Young People's Civic Identity in the Digital Age

'This book is a rich, nuanced, and thoughtful study of how American youth develop their civic values and capacities in the age of social media.'

-Peter Levine, Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University, USA

'This thought-provoking book provides compelling insights into young people's understandings of citizenship and civic engagement in the digital age. Its most significant contribution is to remind us that neither digital nor civic skills are inherent at birth.'

-Victoria Nash, Oxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford, UK

'Congratulations to Julianne Viola for providing a detailed and insightful portrait of youth civic identity in a time of massive transformation in the ways politics are practiced. The book unpacks youths' perspectives on their civic engagement, demonstrates that participation varies across groups, and furthers the kind of foundational understanding that can help educators and parentsthink well about supports for youth voice and influence.'

-Joseph Kahne, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside, USA

'Contemporary democracies are confronted by significant domestic and global challenges, but governments often lack the support of citizens - especially the young - as they seek to develop plans to resolve these matters. This excellent book is a must-read for all who are interested in how to strengthen the connections between young people and democratic institutions and processes.'

-Matt Henn, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, UK

This book explores young people's civic experiences in contemporary American society, and how they navigate the political world in an era defined by digital media. Drawing on the experiences of young people before they have reached voting age, the book provides vital perspectives on citizenship and civic engagement of a part of the population that is often overlooked. The author engages with the tensions that young people encounter in their everyday personal and civic lives and introduces a new framework of civic identity that has been directly informed by the lived civic experiences of young people themselves.

Julianne K. Viola is a social scientist investigating youth political engagement in contemporary society. She holds degrees from Cornell University, Harvard University, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Auteur

Julianne K. Viola is a social scientist investigating youth political engagement in a contemporary society characterised by technology use. She has written for The Conversation and has appeared on the BBC World Service. She holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, a master's degree from Harvard University, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Résumé
This book explores young people's civic experiences in contemporary American society, and how they navigate the political world in an era defined by digital media. Drawing on the experiences of young people before they have reached voting age, the book provides vital perspectives on citizenship and civic engagement of a part of the population that is often overlooked. The author engages with the tensions young people encounter in their everyday personal and civic lives, particularly in their understanding and experience of civic identity in ways that are shaped by society's (mis)perceptions of youth. The book introduces a new framework of civic identity that has been directly informed by the lived civic experiences of young people themselves. The findings will be of great interest to researchers and students working in political science, sociology, youth studies, education studies, and media studies, as well as policy-makers, practitioners, and parents of young people.

Contenu
Chapter One. Introduction: The Need to Investigate the Civic Experiences of American Young People1.1 Motivation for Research1.2 Context of the Study that Informed this Book1.2.1 Perceived Disengagement of Young People1.2.2 New Forms of Engagement with Technology1.2.3 Research Aims1.2.4 Methodology Overview1.2.5 Contributions1.3 Terminology1.4 Organization of the Book
Chapter Two. Where Technology, Youth, and Civics Meet: A Springboard for Understanding Civic Identity2.1 Overview2.2 Contemporary Society: An Era Marked by Technology2.2.1 The Internet and Social Media: An Overview2.2.2 Civic Applications of Technology2.3 Conceptualizations of Young People2.3.3 Presentations of the Self in Contemporary Society: The Intersection of the Psychological and Sociological Theories of Identity2.4 Civic Studies: Developing an Understanding of Civic Identity2.4.1 Citizenship2.4.2 Civic Engagement of Young People2.5 The Significance of Civic Education for Civic Engagement2.6 Summary
Chapter Three. Findings: Presentations of the Adolescent Self in Contemporary Society3.1 Connection to Others3.2 Private vs. Public Self3.3 Self- Expression3.3.1 The Case of Martin3.4 Typical Teenagers in Today's World3.5 Understanding Presentations of the Self in Contemporary Society
Chapter Four. Findings: Civic Identity4.1 What Does it Mean to be a Citizen?4.1.1 Citizenship as an Emotional Sense of Belonging4.1.2 Citizenship as a Legal Status4.1.3 Citizenship as a Legal Right to Belong4.1.4 Citizenship as Defined by Age4.1.5 Citizenship as Active Involvement in the Community4.2 What Does it Mean to be Civically Engaged?4.2.1 Improving the Community4.2.2 Interacting with Others4.2.3 Political ParticipationYoung Activists at Work: The Case of School Walkouts4.3 Understanding Civic Identity in Contemporary Society
Chapter Five. Findings: Engaging in the Political World5.1 Building Voice in Contemporary Society5.1.1 Paying Attention to Current Events5.1.2 Learning from Trusted Adults5.1.3 Choosing a Political Party Affiliation5.2 Sharing One's Voice in Contemporary Society5.2.1 Maintaining Friendships5.2.2 Young People's Perceptions of Being Heard5.2.3 Using Everyday Tools for Political Voice: Young People in the Black Lives Matter Movement5.3 Engaging in the Political World in Contemporary Society
Chapter Six. Discussion and Conclusion: Youth Voice in Contemporary Society6.1 Youth in Contemporary Society6.2 Civic Identity in the Digital Age6.2.1 A New Framework of Civic Identity6.2.2 Digitally Mediated Civic Engagement: Opportunities for Youth Voice6.3 Building Efficacy for Engagement in the Political World: A Case for Civic Education6.3.1 From Perspective Taking in the Classroom to Efficacy in the Community6.3.2 Civic Education for Digitally Mediated Civic Engagement
Appendices