Engaging Young People in Civic Life

by Youniss, James; Levine, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780826516510
• ISBN10: 0826516513
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-08-17
• Publisher: Vanderbilt Univ Pr

Summary

The myth of generations of disengaged youth has been shattered by increases in youth turnout in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 primaries. Young Americans are responsive to effective outreach efforts, and this collection addresses how to best provide opportunities for enhancing civic learning and forming lasting civic identities.The thirteen original essays are based on research in schools and in settings beyond the schoolyard where civic life is experienced. One focus is on programs for those schools in poor communities that tend to overlook civic education. Another chapter reports on how two city governments--Hampton, Virginia, and San Francisco—have invited youth to participate on boards and in agencies. A cluster of chapters focuses on the civic education programs in Canada and Western Europe, where, as in the United States, immigration and income inequality raise challenges to civic life.

Author Biography

James Youniss is James R. and Wylma R. Curtin Professor of Psychology at the Catholic University of America. He has published four previous books on youth civic identity. Peter Levine is Director of CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University. He is the author of The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens, among other books.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction: Policy for Youth Civic Engagement	p. 1
Youth and Schools
A "Younger Americans Act": An Old Idea for a New Era	p. 13
Democracy for Some: The Civil Opportunity Gap in High School	p. 29
Principles That Promote Discussion of Controversial Political Issues in the Curriculum	p. 59
Political Environments: Neighborhoods and Cities
Policies for Civic Engagement beyond the Schoolyard	p. 81
Civic Participation and Development among Urban Adolescents	p. 102
City Government as Enabler of Youth Civic Engagement: Policy Designs and Implications	p. 121
Local Political Parties and Young Voters: Context, Resources, and Policy Innovation	p. 164
Policy Models from Other Nations
Youth Electoral Participation in Canada and Scandinavia	p. 187
Civic Education in Europe: Comparative Policy Perspectives from the Netherlands, Belgium, and France	p. 219
Strengthening Education for Citizenship and Democracy in England: A Progress Report	p. 235
Conclusion: The Way Forward	p. 273
Contributors	p. 279
Index	p. 283
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