Educational Patterns and the Development of Political Participation Across the College Years

• In Event: 43.025 - Exploring Civic Engagement in Postsecondary Education: Multimodal Perspectives From Diverse Students' Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of diverse college pathways in understanding long-term longitudinal change of civic engagement across the transition to adulthood. Specifically, this study investigates differences in trajectories of electoral participation (e.g. voting and participation in the election process; EP) and political voice (e.g. boycott, protests/demonstrations; PV) by postsecondary educational patterns, including traditional and non-traditional pathways (community college, transfer students, drop-out), as well as youth who did not attend college.

Aligned with theory of critical consciousness which is concerned with how historically marginalized groups come to recognize and address social injustices, we focus on political engagement among youth who take non-traditional college pathways. Two forms of political involvement are examined; whereas electoral participation is a more conventional approach, discovering one’s voice politically can be powerful particularly for marginalized youth. We address whether different college paths might promote or demote change in electoral engagement and political voice, regarding activism as a key component of social justice and making active efforts to construct one’s place in society.
Longitudinal data are a subsample from the ongoing, national Monitoring the Future study initiated to investigate beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of youth collected across seven waves (N = 12,557). Factor analysis supported a two-factor solution for survey responses such that items “vote,” “give money to a political candidate or cause,” “work in a political campaign” loaded onto EP and “write to public officials,” “participate in a lawful demonstration,” “boycott certain products or stores” onto PV. Growth curve models were analyzed, with covariates predicting growth factors. The comparison group for educational pathways was the traditional path. All results control for demographics and years in college.

Trajectories reflect increases in EP (b = .049, p < .001) and PV (b = .051, p < .001) for traditional students. Youth that do not attend college have the less growth, as well as lower EP and PV in adulthood. Those who attended community college and do not transfer have lower EP in adulthood, however transfer students have similar levels of EP, even when not completing a degree. Additionally, those that transferred from community college and completed a degree demonstrated greater growth in EP than traditional peers. Regarding PV, community college patterns were similar to their traditional peers in growth and PV in adulthood. Differences between genders and racial/ethnic groups as well as socio-economic backgrounds for both outcomes will be discussed.
This study used a large, diverse sample and allowed for teasing apart differences among youth of various backgrounds and educational experiences across an extended critical time frame. Results challenge assumptions that not following a traditional path is deleterious. Youth taking a non-traditional road are not necessarily hindered in growth. Notably, transfer students who complete a bachelor’s degree excel in political participation, perhaps capitalizing on both campus’ experiences and opportunities. Attending community and four-year college may provide a combination of community attachments and political education that translates into higher electoral participation in adulthood.

Authors

• Erin Hilary Arruda, University of California - Los Angeles

• Laura Wray-Lake, University of Rochester