Youth civic engagement in the twenty‐first century
Abstract
We enter the 21st century contending with the end of the Cold War's legacy of political uncertainty, expecting youth to play a significant part in the search for new principles that will bring about stability in the world political order. In forging the future, youth will have to collaborate with adults, but on terms more fitting of the historical circumstances that lie ahead than those of the past. This was the framework adopted by a group of social scientists who held several discussions to reflect on the issues and opportunities that bear on youth's civic engagement and development in the century that has just opened. The present article describes the results of those conversations, starting with the issue of defining civic competence, and the finding that an expansive definition is needed to match the real‐world circumstances that affect its development for youth internationally. Specific conditions, such as globalization, information – communication technology, and immigration, are emphasized as forces that affect youth and need to be taken into account by educators and policy makers. In this regard, responsibilities of schools, government, the commercial sector, and community organizations are outlined. Each is viewed as a potential constructive force for promoting engagement insofar as youth's strengths are recognized and focus is placed on building on youth's proven capacities. As always, it is youth’s task to make history in the future and society's obligation to provide youth with sufficient resources and an honest basis for hope in carrying out this task. The authors' policy recommendations are founded on this reciprocal relation that binds the youth generation with its elders in the common task of preserving, while transforming, society for the good of humanity.
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Competence development stems from the fact that meaningful civic engagement improves civic, personal, and social competences and generates social capital.
“Competence development stems from the fact that meaningful civic engagement improves civic, personal, and social competences and generates social capital (Damon, 2004; Youniss et al., 2002).”
From Between promise and practice: a scoping review of the democratic outcomes of youth participation in local governance (2026) · cites this paper as Youniss et al., 2002
The strong evidence for positive individual-level outcomes, particularly in civic engagement (75.0%) and civic competences (72.9%), aligns with the developmental benefits proposed by Checkoway (2011) and Youniss et al. (2002).
“The strong evidence we found for positive individual-level outcomes, particularly in civic engagement (75.0 %) and civic compe tences (72.9 %), aligns with the developmental benefits proposed by Checkoway (2011) and Youniss et al. (2002).”
From Between promise and practice: a scoping review of the democratic outcomes of youth participation in local governance (2026) · cites this paper as Youniss et al. (2002)
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“These benefits involve personal gains in the form of social and cognitive development as well as contributions to many sectors of society (Youniss et al.”
BackgroundYouth-Led Decision Making in Community Development Grants
Blanchet‐Cohen, N., Manolson, S., & Shaw, K. (2012) · Youth & Society · doi:10.1177/0044118x12455024 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Metzger, A., Ferris, K. A., & Oosterhoff, B. J. (2018) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12423 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“…to influence the development of one’s political identity (Hardy, Pratt, Pancer, Olsen, & Lawford, 2011), and civic developmental theorists have argued that religious organizations may help to facilitate integration into adult activities including political involvement (Youniss et al., 2002).”
BackgroundBrown, B. B., & Larson, R. W. (2002) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511613814.002 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Δράκος, Κ., Kallandranis, C., & Karidis, S. (2019) · JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies · doi:10.1111/jcms.12884 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“Losing a job might lead to less confidence in the government, particularly in the presence of long unemployment spells, as would the failure to climb the occupational ladder (Hudson, 2006; Mishler & Rose, 2001; Youniss et al., 2002).”
Background“I'm Not a Politics Person”: Teenage Girls, Oppositional Consciousness, and the Meaning of Politics
Taft, J. K. (2006) · Politics & Gender · doi:10.1017/s1743923x06060119 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“Although it has been noted that the picture of youth civic engagement is not so bleak when we include reform movements (Youniss et al. 2002), “unconventional politics” (Metz, McLellan, and Youniss 2003), and community service (Youniss et al. 1999), there is a general agreement in this literature…”
BackgroundParenting and Gender as Predictors of Moral Courage in Late Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study
Bronstein, P. A., Fox, B. J., Kamon, J. L., & Knolls, M. L. (2007) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9182-8 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“…Gibbs 1996), and social involvement, such as promoting the common good through volunteer work or charity (Hart and Fegly 1995; Roker et al. 1996; Youniss et al. 2002), as well as moral reasoning or stages of moral development (e.g., Eisenberg et al. 1995; Pratt et al. 1999; Schonert-Reichl…”
BackgroundThe potential of “civic science education”: Theory, research, practice, and uncertainties
Levy, B. L. M., Oliveira, A. W., & Harris, C. B. (2021) · Science Education · doi:10.1002/sce.21678 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“Echoing these science education scholars’ arguments, leaders in civic learning have noted that competent participants in democratic systems must understand public issues in numerous domains (e.g., Youniss et al., 2002), such as science.”
