Matter

Durmuşoğlu collected survey data from 751 Dutch adolescents aged 14 to 20 and their parents over three years, measuring their political opinions and behaviours.
The results show that while children in the Netherlands do adopt their parents' party preferences, the parents' left-right orientation and specific political views have a strong influence. 'Young people inherit these more general political orientations, which helps them develop preferences for particular parties.'

From Left-Right Orientation to Party Preference

According to Durmuşoğlu, understanding the abstract ideological concepts ‘left’ and ‘right’ helps adolescents grasp the structure of the complex Dutch party landscape. 'It allows them to evaluate party positions and translate this understanding into a personal party preference.' She finds it remarkable that Dutch adolescents are adept at this. 'This shows they understand the political landscape well enough to connect their opinions with vote choices.'

However, she warns that not all young people comprehend these concepts equally. 'Civics education can enhance adolescents’ understanding of the ideological dimensions in politics. The advantage of the left-right framework is its stability compared to the volatile Dutch party landscape.'

Influence of Children on Parents

Durmuşoğlu also discovered that political influence within families flows both ways. 'Adolescents pass on their party preferences, left-right orientations, and views on various political issues to their parents.'

This reverse influence offers an intriguing possibility. 'By teaching adolescents about politics in school, we not only prepare the next generation for civic participation but also indirectly educate adults through their children.'

Take Young People Seriously as Political Actors

Durmuşoğlu emphasizes the importance of taking adolescents seriously in their political development. 'They are not far behind the average adult in this regard. The adolescents in my study demonstrated the ability to connect their ideological orientation and political opinions to a party preference—and even influenced their parents’ views—despite not yet being eligible to vote.'

Thesis details

Linet Durmuşoğlu, Navigating a complex landscape. Parental political socialization in the Netherlands. Supervisors: prof. dr. W. van der Brug en prof. dr. S.L. de Lange. Co-supervisor: prof. dr. T. Kuhn.

Time and location

Thursday, January 9, 13.00-14.30, Agnietenkapel, Amsterdam