Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T07:24:54.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Engaging Youths across the Education Divide: Is There a Role for Social Capital?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2019

Livianna Tossutti*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: ltossutti@brocku.ca

Abstract

This study draws on the 2013 General Social Survey to investigate whether social capital is positively associated with the political participation and engagement of 15- to 24-year-old Canadians. It also assesses whether social capital can help overcome the participation gap between youths with different educational qualifications. Trust in family was the only social tie that was positively associated with the turnout of eligible voters in federal and municipal elections. Associational involvements and generalized trust in strangers were more frequently related to informal political activism and an interest in politics. Online social connections were unrelated to any measure of participation and engagement. Some forms of social capital can help address the marginalization of youths from formal and informal politics, but tertiary education is most closely associated with voting.

Résumé

La présente étude s'appuie sur l'Enquête sociale générale de 2013 pour déterminer si le capital social est associé positivement à la participation et à l'engagement politiques des Canadiens âgés de 15 à 24 ans. Elle évalue également s'il peut aider à combler l'écart de participation entre les jeunes ayant des niveaux d'éducation différents. La confiance dans la famille était le seul lien social associé positivement au taux de participation des électeurs admissibles aux élections fédérales et municipales. Les engagements associatifs et la confiance généralisée envers les étrangers étaient plus souvent liés au militantisme politique informel et à l'intérêt pour la politique. Les liens sociaux en ligne n'étaient liés à aucune mesure de la participation et de l'engagement. Certaines formes de capital social peuvent contribuer à atténuer la marginalisation des jeunes par rapport à la politique formelle et informelle, mais l'enseignement supérieur est plus étroitement associé au vote.

