Civic and political socialization Jan Šerek Youth Development 7. 4. 2021 Why adolescence? •development of a social aspect of person‘s identity (Erikson, 1968) •social and institutional incentives –educational system (Niemi & Hepburn, 1995) –political rights • Why adolescence? •Impressionable years hypothesis • • • •Life-long openness adolescence adulthood adolescence adulthood Why adolescence? •Impressionable years hypothesis • • • •Life-long openness Why adolescence? •Three sources of support for the impressionable years hypothesis: • 1.longitudinal research has found that political orientations have the lowest stability in adolescence and young adulthood, while remaining relatively stable later in the life (Krosnick & Alwin, 1989; Prior, 2010; Sears & Levy, 2003) Eckstein, Noack, & Gniewosz (2012) have found that political orientations become increasingly stable during adolescence Why adolescence? •Three sources of support for the impressionable years hypothesis: • 2.the same pattern was revealed for other sociopolitical attitudes related to civic/political behavior, such as authoritarianism, dogmatism, tolerance, ethnocentrism, adherence to social equality etc. (Duckitt, 2009; Vollebergh, Iedema & Raaijmakers, 2001) Why adolescence? •Three sources of support for the impressionable years hypothesis: • 3.studies on the collective memory show that people tend to recall from their memory those political events (e.g., democratic transition) that happened in their adolescence or young adulthood rather than the events that happened earlier or later in their lives (Valencia & Páez, 1999) historical events have the largest impact on political development of the person if these events occur between adolescence and adulthood (Sears, 2002; Sears & Levy, 2003) And what about children? • And what about children? •“by the time the child enters high school at the age of 14, his basic political orientations to regime and community have become quite firmly entrenched so that at least during the four years of high school little substantive change is visible” • •(Easton & Hess, 1962, 236) And what about children? •Criticism: Cook, 1985; Merelman, 1972; Niemi, & Hepburn, 1995; Renshon, 1992 And what about children? •Criticism: Cook, 1985; Merelman, 1972; Niemi, & Hepburn, 1995; Renshon, 1992 Children have different cognitive functioning compared to adults And what about children? •Joseph Adelson and his colleagues: • • Children may differentiate between local and national government and know something about political parties but they do not understand why political parties compete with each other and what is the difference between democracy and dictatorship Adolescents differentiate between abstract public offices (e.g., president) and concrete persons holding these offices consider long-term consequences of law and other social norms, their consistency with general moral principles, and their consequeces for various social groups understand that political parties represent interests of different social groups And what about children? •More general theories of cognitive development: • •Jean Piaget •we become able to use abstract reasoning from age 11-12 •Robert Selman •from age 12-14 we become able to take a perspective of a „third“ person •from age 15 we become able to take perspectives of „third“ non-aligned persons who come from different sociocultural backgrounds How do they participate? • How do they participate? civic participation political participation How do they participate? civic participation political participation How do they participate? political participation How do they participate? •different definition à different picture of current youth Our data •June 2014 • •about 2,000 9th and 10th graders (Mage= 15.7) • •survey research in schools •civic engagement is issue-oriented and associated with one‘s lifestyle • http://feminspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bigstock_silhouettes_of_concert_crowd_i_1565261621 .jpg http://www.merchandisingplaza.com/images/products/41926/img2.jpg https://desertpeace.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/boycott-the-boycott-2.png How do they participate? •most young people are upset with everything related to „politics“ • How do they participate? http://www.wackybuttons.com/designcodes/110/1101789.jpg •it‘s not about online vs offline, •it‘s about „easy“ vs „difficult“ • How do they participate? Please think about your adulthood now. If I thought that there was something wrong in the society, I would … The CATCH-EyoU study (2017) How do they participate? •they are far from favoring non-normative activities over normative activities • How do they participate? Syvertsen, Wray-Lake, Flanagan, Osgood, & Briddell, 2011 Syvertsen, Wray-Lake, Flanagan, Osgood, & Briddell, 2011 writing to public officials, giving money to a candidate, and working in a political campaign How do they participate? How do they participate? Syvertsen, Wray-Lake, Flanagan, Osgood, & Briddell, 2011 participating in lawful demonstrations and boycotting certain products or stores How do they participate? Syvertsen, Wray-Lake, Flanagan, Osgood, & Briddell, 2011 participation in community affairs or voluntary work How do they participate? •they tend to focus on local and community issues • How do they participate? •they tend to focus on local and community issues • •37% environment and animal rights •28% local issue •20% human rights in the Czech Republic •17% human rights abroad •11% politics • • • • • What is political/civic socialization? • What is political/civic socialization? •Macro-level perspective •how societies and political systems maintain their stability by instilling certain values, beliefs, and behavioral norms in their citizens? • •Micro-level perspective •by which patterns and processes individuals engage in