Family Politicization and Adolescents' Citizenship Orientations

Abstract

The study examines the effect of the degree offamily politicization on several citizenship orientations of Israeli adolescents. The research population consisted of 734 respondents, ages 14-18, who were students in both academic and vocational schools in the greater Tel-Aviv area. The degree of family politicization was assessed using three subscales: parents' own involvement, discussion of politics with parents, and parental encouragement of adolescents to play an active public role in school and youth organizations. Citizenship orientations included the perception of the citizen role as active vs passive, and as restricted to the political sphere vs as a broader commitment to one's community and society. Also included were political efficacy, support of freedom of speech, and political involvement. A path model measuring the effects of social and personal background variables and offamily politicization was tested. The major findings indicate that respondents' age and socioeconomic status (SES) were related to their perception of family politicization. The older the respondents and the lower their SES the greater the tendency to report of low family politicization. Family politicization had a mixed effect upon citizenship orientations. While strengthening the respondents' sense of political efficacy and involvement, it negatively affected their support of freedom of speech. Family politicization was not significantly related to any of the dimensions of good citizenship.