Building Civic Leadership: The Journeys of Pre-Adolescent Youth

Nicole Nicotera,Dawn Matera Bassett

doi:10.5195/jyd.2015.417

Abstract

Studies of younger youth suggest that the path to civic leadership and the development of associated skills and attitudes is not linear. Instead, these studies suggest that as youth learn to act as agents of change, their real world experiences may create dissonance in their civic skills and attitudes. The reported current study employs qualitative methods to examine the experiences of urban, low-income, youth of color who participated in a civic leadership curriculum. Findings give voice to youth’s experiences and the tension that can occur on their journeys toward civic leadership. Implications are discussed.

Highlights

Scholars propose that civic identity can be developed in youth if they are viewed as change agents who have the capacity to contribute to their communities (Rubin, 2007; Shiller, 2012)
The current reported study employs qualitative methods to further examine the civic journeys of urban, low-income, youth of color who participated in a civic leadership curriculum
Participants Seventy-seven youth participated in the civic leadership curriculum and 57 of those youth were present for the focus groups

Summary

Introduction

Scholars propose that civic identity can be developed in youth if they are viewed as change agents who have the capacity to contribute to their communities (Rubin, 2007; Shiller, 2012). Due to experiences of marginalization, low-income youth and youth of color tend to be less civically engaged and may require different pathways to engagement than their white and/or more affluent counterparts (Atkins, & Hart 2003; Balsano, 2005; Sanchez-Jankowski 2002; Torney-Purta, Barber, & Wilkenfeld, 2006). This gap in civic engagement for marginalized youth suggests that it may be important to engage them in their pre-adolescent years as opposed to waiting until they reach high school (Balsano, Phelps, Theokas, Lerner, & Lerner, 2009). The current reported study employs qualitative methods to further examine the civic journeys of urban, low-income, youth of color who participated in a civic leadership curriculum

Methods

Results

Conclusion