Dynamic Influences of First-Time Voters.

Michael Schudeson’s claim is one that echoes in the minds of educators and all civically engaged citizens. As we place our hopes of a better future in the competent hands of future generations, we, those of us who teach in the area of public advocacy and politics, look to our students with great anticipation. Now it is not uncommon for those of us engaged in social scientific research to study attitudes and behaviors of our students. A common practice, students as research subjects/participants, it is often criticized as fallacious, because of limited applicability and generalizability of the knowledge gained. However, for this particular case study, understanding our students’ attitudes about and reactions to political discourse when in a new environment, such as a college or university campus, can lead to a more sophisticated understanding of the dynamics of political socialization for first-time voters and the role we as educators may play in the creation of this environment. The aim of the research is two fold: 1) to gain a better understanding of political socialization for college students; and 2) to explore potential consequences of our own actions as teachers, mentors, advisors, and, of course, civically engaged citizens. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]