BackgroundKanacri, B. P. L., Pastorelli, C., Zuffianò, A., Eisenberg, N., Ceravolo, R., & Caprara, G. V. (2014) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.07.002 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“Understanding the predictors of civic engagement is becoming a relevant task in the agenda of developmental psychologists (e.g., Flanagan, Beyers, & Zukauskien _e, 2012; Marzana, Marta, & Pozzi, 2012; Sherrod, Torney-Purta, & Flanagan, 2010; Youniss et al., 2002).”
BackgroundFostering Civic Engagement by Building a Virtual City
Bers, M. U., & Chau, C. (2006) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00034.x · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“Furthermore, today’s youth are not only subject to consume political media passively online, but the Internet also provides the tools for them to become creators and producers of civic opinions and civic information (Coleman & Gotze, 2001; Tapscott, 1998; Youniss et al., 2002).”
BackgroundWelfare and Citizenship: The Effects of Government Assistance on Young Adults' Civic Participation
Swartz, T. T., Blackstone, A., Uggen, C., & McLaughlin, H. (2009) · Sociological Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.2009.01154.x · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“This approach is consistent with recent scholarship on the civic engagement of young people that looks beyond voting to young adults’ civic activity (Keeter, Zukin, and Jenkins 2002; Youniss et al. 2002).”
ResultPoteat, V. P., Calzo, J. P., & Yoshikawa, H. (2018) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.01.001 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
“These benefits could be critical to then promote youths' civic engagement, as self-efficacy and competence predict civic engagement (Hope & Jagers, 2014; Youniss et al., 2002).”
BackgroundYouth culture as a context of political learning
Pfaff, N. (2009) · Young · doi:10.1177/110330880901700204 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“In nearly all western countries, pedagogues, researchers and politicians report disenchantment with politics and decreasing voter turnout, lack of interest and participation and violence against the state by excluded and marginalized groups (see for example, Putnam, 2000; Torney-Purta et al., 2001; Youniss et al., 200…”
BackgroundPolitical efficacy in adolescence: Development, gender differences, and outcome relations.
Arens, A. K., & Watermann, R. (2017) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0000300 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Developmental Antecedents of Young Adult Civic Engagement
Obradović, J., & Masten, A. S. (2007) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1207/s1532480xads1101_1 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Vélez, V. N., Huber, L. P., López, C. B., et al. (2008) · Social Justice A Journal of Crime Conflict & World Order · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Kim, J., & Bastedo, M. N. (2016) · Journal of Education and Work · doi:10.1080/13639080.2016.1165341 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“Various extracurricular activities and roles that college students participate help them forming identities, discover preferences (Eccles and Barber 199; Larson 2000; Youniss et al. 2002) and accumulate social networks (Seibert, Kraimer, and Liden 2001) and human capital by associating with others and developing skill…”
BackgroundHope, E. C. (2015) · Child Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s12187-015-9331-5 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“Scholarship on youth civic development supports the use of a comprehensive definition, suggesting that the range of civic engagement, including political and civil action, is best and most broadly prepares youth to contribute positively to their local community and broader society (Youniss et al. 2002).”
BackgroundNgo, B., Lewis, C., & Leaf, B. M. (2017) · Review of Research in Education · doi:10.3102/0091732x17690122 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“However, many youth generally disdain politics as usual but hunger for a “range of nonmainstream forms of civil involvement that can become mobilized” (Youniss et al., 2002, p. 128).”
BackgroundIntersection of social institutions with civic development
Youniss, J., & Hart, D. A. (2005) · New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/cd.139 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Youniss, J., Bales, S., Christmas‐Best, V., Diversi, M., McLaughlin, M., & Silbereisen, R.
- Affiliations
- Catholic University of America (US)
- FrameWorks Institute (US)
- Utah State University (US)
- Stanford University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Research on Adolescence
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2002-03
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 121-148
- ISSN
- 1050-8392 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7795
- OpenAlex
- W2059453442
- Cited by
- 572
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 31.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Research on Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- William T. Grant Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Education › Citizenship Education and Democracy
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Youth, Politics, and Society
- Keywords
- youth civic engagement, civic competence, youth development, globalization, information and communication technologies, immigration, citizenship education, political uncertainty, post-Cold War international order, youth policy
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