Abstract

GONZALEZ-AGUILAR, Fernando. Meaning of democracy in university students: A study from the theory of social representations. Psicol. Am. Lat. [online]. 2014, n.27, pp. 8-34. ISSN 1870-350X.

This study aims to investigate and compare the social representations of democracy in undergraduate students from three Intercultural Universities of the City of León in Guanajuato State. It stresses the importance of the thoughts and actions of citizens in the consolidation of democratic processes; whilst it is noted that in Mexico, a complex society is lived with high levels of distrust and uncertainty regarding the future. A 245 subject purposive sample was used. As an instrument for obtaining information, the technique of Natural Semantic Networks, along with elements of the Baseline Cognitive Schema Model was applied. Results allow to identify the following aspects: the thema be-must be such as "micro-organizer"; a structured representation field based on four dimensions: values and counter values, critical contents, actors and instruments, and the main presence of the defining words for equality, corruption, freedom and politics, in all groups investigated.

Keywords : Social representations; democracy; students; higher education.

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