The effects of demographic environment on the legal socialization of Virginia elementary school children

The legal socialization of elementary school children from three demographically distinct Virginia localities was investigated. The attitudes of these children toward the law and police were measured by a questionnaire administered by the classroom teachers. The results obtained tended to reinforce the conclusions of previous socialization theorists with respect to the attitudes of young children toward the law and the police. The attitudes of the children were found to differ as a function of their area of residence. Although this area variable influenced the socialization process, another variable, called sophistication, also seemed significant. This variable, sophistication, seemed to be directly related to the relative socio-economic status of the child, as higher socio-economic children tended to demonstrate the variable to a greater extent. Children of greater sophistication differed from their less sophisticated peers in that they tended to demonstrate a more mature attitude toward the law and police. It was concluded that the children's attitudes toward the law and the police were influenced by their area of residence and their relative sophistication.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Department dc:contributor.department

Political Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1973

Author dc:creator

• Sharpe, James Burruss

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/70559

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/70559