The impact of politics at home
29 november 2023
Explaining the research: the pivotal role of parents
Linet Durmuşoğlu arrives at this conclusion based on prior research on the political socialisation of young people. Alongside Wouter van der Brug, Theresa Kuhn, and Sarah de Lange, she collected information on Dutch youth and their parents for three years, encompassing political party preferences, political engagement and media usage. Durmuşoğlu: 'Various factors influence the political development of young people. Of course they receive political education at school, but peers, media use and parents also shape their political preferences.’
Inequality among youth
The initial study reveals that parents' party preferences and left or right-wing orientations exert a significant impact on their children's political leanings. Parents emerge as highly influential in the political development of children. 'It is, however, crucial to distinguish between politically engaged parents who discuss politics with their children, and parents who do not. This disparity contributes to inequality in the political development of young people, potentially posing challenges for representative democracies’, says Durmuşoğlu.
What do the youth themselves say?
To further discuss Linet Durmuşoğlu's research findings, several University of Amsterdam (UvA) students were asked if they voted for the same party as their parents:
While I might develop my own world view, my parents share the same political vision. I haven't adopted it unquestioningly because I strive to remain objective. I do that by consulting various sources. Nevertheless, we understand each other when it comes to politics, and I value that. We may not agree on certain issues, but overall, we are quite liberal.
Durmuşoğlu: 'As our research indicates, it's not uncommon for many students to vote for the same party as their parents. Interestingly, some students already think beyond party preference, comparing their opinion on specific political issues with their parents’ way of thinking.’
Initially, I voted the same as my parents, supporting the political direction of their left-leaning party. However, a new party emerged that better aligned with my political ideas – a green party that also highlighted discrimination against migrants. In the last elections, I didn't vote for the same party but remained within the same ideological direction.
Durmuşoğlu: ‘This student indicates choosing a different party within the left spectrum. Even if you don't vote the same, there's a high chance that your parents impart something influencing your political ideology.’
Yes, I vote for the same party as my parents. They raised me, and as a result, I share the same political opinion. Nowadays, I talk more with different people and encounter various political viewpoints. So perhaps my choice of party could change in the future.
Durmuşoğlu: ‘It's very interesting that this student already acknowledges that their political opinion may change. Scientific research shows that political development doesn't only take place during your teenage years but continues to evolve constantly, even if your political views change only slightly. In many countries, especially in the Netherlands, voters change their vote regularly. This applies to these students as well. Their future voting behaviour will be determined based on personal values, left or right-wing orientation and opinions on political issues.’ While the political influence of their parents is directly evident in the voting behaviour of UvA students, there are certainly exceptions to that rule.
No, I never followed my parents’ choice but always went with my own ideas. I even enjoy engaging in discussions with them.
Durmuşoğlu explains possible causes: ‘In our research, we found that the bond between a child and parent also has a significant impact. If a child values their parents' opinion, they are more likely to develop in the same political direction. It's also crucial that parents talk about politics with their children so that young people have an idea of what they are voting for.’
Promising outcome
The surprising aspect of the research by Durmuşoğlu and her colleagues is that parents not only influence the political preferences of their children, but the reverse also happens. Linet Durmuşoğlu was excited by that development: ‘Our research revealed that young people also pass on their party preferences and left-right orientations to their parents. This is a promising outcome because it means that parents with low political engagement can be informed by their children, which could be achieved, by paying more attention to politics in schools, for example.’