political/civic development , learning and constructing their particular relationships to the political/civic contexts in which they live? • •(Sapiro, 2004) What is political/civic socialization? •Macro-level perspective •how societies and political systems maintain their stability by instilling certain values, beliefs, and behavioral norms in their citizens? • •Micro-level perspective •by which patterns and processes individuals engage in political/civic development , learning and constructing their particular relationships to the political/civic contexts in which they live? • •(Sapiro, 2004) What is political/civic socialization? •Ecological approach • •“[…] development takes place through processes of progressively more complex reciprocal interaction between an active […] organism and the persons, objects, and symbol in its immediate external environment. To be effective, the interaction must occur on a fairy regular basis over extended periods of time” (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006, p. 797). • •“the form, power, content, and direction of the proximal processes effecting development vary systematically as a joint function of [1] the characteristics of the developing person, [2] the environment […], [3] the nature of the developmental outcomes under consideration, and [4] the social continuities and changes occurring over time through the life course and the historical period” (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006, p. 798). What is political/civic socialization? C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\MEDIA\CAGCAT10\j0302953.jpg Family Class-room microsystem Bronfenbrenner, 1979 Wilkenfeld et al., 2010 What is political/civic socialization? C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\MEDIA\CAGCAT10\j0302953.jpg Family Class-room microsystem Bronfenbrenner, 1979 Wilkenfeld et al., 2010 mesosystem What is political/civic socialization? C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\MEDIA\CAGCAT10\j0302953.jpg Family Class-room microsystem Bronfenbrenner, 1979 Wilkenfeld et al., 2010 mesosystem exosystem Workplace Boards, directorate What is political/civic socialization? C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\MEDIA\CAGCAT10\j0302953.jpg Family Class-room microsystem Bronfenbrenner, 1979 Wilkenfeld et al., 2010 mesosystem exosystem Workplace Boards, directorate macrosystem Cultural values, political culture, ideology underlying economic or governmental system … What is political/civic socialization? •Implications of the ecological approach: • •development can occur only if the person engages in an activity that takes place on a regular basis and becomes increasingly complex What is political/civic socialization? •Implications of the ecological approach: • •development can occur only if the person engages in an activity that takes place on a regular basis and becomes increasingly complex •development consists in person’s reciprocal interactions with a growing array of microsystems, starting with families and extending to peer groups, schools, mentors or associations What is political/civic socialization? •Implications of the ecological approach: • •development can occur only if the person engages in an activity that takes place on a regular basis and becomes increasingly complex •development consists in person’s reciprocal interactions with a growing array of microsystems, starting with families and extending to peer groups, schools, mentors or associations •adolescents’ individual characteristics (dispositions and abilities) influence how much and how they are civically engaged What is political/civic socialization? •Implications of the ecological approach: • •development can occur only if the person engages in an activity that takes place on a regular basis and becomes increasingly complex •development consists in person’s reciprocal interactions with a growing array of microsystems, starting with families and extending to peer groups, schools, mentors or associations •adolescents’ individual characteristics (dispositions and abilities) influence how much and how they are civically engaged •specific interactions between microsystems and adolescents might considerably differ across different regions, countries, social classes or generations Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K2RX9XUE\MC900358765[1].wmf Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K2RX9XUE\MC900358765[1].wmf parents are role models Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K2RX9XUE\MC900358765[1].wmf parents are role models parents can persuade the child Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K2RX9XUE\MC900358765[1].wmf parents are role models parents can persuade the child parents control where the child spends her or his time Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\K2RX9XUE\MC900358765[1].wmf parents are role models parents can persuade the child parents control where the child spends her or his time parents use democratic, authoriarian etc. practices towards the child Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\HIUB3LAY\MP900438770[1].jpg Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\HIUB3LAY\MP900438770[1].jpg teachers and classmates are role models and produce social influences Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\HIUB3LAY\MP900438770[1].jpg teachers and classmates are role models and produce social influences civic/political knowledge and skills can be learned Socialization agents C:\Users\Serek\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\HIUB3LAY\MP900438770[1].jpg teachers and classmates are role models and produce social influences civic/political knowledge and skills can be learned democratic, authoritarian etc. practices are used in the classrooms Socialization agents •media •clubs, groups, organizations •friends •neighborhoods • Main issues & controversies •Agency •Directions of influence •Interventions •Multiple contexts and dispositions-environment interactions • • Main issues & controversies •Agency •child/adolescent as passive recipient vs. active agent •current theories in developmental psychology stress that the process of socialization cannot be understood as a mere transmission of the environmental influences on a child (Maccoby, 2007; Nurmi, 2004) •political beliefs held by adolescents reflect rather adolescents’ hypotheses about parental beliefs than parental beliefs as such (Westholm, 1999) •civic/political socialization is a process by which young people actively ascribe meanings to the world of politics, based on the information and experiences provided by socialization agents (Metzger & Smetana, 2010) Main issues & controversies •Agency •child/adolescent as passive recipient vs. active agent •current developmental theories stress that the process of socialization cannot be understood as a mere transmission of the environmental influences on a child (Maccoby, 2007; Nurmi, 2004; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) •political beliefs held by adolescents reflect rather adolescents’ hypotheses about parental beliefs than parental beliefs as such (Westholm, 1999) •civic/political socialization is a process by which young people actively ascribe meanings to the world of politics, based on the information and experiences provided by socialization agents (Metzger & Smetana, 2010) Main issues & controversies •Agency •child/adolescent as passive recipient vs. active agent •current developmental theories stress that the process of socialization cannot be understood as a mere transmission of the environmental influences on a child (Maccoby, 2007; Nurmi, 2004; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) •political beliefs held by adolescents reflect rather adolescents’ hypotheses about parental beliefs than parental beliefs as such (Westholm, 1999) •civic/political socialization is a process by which young people actively ascribe meanings to the world of politics, based on the information and experiences provided by socialization agents (Metzger & Smetana, 2010) Main issues & controversies •Agency •child/adolescent as passive recipient vs. active agent •current developmental theories stress that the process of socialization cannot be understood as a mere transmission of the environmental influences on a child (Maccoby, 2007; Nurmi, 2004; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) •political beliefs held by adolescents reflect rather adolescents’ hypotheses about parental beliefs than parental beliefs as such (Westholm, 1999) •civic/political socialization is a process by which young people actively ascribe meanings to the world of politics, based on the information and experiences provided by socialization agents (Metzger & Smetana, 2010) Main issues & controversies •Directions of influence • Young person Socialization agents Main issues & controversies •Directions of influence • Young person Socialization agents Main issues & controversies •Interventions •school-based programs •teaching •practicing skills •organization-based programs •mandatory community service • Main issues & controversies •Multiple contexts and disposition-environment interactions •cummulative effects of multiple contexts • •it‘s not only about environment but also about one‘s own preferences, beliefs, values, personality traits, cognitive dispositions etc. • •young people with different dispositions react differently on the same environment • Our research •what is the directionality between political attitudes and participation? Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research •what is the directionality between political attitudes and participation? • •data from 768 high school students (aged 14 to 17) Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research •active participation has the effects on political attitudes but the opposite effects are less pronounced • •through their own political participation, young people form and clarify their political attitudes • •similar results found in a recent study conducted in Hong Kong (2021) • Šerek, Macháčková & Macek (2017) Our research •what short-term factors contribute to voting turnout of first-time voters? • • Our research •what short-term factors contribute to voting turnout of first-time voters? • •longitudinal data from cca 200 adolescents aged 18-19 • • • Our research Šerek & Umemura (2015) Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Our research May Šerek & Umemura (2015) Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) ? ? ? Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research June Voting May Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers February Voting intention Following news Discussions Parents Discussions Peers Šerek & Umemura (2015) Our research •adolescents who discussed politics with their peers before the election became more willing to vote • •no such effect was found regarding discussions with parents • •however, discussions with parents can stimulate more discussions with peers Our research •both parents and peers are important but in different ways • Our research •both parents and peers are important but in different ways • •why peers? Our research •both parents and peers are important but in different ways • •why peers? • stronger social influence Our research •both parents and peers are important but in different ways • •why peers? • stronger social influence • peers can be selected by a person Our research •both parents and peers are important but in different ways • •why peers? • stronger social influence • peers can be selected by a person • more concept-oriented than socio-oriented communication Questions? serek@fss.muni.cz