1-122 - Theoretical Advancements in Research Linking Parenting and Youth Civic Engagement

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Parental influences on youth civic engagement have been assumed for centuries and studied across disciplines for decades (Flanagan, 2004; Hess & Torney, 1967, Verba et al., 1995). Parental modeling and direct discussions, and to a lesser extent, parent-child relationships, have been positively linked to adolescents’ civic values and behaviors (Fletcher, Elder, & Mekos, 2000; Wray-Lake & Flanagan, 2012; Zaff et al., 2008). However, this research area largely suffers from a lack of theoretical sophistication, rarely examining multiple aspects of parenting in concert and sorely lacking attention to developmental processes.

The four papers in this symposium advance theory and research by examining parents’ roles in civic development for children, adolescents, and young adults and using culturally diverse samples. Novel theoretical ideas are incorporated into the studies, by, for example, articulating dimensions of developmental relationships (Paper 1) and applying tenets of self-determination theory (Papers 2, 4). Findings provide insights into the relative contributions of multiple facets of parenting practices and relationships (Papers 1, 2, 3) for prosocial, political, and environmental behaviors as well as civic skills and values. The papers illuminate new information about processes by which parenting relates to civic development, testing generalizability across socioeconomic status and stressful events (Paper 1), examining moderated (Paper 2) and mediated (Paper 3) paths, and showing evidence for transactional, youth-directed civic development processes (Paper 4).

Bringing together four strong studies spanning the U.S., Chile, and Sweden, this symposium offers innovative perspectives to rejuvenate an old area of study and advance understanding of youth civic development.

Sub Unit

• Moral Development

Chair

• Laura Wray-Lake, University of Rochester

Individual Presentations

• The Roots of Engaged Citizenship: An Examination of Family Developmental Relationships - Presenting Author: Amy K. Syvertsen, Search Institute; Alyssa S. Meuwissen, University of Minnesota

• Examining Parental Civic Socialization Practices and Autonomy Support in Relation to Children and Adolescents’ Civic Engagement - Presenting Author: Laura Wray-Lake, University of Rochester; Amy K. Syvertsen, Search Institute; Aaron Metzger, West Virginia University

• Direct and Indirect Parental Influences on Adolescents’ Civic Involvement - Presenting Author: M. Loreto Martinez, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Patricio E Cumsille, P Universidad Catolica De Chile

• When are Parents Most Important for Young Persons’ Political Development? - Presenting Author: Hakan Stattin, Örebro University; Oula Hussein, Örebro University