This interdisciplinary book has contributions from scholars in the US, the EU, Korea, and Hungary from the fields of political science and education, sociology, communications, social work, and psychology. The major topics are political culture and socialization, education and learning theory, and communications, media, and politics. Specific topics include constructive patriotism, national pride, political socialization, public diplomacy, authoritarianism and democracy, political cynicism, race and politics, civic education, gender and politics, the Internet and political media use, and electoral politics. This collection provides a fresh perspective on current issues such as political culture/socialization and civic education/media use. Readers interested in politics, history, sociology, psychology, communications, and education will discover many new perspectives on everyday life and politics.

Contents: Russell F. Farnen: Introduction: Summarizing Themes of Political Socialization, Education, Communications, and Culture – J. Christopher Cohrs/Barbara Moschner: Constructive Patriotism and National Pride in Germany: Similarities and Differences – Alma Caubo/Henk Dekker: International Political Socialization: Public Diplomacy Policies in Ten Countries: Differences and Their Explanations – Russell F. Farnen: Democracy, Authority, and Political Culture in Central and Eastern Europe – Bojan Todosijević/Zsolt Enyedi: Postmaterialism and Authoritarianism in Hungary: Evidence from a Two-generation Study – Dieter Nelles/Armin Nolzen/Heinz Sünker: Children of the Resistance: Living Conditions of Children of Those Politically Persecuted under the Nazi Regime – Linda Shepherd: Reclaiming Public Life: Relationships among Economic Threat, Community Involvement, and Racial Trust – Henry Milner: The Phenomenon of Political Dropouts – Alfonso J. Damico/M. Margaret Conway: Democracy and Associational Life in the US: High School and Beyond – Jungil Gill: Gender Differences in Pre-adult Learning of Participatory Orientations: Comparison of the US, Korea, and Japan – Trond Solhaug: Realistic Participation in Democratic School-institutions or Pseudo-democracy in Norway? Critiquing Two Secondary School Models – Natalya Krasnoboka/Christ’l De Landtsheer: Broadcasting the Orange Revolution: Rhetoric of the Ukrainian Media during the Presidential Campaign – Daniel B. German/Dragan Stefanovic: Political Socialization and Media Use: Period Effects of 9/11, 2001 on Political Participation in the 2002 and 2004 Elections: Toward a Theory on Media and Politics – Andy Koch: Party in the Simulacrum: The German Greens and the Virtual Party Meeting of 2000 – Daniel B. German: Political Socialization, Education, Culture, and Political System.