Towards a theory of sociopolitical development and socialization during middle childhood

Sociopolitical development (SPD)-that is, "the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, analytical skills, emotional faculties, and the capacity for action in political and social systems necessary to interpret and resist oppression" (Watts et al., 2003, p. 185)-allows young people to engage in their communities in ways that promote justice and collective wellbeing. Participation in supportive adult-child relationships is theoretically and empirically linked to SPD. However, additional research is needed to investigate the mechanisms through which these relationships support SPD, especially during the understudied developmental period of middle childhood (ages 7-11). This paper presents a theoretical literature review with the goal of consolidating existing evidence about SPD and the social and relational forces that shape it during middle childhood. It also expands on the theory of SPD by proposing the related concept of sociopolitical socialization (SPS), which describes the kinds of socialization between young people and their relational partners that promote SPD, and by highlighting imagination as a previously implicit component of SPD with particular significance for middle childhood.