Type
Research Article/Étude originale
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atkinson, Matthew D. and Fowler, Anthony. 2014. “Social Capital and Voter Turnout: Evidence from Saint's Day Fiestas in Mexico.” British Journal of Political Science 44 (1): 4159.Google Scholar
Bakker, Tom P. and de Vrees, Claes H.. 2011. “Good News for the Future? Young People, Internet Use, and Political Participation.” Communication Research 38 (4): 451–70.Google Scholar
Banfield, Edward C. 1958. The Moral Basis of a Backward Society. Chicago: Free Press.Google Scholar
Bennett, W. Lance, Wells, Chris and Rank, A.. 2009. “Young Citizens and Civic Learning: Two Paradigms of Citizenship in the Digital Age.” Citizenship Studies 13 (2): 105–20.Google Scholar
Berry, Richard and Mcdonnell, Anthony. 2014. “Highly Educated Young People Are Less Likely to Vote than Older People with Much Lower Levels of Attainment.” Democratic Audit UK, March 13. http://www.democraticaudit.com/2014/03/13/in-britain-people-with-higher-educational-attainment-are-less-likely-to-vote-because-they-are-younger/ (September 18, 2018).Google Scholar
Bevelander, Pieter and Pendakur, Ravi. 2009. “Social Capital and Voting Participation of Immigrants and Minorities in Canada. Ethnic and Racial Studies 32 (8): 1406–30.Google Scholar
Bimber, Bruce. 2003. Information and American Democracy: Technology in the Evolution of Political Power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Boulianne, Shelley. 2015. “Social Media Use and Participation: A Meta-Analysis of Current Research.” Information, Communication & Society 18 (5): 524–38.Google Scholar
Carreras, Miguel. 2016. “Compulsory Voting and Political Engagement (beyond the Ballot Box): A Multilevel Analysis.” Electoral Studies 43: 158–68.Google Scholar
Cento Bull, Anna. 2000. Social Identities and Political Cultures in Italy: Catholic, Communist and “Leghist” Communities between Civicness and Localism. New York: Berghahn Books.Google Scholar
Coletto, David. 2016. “The Next Canada: Politics, Political Engagement, and Priorities of Canada's Next Electoral Powerhouse: Young Canadians.” Abacus Data, April 19. http://abacusdata.ca/the-next-canada-politics-political-engagement-and-priorities-of-canadas-next-electoral-powerhouse-young-canadians/ (September 7, 2018).Google Scholar
Dmitrova, Daniela V., Shehata, Adam, Strömbäck, Jesper and Nord, Lars W.. 2014. “The Effects of Digital Media on Political Knowledge and Participation in Election Campaigns: Evidence from Panel Data.” Communication Research 41: 95118.Google Scholar
Elections Canada. 2016a. Estimation of Voter Turnout by Age Group and Gender at the 2015 General Election. Ottawa: Elections Canada.Google Scholar
Elections Canada. 2016b. 2015 National Youth Survey. http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rec/eval/pes2015/nys&document=p3&lang=e#a (September 7, 2018).Google Scholar
Emler, Nicholas. 2011. “What Does It Take to Be a Political Actor in a Multicultural Society?” In Nationalism, Ethnicity, Citizenship: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, ed. Barrett, Martyn, Flood, Chris and Eade, John. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar
Erickson, Bonnie H. and Nosanchuk, T. A.. 1990. “How an Apolitical Association Politicizes.” Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 27 (2): 206–19.Google Scholar
Gidengil, Elisabeth, Blais, André, Nevitte, Neil and Nadeau, Richard. 2004. Citizens. Vancouver: UBC Press.Google Scholar
Gil de Zúñiga, Homero, Barnidge, Matthew and Scherman, Andrés. 2017. “Social Media Social Capital, Offline Social Capital, and Citizenship: Exploring Asymmetrical Social Capital Effects.” Political Communication 34 (1): 4468.Google Scholar
Granovetter, Mark S. 1973. “The Strength of Weak Ties.” American Journal of Sociology 78 (6): 1360–80.Google Scholar
Hanks, Michael and Eckland, Bruce K.. 1978. “Adult Voluntary Associations and Adolescent Socialization.” The Sociological Quarterly 19 (Summer): 481490.Google Scholar
Hart, Daniel, Donnelly, Thomas M., Youniss, James and Atkins, Robert. 2007. “High School Community Service as a Predictor of Adult Voting and Volunteering.American Educational Research Journal 44 (1): 197219.Google Scholar
Kahne, Joseph and Bowyer, Benjamin. 2018. “The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks.Political Communication 35 (3): 470–93.Google Scholar
Loader, Brian D. 2007. “Introduction: Young Citizens in the Digital Age; Disaffected or Displaced?” In Young Citizens in the Digital Age: Political Engagement, Young People and New Media, ed. Loader, Brian D.. Abingdon: Routledge.Google Scholar
Long, J. Scott. 1997. Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
McFarland, Daniel A. and Thomas, Reuben J.. 2006. “Bowling Young: How Youth Voluntary Associations Influence Adult Political Participation.American Sociological Review 71 (3): 401–25.Google Scholar
Micheletti, Michele and Stolle, Dietlind. 2008. “Fashioning Social Justice through Political Consumerism, Capitalism and the Internet.” Cultural Studies 22 (5): 749–69.Google Scholar
Miller, Warren E. and Shanks, J. Merrill. 1996. The New American Voter. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Milner, Henry. 2002. Civic Literacy: How Informed Citizens Make Democracy Work. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.Google Scholar
Mutz, Diana C. 2002. “The Consequences of Cross-Cutting Networks for Political Participation.” American Journal of Political Science 46 (4): 838–55.Google Scholar
Nakhaie, Reza. 2008. “Social Capital and Political Participation of Canadians.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 41 (4): 835–60.Google Scholar
Nie, Norman H., Junn, Jane and Stehlik-Barry, Kenneth. 1996. Education and Democratic Citizenship in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). 2011. Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2011_eag-2011-en. (Access March 18, 2019).Google Scholar
