The 22 essays in this volume discuss contemporary trends in democratization, nationalism, political socialization, authoritarianism, and other topics such as conflicting loyalties in Europe and the US. Since there are seven different countries represented among the authors who have contributed to this volume, they have produced a unique, international, comparative and cross-national research perspective on significant issues in contemporary politics, socialization, and education. This book provides an interesting collection of empirical research findings and scholarly syntheses of quantitative and qualitative research efforts. Major emphasis in these studies is on the impact of socialization forces and political socialization of youth from various sources. Some research studies are quasi-longitudinal, treating different regions in Europe, and emphasizing significant themes such as racism, intolerance, xenophobia, the European Union, and democratic political philosophy and citizenship.

Notes on Contributors - Preface - PART 1: SETTING THE CONTEXT - Introduction; R.F.Farnen - Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Education: A Preliminary Empirical 70-Nation Global Indicators Study; J.Meloen - Nationalism, Democracy, and Authority in North America and Europe since 1988: Lessons for Political Socialization and Civic Education; R.F.Farnen - Central and Eastern European Elite Perspectives on Political, Communications, Educational, Economic, and Environmental Changes (1989 to 1993); R.F.Farnen & D.B.German - PART 2: AREA/NATIONAL CASE STUDIES - What Makes a Slovak a Nationalist? A Case Study; H.Dekker, D.Malovn & R.Theulings - Polarization and the Development of Political Ideology in Germany: Race, Values and Threat; M.W.Watts - Hungarians' Conflicting Identifications with the Homeland and Europe; G.Csepeli, L.Keri & I.Stumpf - Problems of Transition to Democracy in Hungary: Political Participation, Voting Behaviour, and Partisan Attitudes; I.Stumpf - Deluded Nations; G.Csepeli - Democratization in the Ukraine Under Conditions of Post-Totalitarian Anomie: The Need for a New Human Rights Developmental Strategy; E.I.Golovakha & N.Panina PART 3: SOCIALIZATION PROCESSES: CASE STUDIES - Changing Nationality Stereotypes through Contact: An Experimental Test of the Contact Hypothesis among European Youngsters; H.Linssen, L.Lagendoorn & L.Mateusen - The Socialization Process for Hungary's New Political Elite; L.Keri - Identification with Social Groups and Intolerance among Dutch Adolescents: An Empirical Study; W.Vollebergh - Recent Changes in Polish Youth's Social and Political Consciousness; B.Fratczak-Rudnicka - PART 4: DEMOCRATIZATION TRENDS AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION - How Can the European Union be Democratized?; R.Meyenberg - Elite-Mass Linkages and the European Community: Testing Consensus Explanatory Models; H.Dekker & R.Willemse - PART 5: POLITICS AND/OF EDUCATION - The Relevance of Political Philosophy to Educational Theory: Hannah Arendt and 'Active Citizenship'; S.Miedema - Socialization for Moral Democracy; C.A.Klaassen - Democratic Citizen Competence: Political-Psychological and Political Socialization Research Perspectives; H.Dekker - Authoritarianism, 'Nie Wieder': Anti-Semitism in the Low Countries; J.D.Meloen - Democratic Socialization in the Schools; M.Conway, S.Bowman Damico & A.J.Damico - PART 6: CONCLUSIONS, SYNTHESIS, AND SUMMARY COMMENTS - General Conclusions and Overall Findings; R.F.Farnen - Index