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Family Affluence, School and Neighborhood Contexts and Adolescents’ Civic Engagement: A Cross‐National Study
Author(s) -
Lenzi Michela,
Vieno Alessio,
Perkins Douglas D.,
Santinello Massimo,
Elgar Frank J.,
Morgan Antony,
Mazzardis Sonia
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-012-9489-7
Subject(s) - civic engagement , health psychology , social capital , multilevel model , psychology , public health , sociology , political science , politics , social science , medicine , nursing , machine learning , computer science , law
Research on youth civic engagement focuses on individual‐level predictors. We examined individual‐ and school‐level characteristics, including family affluence, democratic school social climate and perceived neighborhood social capital, in their relation to civic engagement of 15‐year‐old students. Data were taken from the 2006 World Health Organization Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children survey. A sample of 8,077 adolescents in 10th grade from five countries (Belgium, Canada, Italy, Romania, England) were assessed. Multilevel models were analyzed for each country and across the entire sample. Results showed that family affluence, democratic school climate and perceived neighborhood social capital positively related to participation in community organizations. These links were stronger at the aggregate contextual than individual level and varied by country. Canadian youth participated most and Romanian youth least of the five countries. Gender predicted engagement in two countries (girls participate more in Canada, boys in Italy). Findings showed significant contributions of the social environment to adolescents’ engagement in their communities.