Chapter 3: “It's in the Family”: Narratives of Learning and Doing Politics

This chapter uses the Bourdieusian theoretical framework to demonstrate its relevance in showcasing the concept of family as a unit of economic, social, cultural, and, more importantly, political capital. Drawing from ethnographic ruminations in a premier Indian university, it seeks to locate the family as an enabler of political socialization. At the onset, it highlights the central role of family in political socialization. The concept of family appears to be central to the political socialization of activists contesting elections for the recognized student union in the university. Historically, this student union has witnessed intense contests between activists and organizations, and almost all of them have received the backing of their “blood” families or their affiliated organizations, which many of them also refer to as their parivaar (family). It is argued that such familial ties and political party affinities have been instrumental in determining electoral candidature and leadership and in cultivating cultures of activism in the university. Further, it is also demonstrated that together with the family, other sites and agencies of socialization are also entangled and intersect in the socialization of these activists.