Democratic civic engagement of adolescents in three divided societies: Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines how socio-political divisions–particularly race/ethnicity and religion–were related to democratic civic engagement (DCE) in three divided societies: Northern Ireland (NI), South Africa (SA), and the United States (US). Adolescents exposed to well-evaluated, parallel civics curricula reported significantly greater civic engagement in SA than in the US; those in the US reported significantly greater engagement than those in NI. Within NI, Protestants and Catholics did not report different engagement levels; in SA, black and coloured groups expressed greater civic engagement than whites; in the US, white students expressed greater civic engagement than those from more marginalised groups. Analyses of aspects of DCE led us to conclude that varied social and political realities, histories, legacies of division, and power dynamics helped explain these results. Understanding such societal forces is critical for educators who seek to promote youth to become thoughtful and ethical civic actors.