People's worldviews are important: they clearly affect the way people think and behave, at the personal, social, and societal levels. Insights into the nature of people's belief systems, both how they work and how they are formed and modified, allow us to better understand how people shape and are shaped by social institutions and ideologies.
The research described in this book examines how the worldviews of university students differ across disciplines, and whether those disciplinary differences reflect pre-existing student differences or are produced by different disciplinary worldviews. Four studies evaluate these opposing explanations for differences in sociopolitical orientations, using quantitative and qualitative data from students and graduates. The reasons behind discipline choice are also explored.
This book will be of interest to those seeking to understand the role of education, and specific discipline context, in shaping sociopolitical orientation. It also argues for a more comprehensive measure of worldview, encompassing diverse elements of social, political, and economic attitudes, policy preferences, and behaviours.