Olsen, Marvin E. 1972. “Social Participation and Voting Turnout: A Multivariate Analysis.” American Sociological Review 37 (3): 317–33.Google Scholar
Pammett, Jon H. and LeDuc, Lawrence. 2003. “Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections: A New Survey of Non-Voters.” Ottawa: Elections Canada. http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rec/part/tud&document=index&lang=e. (Access March 18, 2019).Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert D. with Leonardi, Robert and Nanetti., Raffaella Y. 1993. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Quinn, Kelly. 2016. “Contextual Social Capital: Linking the Contexts of Social Media Use to Its Outcomes.” Information, Communication & Society 19 (5): 582600.Google Scholar
Quintelier, Ellen. 2008. “Who Is Politically Active: The Athlete, the Scout Member or the Environmental Activist? Young People, Voluntary Engagement and Political Participation.” Acta Sociologica 51 (4): 355–70.Google Scholar
Rogers, David L., Bultena, Gordon L. and Barb, Ken H.. 1975. “Voluntary Association Membership and Political Participation: An Exploration of the Mobilization Hypothesis.” The Sociological Quarterly 16 (3): 305–18.Google Scholar
Samara Canada. 2013. Lightweights? Political Participation beyond the Ballot Box. Samara Democracy Report no. 6. Toronto: Samara Canada. https://www.samaracanada.com/docs/default-source/reports/lightweights_final-july-2-en.pdf?sfvrsn=45c5072f. (Accessed July 24, 2018).Google Scholar
Samara Canada. 2015. Message Not Delivered: The Myth of Apathetic Youth and the Importance of Contact in Political Participation. Toronto: Samara Canada. https://www.samaracanada.com/research/active-citizenship/message-not-delivered. (Accessed July 24, 2018).Google Scholar
Seligsen, Amber L. 1999. “Civic Association and Democratic Participation in Central America: A Test of the Putnam Thesis.Comparative Political Studies 32 (3): 342–62.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. 2015. General Social Survey Cycle 27: Social Identity. Public Use Microdata File Documentaiton and User's Guide. Catalogue no. 89M0032X. Ottawa: Minister of Industry.Google Scholar
Stoll, Michael A. 2001. “Race, Neighbourhood Poverty, and Participation in Voluntary Associations.” Sociological Forum 16 (3): 529–57.Google Scholar
Stolle, Dietlind and Hooghe, Marc. 2004. “The Roots of Social Capital: Attitudinal and Network Mechanisms in the Relation between Youth and Adult Indicators of Social Capital.” Acta Politica 39 (4): 422–41.Google Scholar
Stolle, Dietlind and Rochon, Thomas R.. 1998. “Are All Associations Alike? Member Diversity, Associational Type, and the Creation of Social Capital.American Behavioral Scientist 42 (1): 4765.Google Scholar
Teorrell, Jan. 2003. “Linking Social Capital to Political Participation: Voluntary Associations and Networks of Recruitment in Sweden.” Scandinavian Political Studies 26 (1): 4966.Google Scholar
Theocharis, Yannis and Lowe, Will. 2016. “Does Facebook Increase Political Participation? Evidence from a Field Experiment.” Information, Communication & Society 19 (10): 1465–86.Google Scholar
Torney-Purta, Judith, Barber, Carolyn Henry and Richardson, Wendy Klandl. 2004. “Trust in Government-Related Institutions and Political Engagement among Adolescents in Six Countries.” Acta Politica 39 (4): 380406.Google Scholar
Tossutti, Livianna. 2007. “Voluntary Associations and the Political Engagement of Young Canadians.” Journal of Canadian Studies 41 (1): 100125.Google Scholar
Tossutti, Livianna. 2016. “Social Capital and Generation ‘Y’: Does It Address Inequalities in Political Participation across the Education Divide?” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, Calgary.Google Scholar
Tossutti, Livianna S., Wang, Ding Ming and Kaas-Mason, Sanne. 2008. “Family, Religion and Civic Engagement in Canada.” Canadian Ethnic Studies/Études ethniques au Canada 40 (3): 6590.Google Scholar
Uppal, Sharanjit and LaRochelle-Côté, Sébastien. 2016. Understanding the Increase in Voting Rates between the 2011 and 2015 Federal Elections. Insights on Canadian Society. Catalogue no. 75-006-X. Ottawa: Minister of Industry. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/75-006-x/2016001/article/14669-eng.pdf?st=dUPtxCRO (July 24, 2018).Google Scholar
Uslaner, Eric M. 1999. “Democracy and Social Capital.” In Democracy and Trust, ed. Warren, Mark E.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Uslaner, Eric and Brown, Mitchell. 2005. “Inequality, Trust, and Civic Engagement.” American Politics Research 33 (6): 868–94.Google Scholar
Van Deth, Jan W. 1997. “Introduction: Social Involvement and Democratic Politics.” In Private Groups and Public Life: Social Participation, Voluntary Associations and Political Involvement in Representative Democracies, ed. Van Deth, Jan W.. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Van Deth, Jan W. 2000. “Interesting but Irrelevant: Social Capital and the Saliency of Politics in Western Europe.” European Journal of Political Research 37 (2): 115–47.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney and Nie, Norman H.. 1972. Participation in America: Political Democracy and Social Equality. New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney, Schlozman, Kay Lehman and Brady, Henry E.. 1995. Voice and Equality: Civic Volunteerism in American Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Vissers, Sara and Stolle, Dietlind. 2014. “The Internet and New Modes of Political Participation: Online versus Offline Participation.” Information, Communication & Society 17 (8): 937–55.Google Scholar
Vromen, Ariadne. 2007. “Australian Young People's Participatory Practises and Internet Use.” In Young Citizens in the Digital Age: Political Engagement, Young People and New Media, ed. Loader, Brian D.. Abingdon: Routledge.Google Scholar