Bahrain's Political Socialization in the Early 1970s The Associations, the Press, and the Constituent Assembly

Bahrain's first steps towards a Constituent Assembly reveal the enthusiasm of a State in the making, despite all the challenges and uncertainties. This article will focus on the period between 1972 and 1973, with a view to understanding how this Arab Gulf country, just after its independence in 1971, approached the process of political socialization, while preparing itself to some political changes. The role of the associations, the clubs, and the press will be investigated to arrive at an outline of the foundations of the constitutional experiment: the internal debates on the draft Constitution are examined. Different positions emerge, but at the same time very interesting efforts to overcome divisions and promote unity in this delicate stage are evident, and they stand out in the contemporary history of Bahrain fifty years on. This article is mainly the result of the author’s research in Bahraini archives on original material related to the years under study.