Examining the Relationship Between Immigrant Students' Feelings of Belonging and Political Socialization in America and Canada

• In Event: 66.062 - Democratic Citizenship in Education SIG Paper Session #2

Abstract

As immigration increases, changing the demographic profile of the United States and Canada, this study will examine an unexplored relationship between immigrant youths' feelings of belonging and their political socialization process. To do so, I use a qualitative, modified case study approach to examine two school districts: one in Pennsylvania and the other in Manitoba, Canada. By focusing on immigrant students’ living in new immigrant destinations, the research will present a more nuanced understanding of the political socialization process. It will contextualize our model of political socialization by examining the role of the community. Given the growing population of immigrant children, it becomes fundamentally important to explore the relationships between schools, immigrant children’s feelings of belonging and their political socialization.

Author

• Kristina Brezicha, Georgia State University