Educate for Democracy: The Importance of Legal Socialization

Abstract

In this article, we examine the process of legal socialization of children and adolescents over time. The objective was to investigate the relationship between the home and school experiences and the formation of legitimate democratic values. We used a sample of 800 students over four data collection periods (from 11 to 14 years old) living in the city of São Paulo. The analyzed data involved variables such as rule-violating behavior, perception of law, believe in justice, and legal cynicism. The statistical analyses show that procedural justice is the main mechanism that generates authorities’ legitimacy. We conclude that socializing children to obey the legitimacy of laws results in an educational tool for democracy.

Department(s)

Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.1590/198053149444_en

Keywords

AUTHORITY, DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, SOCIALIZATION

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Journal Title

Cadernos De Pesquisa

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