Ellen Middaugh

BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR CIVIC AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT: THE POTENTIAL OF HIGH-SCHOOL CIVICS COURSES

We employed a quasi ‐ experimental design using pre/post surveys and comparisons with control groups to examine the impact of the Constitutional Rights Foundation’s CityWorks (U.S.A.) curriculum. In particular, we assessed its ability to further democratic aims by supporting the development of three forms of social capital: norms of civic participation, social trust, and knowledge of social networks. Our evaluation indicates that this curriculum and several of its curricular features (use of simulations, role models, service learning, learning about problems in the community, learning how local government works, and personal relevance) have the potential to further the democratic purposes of education. Key words: democratic education, simulations, role models, service ‐ learning. Se servant d’un design quasi ‐ experimental faisant appel a des sondages en pretest et post ‐ test et a des comparaisons avec des groupes ‐ controles, les auteurs analysent dans cet article l’impact du programme americain Constitutional Rights Foundation’s CityWorks . Ils se penchent notamment sur son aptitude a promouvoir davantage des objectifs democratiques en appuyant le developpement de trois formes de capital social : les normes de la participation citoyenne, la confiance sociale et la connaissance des reseaux sociaux. D’apres les auteurs, ce programme et plusieurs de ses caracteristiques (recours a des simulations, modeles de comportement, apprentissage du service, analyse de problemes communautaires, etude du mode de fonctionnement du gouvernement local et pertinence pour les eleves) sont susceptibles de promouvoir l’education a la democratie. Mots cles: education a la democratie, simulations, modeles de comportement, apprentissage du service.

Youth online activity and exposure to diverse perspectives

Some see the internet as a means of exposure to divergent perspectives, while others believe that it is likely to foster echo chambers. We agree that it is important to attend to these possibilities, but we find that this discussion is often framed inappropriately. Drawing on a unique panel survey of the online practices and civic and political engagement of youth (aged 16–21), we find that most youth do not report exposure to echo chambers or divergent perspectives. Rather, most report either being exposed to views that both align with and diverge from their own, or they report not interacting with others about their views on societal issues at all. We also find that particular forms of online participatory activity, digital media literacy activities, and political interest are related to increased reports of exposure to diverse perspectives.

Digital Media Shapes Youth Participation in Politics

Social media are changing how youth involve themselves in politics. Educators also must change how they prepare students to be involved citizens.

Youth comprehension of political messages in YouTube videos

This article investigates the extent to which young people are able to comprehend the political messages contained in satirical videos that circulate online. We do so through an analysis of responses to videos embedded within an online survey of 15- to 25-year-olds (N = 2070) conducted in 2011. Respondents were randomly assigned to view one of two short, humorous YouTube videos relating to immigration policy and were then asked questions that tested their comprehension of what they had seen. Substantial proportions of our sample were unable to answer these correctly. Further analysis indicates that individuals’ levels of political knowledge and their predisposition to agree with the message contained in the video are strong predictors of comprehension. These findings indicate that the potential impact of incidental exposure to online political communications is smaller than many scholars have assumed, particularly when the message is inconsistent with the viewer’s prior beliefs.

U Suk! Participatory Media and Youth Experiences With Political Discourse:

In light of evidence that the Internet, participatory media, and online communities are increasingly central to civic and political life, this article investigates online political discourse as a context of youth civic development. Drawing on a national survey of 2,519 youth, ages 15 to 24, we find that exposure to conflict in online discourse is common. Nearly half of youth report witnessing conflict online, although fewer participate directly in these exchanges. We find that youth who are most involved in online political discussions or who get news through online participatory media are more likely to encounter such conflict. In addition, experiences with conflict vary by type of online community: Greater involvement in interest-driven online communities is associated with greater involvement in online conflict, while involvement in friendship-driven communities is not. Finally, we examine youths’ normative reactions to online conflict and discuss implications for youth civic engagement and development.

Did You Know?!… Cultivating Online Public Voice in Youth

Abstract Drawing on a mixed methods study of a district-wide initiative to integrate civic learning practices into the high school humanities curriculum in an urban school district in Northern California, this article examines the relationship between face-to-face versus online civic learning opportunities and students’ motivation for engaging in practices related to online public voice, the affordances of online civic learning opportunities for the expression of public voice, and the features of online civic learning opportunities that optimize the expression of public voice. The findings provide insight as to whether and under what conditions digitally mediated civic learning opportunities promote the expression of public voice.

Digital Media, Participatory Politics, and Positive Youth Development

Research on the social implications of adolescent technology use often focuses on identifying and preventing risk. However, adolescence is also a time of rapidly expanding capacities, expectations of autonomy, and identity exploration. In this article, we highlight findings from research in the field of youth civic development, which point to the importance of youth civic engagement during adolescence for later adult civic engagement as well as for promoting positive developmental outcomes. Researchers suggest that certain forms of Internet use (such as information seeking, social network site use, media production, and participation in online communities) promote civic engagement and that digital tools play an important role in youth empowerment efforts. In this article, we suggest a need for greater attention to efforts to promote digital media competencies among adolescents and for greater coordination of research on adolescent risk and adolescent autonomy and empowerment related to Internet use.