Preadult Development of Political Tolerance

Abstract

This is a study of the levels and origins of political tolerance using a sample of 10- to 17-year-old Wisconsin preadults and theirparents. The respondents were interviewed by telephone three times from early 1980 to late 1981. In general, political tolerance was low, both for parents and their children. The preadults, however, exhibited greater political tolerance than did their parents. Indeed, they showed an age-related developmental pattern opposite to that of adults. For toleration of communists and of racists there were roughly the same patterns, but with some interesting differences. There were small, but significant, parent and child correspondences. Familial interpersonal communication patterns have an influence on the development of tolerance in children. Mass-mediated communication, however, is not significantly related to instilling tolerant values in children, although it is important for adults.