Socialization of Attitudes toward the Legal System¹

Abstract

Socialization to the legal system was explored with data on attitudes toward policemen, the Supreme Court, and the fairness of laws obtained from approximately 9000 elementary school children tested in 1961–62. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences by school grade, sex, social class, and intelligence. Four models of the process of socialization were also discussed. Lower‐middle class children tended to give higher ratings to the policeman than either upper‐middle or lower class children, a precursor perhaps of the current “law and order” emphasis in adults from this group. There was also a significant increase with age in the amount of difference between the attitudes of boys and girls.