ABSTRACT
Political socialisation may be defined as the process by which individuals in a given society become acquainted with the political system and which to a significant degree determines their perceptions of politics and their reactions to political phenomena. The relationship between socialisation and behaviour is much the most difficult aspect of socialisation theory to explore. Closely linked to the socialisation process are the two independent variables of the individuals experience and personality. In a major study of childhood political socialisation Easton and Dennis suggest four stages in the socialisation process. The mass media are widely regarded as an important agent of socialisation in general and of political socialisation in particular. There can be no doubt that in totalitarian societies the control of the media is seen as crucial to the continued dominance of the regime. A major criticism of political socialisation is that much of the research into it is heavily concentrated on American experience and is therefore ethnocentric.
