Understanding stability and change in civic engagement across adolescence: A typology approach

Developmental theory posits that youth are civically engaged in different ways, patterns of civic development vary across individuals, and both stability and change in youth civic engagement can be influenced by experiences in context. Drawing on these notions, we used a longitudinal person-oriented approach to document stability and change in civic engagement typologies across adolescence. Sociodemographic differences were tested to understand adolescents' civic developmental starting points in eighth grade, and civic discussions with parents and friends were examined as time-varying predictors of stability and change in civic engagement across eighth to 12th grades. Using national U.S. Longitudinal Study of American Youth data (N = 3701), 5 annual assessments of civic engagement (civic values, political behaviors, and future civic expectations) served as latent transition analysis (LTA) indicators. A 4-class model was comprised of civic leaders, informed future voters, civic sympathizers, and unengaged youth. Civic engagement typologies in eighth grade varied systematically by gender, parent education, and race/ethnicity in ways that replicate and extend prior research. Civic discussions with parents and friends predicted stability in all 3 engaged typologies. Civic discussions with parents also predicted growth out of the unengaged group, whereas civic discussions with friends predicted remaining unengaged later in high school. Findings underscore patterns of civic inequality that are evident early in adolescence and illustrate the role of civic discussions in sustaining and increasing youth civic engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).