The Political Socialization of Pakistani Youth: A Quantitative Study of Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58932/MULF0046Keywords:
Civic participation; higher education; Pakistan; political socialization; religion; youthAbstract
Educational institutions do not only impart formal education but also serve as agents of political socialization. The present quantitative study examines how higher education institutions in Pakistan contribute to the political socialization of youth and to what extent these institutions encourage political participation and informed citizenship. A survey of 100 university students across three cities (Muzaffarabad, Gujrat, and Lahore) was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Results indicate that the political socialization process among university students is dynamic and multi-faceted, involving various formal and informal agents. Family, peers, media, and educational experiences all significantly shape the political awareness, the attitudes and the behaviour of youth. Notably, while most respondents’ value democratic participation, gaps in political knowledge and trust in media were observed. The findings underscore the need to integrate civic education and open up discourse in university environments to foster informed, active citizens. In the light of these findings, policy measures to strengthen the role of universities regarding political socialization are recommended.
References
Ahmad, A., Jabeen, S., & Rehman, R. U. (2019). Political socialization in Pakistan: An analysis of political participation among young people. Journal of Social Sciences, 4(1), 1–10.
Ahmed, M. A., Nawaz, M. A., & Iqbal, M. S. (2020). Political socialization and voting behavior: The mediating role of political participation. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 40(1), 49–63.
Almond, G. A., & Verba, S. (1963). The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Atlantic Council. (2022). The role of religion in Pakistan’s democracy. South Asia Center.
Beck, P. A., & Jennings, M. K. (1991). Family traditions, political periods, and the development of partisan orientations. Journal of Politics, 53(3), 742–763.
Campos, C. F. S., Heap, S. H., & León, F. L. L. de. (2016). The political influence of peer groups: Experimental evidence in the classroom. Oxford Economic Papers, 64(4), 963–985.
Cheah, P. E., Hwang, K. K., & Lee, J. (2021). The persistence of religious identity in Muslim youth is influenced by parents. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 11(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2020.1820432
Dahl, R. A. (1998). On Democracy. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Ehman, L. H. (1980). The American school in the political socialization process. Review of Educational Research, 50(1), 99–119.
Galston, W. A. (2001). Political knowledge, political engagement, and civic education. Annual Review of Political Science,Vol 4, 217–234.
Hess, R. D., & Torney, J. V. (1967). The Development of Political Attitudes in Children. New York: Doubleday.
Horton, P. B., & Hunt, C. L. (1984). Sociology (6th ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill.
Hussain, A. (2015, March 15). Education system of Pakistan: Issues, problems and solutions. Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) Review.
Jary, D., & Jary, J. (2005). Dictionary of Sociology (4th ed.). Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Jennings, M. K., & Niemi, R. G. (1974). The Political Character of Adolescence: The Influence of Families and Schools. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Kahne, J., & Bowyer, B. (2017). Educating for democracy in a partisan age: Confronting the challenges of motivated reasoning and misinformation. American Educational Research Journal, 54(1), 3–34.
Langton, K. P. (1969). Political Socialization. New York: Oxford University Press.
Lieven, A. (2011). Pakistan: A Hard Country. New York: PublicAffairs.
Lundberg, E., & Abdelzadeh, A. (2024). The role of youth extracurricular activities and political intentions in later political participation and civic engagement. Journal of Adolescence, 97(3), 662–674.
Massialas, B. G. (1970). The school in the political socialization of children and youth. Educational Leadership, 28(1), 31–35.
Neundorf, A., & Smets, K. (2017). Political socialization and the making of citizens. In Oxford Handbooks Online: Political Science.
Palonsky, S. B. (1987). Political socialization in elementary schools. The Elementary School Journal, 87(5), 493–505.
Tyler, M., & Iyengar, S. (2023). Learning to dislike your opponents: Political socialization in the era of polarization. American Political Science Review, 117(1), 347–354.
UNESCO. (2020). Empowering Youth for Sustainable Development. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
Xenos, M., Vromen, A., & Loader, B. D. (2014). The great equalizer? Patterns of social media use and youth political engagement in three advanced democracies. Information, Communication & Society, 17(2), 151–167.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 South Asian Journal of Religion and Philosophy (SAJRP)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
