Engaging Young People in Civic Life

James Youniss And Peter Levine

Description

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.

Sujets

• Political Advocacy
• Political Process
• Political Science
• Education

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 17 août 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9780826516527
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Engaging YoungPeople inCivicLife Edited by James Youniss and Peter Levine

Foreword by Lee Hamilton

Engaging Young People in Civic Life

Engaging Young People in Civic Life

Edited by James Youniss and Peter Levine

Foreword by Lee Hamilton

Vanderbilt University Press Nashville

© 009 by Vanderbilt University Press Nasville, Tennessee 75 All rigts reserved

   0 09

   4 5

his book is printed on acid-free paper

made from 0% post-consumer recycled content.

Manufactured in te United States of America

Cover design: Gary Gore Text design: Dariel Mayer

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Engaging young people in civic life / edited by James Youniss and Peter Levine ; foreword by Lee Hamilton. p. cm. Includes bibliograpical references and index. ISBN 978-0-865-650- (clot : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-865-65-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) . Yout—Political activity. . Political participation. I. Youniss, James. II. Levine, Peter, 967– HQ799..P6E54 009 ’.04085—dc 00807

Contents

Foreword by Lee Hamilton

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Policy for Youth Civic Engagement  Peter Levine and James Youniss

PART I. YOUTH AND SCHOOLS

1

2

3

A “Younger Americans Act”: An Old Idea for a New Era  James Youniss and Peter Levine

Democracy for Some: The Civic Opportunity Gap in High School  Josep Kane and Ellen Middaug

Principles That Promote Discussion of Controversial Political Issues in the Curriculum Diana Hess

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1

13

29

59

vî Engagîng Young People în Cîvîc Lîe

PART II. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTS: NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES

4

5

6

7

Policies for Civic Engagement beyond the Schoolyard  James G. Gimpel and Sanna Pearson-Merkowitz

Civic Participation and Development among Urban Adolescents  Daniel Hart and Ben Kirsner

City Government as Enabler of Youth Civic Engagement: Policy Designs and Implications  Carmen Sirianni and Diana Marginean Scor

Local Political Parties and Young Voters: Context, Resources, and Policy Innovation  Daniel M. Sea

81

102

121

164

PART III: POLICY MODELS FROM OTHER NATIONS

8

9

10

Youth Electoral Participation in Canada and Scandinavia  Henry Milner

Civic Education in Europe: Comparative Policy Perspectives from the Netherlands, Belgium, and France  Marc Hooge and Ellen Claes

Strengthening Education for Citizenship and Democracy in England: A Progress Report  David Kerr and Elizabet Cleaver

Conclusion: The Way Forward  Peter Levine and James Youniss

Contributors

Index

Contents vîî

187

219

235

273

279

283

Foreword

Lee Hamilton

I can tink of no task more important for te future of American democracy tan teacing young people about our system of government and encouraging tem to get involved in politics and community service. his as been a pas- sion of mine for a long time—during te 4 years I served in Congress, and continuing since I retired from te House in 999 and establised te Center on Congress at Indiana University.  Wen we fail to educate our cildren about our istory and our system of representative government, we miss an opportunity to enric teir lives, and we miss an opportunity to enric our country troug teir involvement. Civic education elps people reac teir full potential. It callenges a young person to develop an idea, ask a question, take a stand, speak in public. Civic edu- cation can foster positive social interaction witin scools and communities, teacing te skills, dispositions, and traits of caracter tat encourage people from varied backgrounds and wit different views to listen and to seek common ground. Civic education is te surest antidote to cynicism and apaty, because it sows a young person tat e or se can, indeed, make a difference.  America faces callenges today tat are so serious tey can be downrigt frigtening. A financial crisis, two wars, te treat of terror, and global warm- ing are piled on top of our traditional struggles wit economic inequality, access to ealt care and quality education, racial division, and crime. he more cal- lenging our problems become, te more we need our younger generation to be able to work togeter to solve tem. Human beings don’t automatically obtain te skills and knowledge tey need to address serious public problems. We must learn to be active citizens, and tat takes guidance and experience. Engaging Young People in Civic Life sows tat civic education is muc more tan te traditional ig scool class about ow a bill becomes a law— important as tat may be. It includes all te ways tat we prepare young Ameri- cans to address our great national callenges. It means moderated discussions of controversial issues in classrooms, wic can teac yout to deliberate civilly

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