Exploring the Relationship Between Experiencing Marginalization in Adolescence and Civic Engagement in Young Adulthood

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Civic and Equity Engagement Among Diverse Adolescents and Young Adults (Table 10)

Abstract

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study examines the relationships between race-based marginalization in adolescence and civic behaviors such as volunteering, blood donation, and organ donor registration in young adulthood, focusing on the role of educational and income mobility. Results show significant racial disparities in volunteer participation and organ donor registration, with Black young adults less likely to engage in these activities than their White peers, controlling for socio-demographic factors. No significant racial difference was found for blood donation. Upward mobility inconsistently moderates these effects, reducing the racial disparity in organ donation but increasing it in volunteer participation.

Author

• Xun Zhang, Vanderbilt University