Problem:
What has influenced your knowledge of and perspective about politics and government?
About Reaction/Reflection Assignments
The goal of these Reaction/Reflection Assignments in our POLS 301 class is for you to demonstrate that you can read/listen/watch/view materials about a topic and, upon reflection, use the information presented in a variety of ways and clearly communicate your ideas in writing.
Make sure to read the instructions below carefully. After reading the instructions, look at the grading rubric (even more below) to understand how this assignment will be evaluated. Once you have finished the assignment, but before you submit it, I suggest going through it one final time just make sure that you have completed every task. Did you answer every part of every question? Did you write out your responses in full sentences with proper punctuation, capitalization, and spelling? Did you meet the minimum length for your response?
In this module, we considered the process of political socialization - the way in which we develop our knowledge of and attitudes, values, and beliefs about politics and government based on our experiences.
Reflect upon your own experiences and write a brief summary and explanation of why you think what you think and how you know what you know. Please note: It is not necessary to reveal your personal political views themselves, although it is also okay to do so. The focus can be on why and how you have the values you have and think what you think rather than what your values are and what you think.
What to Do
Reflect, on your own experiences, then write. For EACH of the following, write your responses in complete and grammatically correct sentences as indicated.
1. Think about your upbringing, education, and the social groups to which you belong. Which agents of political socialization were particularly influential? Why How did these influence your political perspective? [2-3 sentences]
2. Think about the current political environment and your experiences with government. What significant events or circumstances have influenced (or are currently influencing) your view of government? How did these events or experiences influence your view? [2-3 sentences]
3. Connect your background and experiences to the information presented in this module. How do your responses reflect the information presented in this module about the process of political socialization and the formation of public opinion? Be specific. [3-5 sentences]