Parental Worldview and Children

—Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

—José Martí

—Victarion Greyjoy, in A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin

[Page 567]Political worldview is influenced by an assortment of factors, including peers, family, religious affiliation, culture and ethnicity, local environment, community, and one’s underlying sense of purpose and meaning in the world. In addition to individual issues, such as attitudes toward gender identity, minimum wage, capital punishment, abortion, the right to bear arms, and environmental protections, it is reasonable to see primary family interactions as being central in shaping individuals’ political and cultural worldview. This entry explores the relationship between the worldview of parents and how this can impact the development of the perspectives and ideologies of their children.