Civic development within the peer context: Associations between early adolescent social connectedness and civic engagement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Oosterhoff ◽  
Lauren Alvis ◽  
Dagny R. Deutchman ◽  
Ashleigh Poppler ◽  
Cara Alexis Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Peer Groups ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Civic Development ◽  
School Students ◽  
Peer Network ◽  
Peer Nominations ◽  
Peer Context

Social connectedness is theorized to contribute to civic development and in turn, civic engagement is thought to cultivate social connectedness. The current study utilized a social network research design to examine associations between early adolescent social connectedness via their position within their school peer network and their civic engagement. Middle-school students (N = 213) aged 11-15 years (M=12.5; 57% female) provided nominations for peer connections and reported on multiple aspects of civic engagement. Early adolescents who had identified more peer nominations had higher civic efficacy. Youth who had fewer connections with different peer groups and fewer connections with popular peers were more engaged in political behavior. Greater popularity was associated with higher political engagement for boys, but not girls. Greater connections with different peer groups was associated with greater environmentalism for younger but not older teens. Findings highlight the need to consider adolescent civic development within the peer context.

Early Adolescent Political Tribalism: Peer Network Homophily in Political Attitudes and Values

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Oosterhoff ◽  
Ashleigh Poppler ◽  
Cara Alexis Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Middle School Students ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
School Students ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
Political Beliefs ◽  
Peer Network ◽  
Social Network Approach

Political homophily represents the tendency for people to affiliate and engage with others who share similar political viewpoints, which can enhance attitude intensity and increase polarization. Little research has examined political homophily during early adolescence, a developmental period when political attitudes are first beginning to form and friendship choices become more autonomous. We examined political homophily using a social network approach with middle school students (N=213; Mage=12.5; 57% female) from a remote US community. Pre-registered analyses indicate that rural early adolescents were more likely to spend time with those who had greater similarities in their political attitudes and values. These effects were most consistent for right-wing authoritarianism, patriotism, and anti-immigration attitudes. Our results show that political homophily is evident at an early age when young people are forming their political beliefs and making decisions about their friendships, suggesting that political tribalism may emerge early in life.

Does Social Media Engagement Translate to Civic Engagement Offline?

2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402199944
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Piatak ◽  
Ian Mikkelsen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Campaigns ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Engagement ◽  
Informal Volunteering ◽  
Using Data

People increasingly engage in politics on social media, but does online engagement translate to offline engagement? Research is mixed with some suggesting how one uses the internet maters. We examine how political engagement on social media corresponds to offline engagement. Using data following the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, we find the more politically engaged people are on social media, the more likely they are to engage offline across measures of engagement—formal and informal volunteering, attending local meetings, donating to and working for political campaigns, and voting. Findings offer important nuances across types of civic engagement and generations. Although online engagement corresponds to greater engagement offline in the community and may help narrow generational gaps, this should not be the only means to promote civic participation to ensure all have a voice and an opportunity to help, mobilize, and engage.

Efficacy of Peer-Network Interventions for High School Students with Severe Disabilities and Complex Communication Needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-114
Author(s):  
Morgan E. Herbert ◽  
Matthew E. Brock ◽  
Mary A. Barczak ◽  
Eric J. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
School Students ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Peer Network ◽  
Network Intervention ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

Peer networks are a promising intervention for increasing social interactions between students with severe disabilities and their peers. However, this approach has not been well studied with high school students who have complex communication needs and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In this study, we used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of a lunchtime peer-network intervention for three high school students with autism and/or multiple disabilities who had complex communication needs. The intervention involved recruiting peers, sharing practical background information and modeling how to communicate with the student, and then providing support as needed. A functional relation was established between the introduction of the peer-network intervention and both social interactions and social engagement. Interactions increased substantially across communication modalities. This study builds on the peer-network literature by demonstrating how this approach can be tailored for high school students with complex communication needs.

The Practice of Youth Inclusion in Community Planning and Resiliency: The Case of Post-Hurricane Harvey

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-85
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
School Students ◽  
Comprehensive Plan ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Participation Process ◽  
Youth Resiliency

This research emphasizes inclusive civic engagement by including youth participation in creating a comprehensive plan post-Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas. Traditionally, youth are less likely to be included in civic engagement initiatives; however, the community-based disaster resilience model and the public participation process model stress the importance of inclusion in rebuilding, resiliency, and planning processes. Using these theoretical frameworks to guide resiliency workshops with upper-class high school students, this research offers a unique perspective of what youth desire in community development and disaster recovery. Qualitative data was gathered from youth resiliency workshops and summative analysis was conducted to discover themes among youth responses. The findings indicate that young citizens are prepared to engage in local civic affairs, which contributes to a healthier and sustainable community. This study further highlights that youth have valuable and unique perceptions of their community and a concern regarding social equity and justice in community development and resilience.

