How do youngsters acquire citizenship orientations such as respect for authority and the law in situations of conflict, terror and chaos? What kind of education produces a radicalized youngster who will become a suicide bomber? How do secular and religious ideas in education conflict in a highly charged political, religious and ethnic setting?

The central objective of this book is to analyze the characteristics of the social contexts and environments in conflict situations, and the impact that these socializing environments may have on the political learning and emerging citizenship orientations of youngsters. Special attention is given to the socializing environments of Palestinian and Israeli youngsters, drawing on material recently collected in Israel.

Ichilov's incisive research uses a multilevel and interdisciplinary approach to argue that political learning is structured within social environments and that there are fundamental differences between the socializing environments in conflictand non-conflict situations.

Of interest to educators, academics and public policy professionals, this book is a key addition to our understanding of socialization and the formation of political beliefs.