Civics Education, Community Norms and Political Indoctrination

Litt, Edgar. (1963). Civic Education, Community Norms and Political Indoctrination. American Sociological Review, 28 (1), 69-75.

Summary: This text explores the effects of a civic education course on political attitudes and involvement. The researcher uses three groups, Alpha, Beta and Gamma to explore this contingency. The groups are divided based on their socio- economic standing in relationship to the greater community. In short, Litt concludes that formal civics education training has little affect in changing the attitude of its citizenry. Only in more affluent "Alpha" groups do citizens feel a part of the decision making process and able to facilitate its eventual change.

This article is useful for those interested in how to sub- divide/ streamline civics education courses; but monumentally useless to those interested in learning the intricacies or underpinnings of those divisions.