Political Awareness of Students towards the 2023 House of Representatives Election: A Case Study of Kalasin University Students
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aimed to 1. examine the level of political awareness among students at Kalasin University regarding the 2023 House of Representatives election, and 2. analyze factors affecting political awareness and propose strategies for promoting political engagement among the younger generation. A mixed-methods research approach was employed, with data collected from 341 students through questionnaires and in-depth interviews conducted with 15 participants. The findings revealed that students
demonstrated a high level of political awareness (M = 3.92). Political news awareness showed the highest mean score (M = 4.00), followed by political culture (M = 3.98),
political understanding and interest (M = 3.97), political participation (M = 3.86), and political socialization institutions (M = 3.84). Factors influencing political awareness were at a high level (M = 3.91), with information-seeking behavior having the strongest
influence (M = 3.95). In-depth interviews identified key factors influencing voting decisions: policies addressing youth concerns, digital media information consumption, fear of losing future rights, and family influence. The study indicates that Generation Z exhibits different political awareness behaviors compared to previous generations, with online media and social media playing crucial roles in accessing political information. Key recommendations include: the government should develop youth-specific policies, utilize digital media for political communication, and enhance transparency; educational institutions should modernize political curricula, promote media literacy, and create platforms for political discourse.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
พระธงชัย วชิรญาโณ. (2563). การตื่นตัวทางการเมืองของเยาวชนไทย. วารสารวิชาการรัฐศาสตร์และรัฐประศาสนศาสตร์, 2(3), 21-31.
ณฐมน หมวกฉิม. (2564). การมีส่วนร่วมทางการเมืองของเยาวชนไทย. วารสารวิชาการรัฐศาสตร์และรัฐประศาสนศาสตร์, 2(3), 21-28.
สมบูรณ์ สุริยวงศ์. (2542). ระเบียบวิธีวิจัยทางการศึกษา. กรุงเทพฯ: วิสิทธิ์พัฒนา.
Ball-Rokeach, S. J., & DeFleur, M. L. (1976). A dependency model of mass-media effects. Communication Research, 3(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365027600300101
Barberá, P., Jost, J. T., Nagler, J., Tucker, J. A., & Bonneau, R. (2015). Tweeting from left to right: Is online political communication more than an echo chamber?. Psychological Science, 26(10), 1531-1542. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615594620
Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., Miller, W. E., & Stokes, D. E. (1960). The American voter. University of Chicago Press.
Dalton, R. J. (2017). The participation gap: Social status and political inequality. Oxford University Press.
Easton, D., & Dennis, J. (1969). Children in the political system: Origins of political legitimacy. McGraw-Hill.
Gil de Zúñiga, H., Jung, N., & Valenzuela, S. (2012). Social media use for news and individuals' social capital, civic engagement and political participation.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(3), 319-336. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2012.01574.x
Hobbs, R. (2010). Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action. A White Paper on the Digital and Media Literacy Recommendations of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. Aspen Institute. 1 Dupont Circle NW Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036.
Loader, B. D., Vromen, A., & Xenos, M. A. (2014). The networked young citizen: Social media, political participation and civic engagement. Information, Communication & Society, 17(2), 143-150. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.871571
McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187. https://doi.org/10.1086/267990
Morozov, E. (2011). The net delusion: The dark side of internet freedom. PublicAffairs.
Noelle-Neumann, E. (1974). The spiral of silence: A theory of public opinion. Journal of Communication, 24(2), 43-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1974.tb00367.x
Norris, P. (2001). Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the internet worldwide. Cambridge University Press.
Sunstein, C. R. (2017). Republic: Divided democracy in the age of social media. Princeton University Press.
Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., & Brady, H. E. (1995). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics. Harvard University Press.