The Effects of Residential Mobility on the Education Outcomes of Urban Middle School Students and the Moderating Potential of Civic Engagement

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Voight ◽  
Regina Giraldo-García ◽  
Marybeth Shinn
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Residential Mobility ◽  
Afterschool Programs ◽  
School Students ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Urban Middle School ◽  
Education Outcomes ◽  
Urban Middle School Students

Residential mobility is associated with negative education outcomes for urban students, but there is little empirical evidence for school factors that may ameliorate these effects. One such factor may be civic engagement at school. This study analyzed data from 2,000 urban middle school students to examine the interplay of residential mobility, education outcomes, and school civic engagement. Findings show that students who change residences have lower academic achievement and rates of attendance and that mobile students who are leaders in school groups and attend afterschool programs have more positive education outcomes compared with their mobile peers who are uninvolved.

scholarly journals The plans and aspirations of teenage students in semi-rural Timor-Leste

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anna Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Good Life ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
The Good Life ◽  
School Students ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Timor Leste ◽  
Education And Development

<p>While there is wide agreement that education supports development, there is also much scholarship to suggest that the potential benefits of education are only fully realised when education systems are well-adapted to local needs. Systems left by colonial in newly independent developing countries, for instance, can impede the achievement of their development goals.  This project focused on the plans and aspirations of secondary school students in Ermera subdistrict, a semi-rural region of Timor-Leste, in order to explore the relationship between education and local livelihoods. Three case study communities in Ermera vila, Ponilala and Mirtutu were examined. Guided by the concept of the ‘good life’, I sought to reveal what students, parents and educators hope to get out of education and development. This enabled me to assess whether the schooling that students are receiving is supporting their future goals.  The methodology combined ethnographic observation with other qualitative and quantitative data collection. It comprised twenty-two weeks in-country: volunteering, and conducting surveys and interviews. The ensuing data analysis draws on education theory, alternative development theory, and decolonisation theory.  Overall I found that the secondary school curriculum is Western-oriented, and focused on getting students into university rather than on preparing them for the kinds of lives they are likely to lead. Students overwhelmingly aspire to university or vocational study, once they leave school. Conceptions of the good life in the three communities centre on social connectedness and opportunities for the next generation. While there is an evident disconnect between the content of available secondary education and local livelihood realities, there have been successful initiatives from within all three communities to expand education over the past twenty years to include local skills and epistemologies. An extension of these efforts to create a more diverse education, with the inclusion of agriculture as a learning topic, could give students the best chance of gaining secure work and leading comfortable lives in the future.</p>

Racial Stereotypes of Early Adolescent White Children

1973 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Lerner ◽  
Michael Karson
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Junior High School Students ◽  
Racial Stereotypes ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
School Students ◽  
White Children ◽  
Lower Middle Class ◽  
Positive View

406 white, lower-middle class junior high school students served as Ss in a study of racial attitudes. Ss were asked to attribute each of 48 items from a verbal checklist to a picture of either a white or a black male. The results indicated that Ss held a predominantly unfavorable view of the black figure and a preponderantly positive view of the white figure.

I Want Everybody to Have the Same Chance to Find Happiness

2020 ◽  
pp. 119-140
Author(s):  
Joel Thiessen ◽  
Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Charitable Giving ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Many ◽  
Politically Active ◽  
As If

This chapter deals with political and civic engagement, once more comparing the actively religious, marginally religious, and unaffiliated. In terms of political engagement, the focus is on the many ways individuals are or are not politically active, including who they vote for. Discussion is similarly given to volunteering and charitable giving habits, such as if people volunteer or donate money (or not), how frequently and where they volunteer or give, and motivations for volunteering and giving. The chapter concludes with some possible social and civic implications on the horizon for those in the United States and Canada, should religious nones continue to hold a sizeable proportion of the population.

Robert D. Putnam,

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J. Marschall
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Neighborhood Organization

This chapter discusses Robert Putnam’s 2000 book,Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, in which he documents the decline in civic engagement, social connectedness and social capital, and sense of community among Americans. Putnam illustrates the devastating effects of these trends for America and Americans by focusing on five “illustrative” fields: child welfare and education, public safety and neighborhood organization, labor- market outcomes and economic performance, health and happiness, and democracy and democracy values. The chapter explains what social capital is and how it works before concluding with an assessment of several areas where scholars have fruitfully engaged or challenged Putnam’s theoretical contribution.

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