Young People's Civic Identity in the Digital Age, 1st ed. 2020 Palgrave Studies in Young People and Politics Series

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.

1.1 Motivation for Research

1.2 Context of the Study that Informed this Book

1.2.1 Perceived Disengagement of Young People

1.2.2 New Forms of Engagement with Technology

1.2.3 Research Aims

1.2.4 Methodology Overview

1.2.5 Contributions

1.3 Terminology

1.4 Organization of the Book

2.1 Overview

2.2 Contemporary Society: An Era Marked by Technology

2.2.1 The Internet and Social Media: An Overview

2.2.2 Civic Applications of Technology

2.3 Conceptualizations of Young People

2.3.3 Presentations of the Self in Contemporary Society: The Intersection of the Psychological and Sociological Theories of Identity

2.4 Civic Studies: Developing an Understanding of Civic Identity

2.4.1 Citizenship

2.4.2 Civic Engagement of Young People

2.5 The Significance of Civic Education for Civic Engagement

2.6 Summary

3.1 Connection to Others

3.2 Private vs. Public Self

3.3 Self- Expression

3.3.1 The Case of Martin

3.4 Typical Teenagers in Today’s World

3.5 Understanding Presentations of the Self in Contemporary Society

4.1 What Does it Mean to be a Citizen?

4.1.1 Citizenship as an Emotional Sense of Belonging

4.1.2 Citizenship as a Legal Status

4.1.3 Citizenship as a Legal Right to Belong

4.1.4 Citizenship as Defined by Age

4.1.5 Citizenship as Active Involvement in the Community

4.2 What Does it Mean to be Civically Engaged?

4.2.1 Improving the Community

4.2.2 Interacting with Others

4.2.3 Political Participation

Young Activists at Work: The Case of School Walkouts

4.3 Understanding Civic Identity in Contemporary Society

5.1 Building Voice in Contemporary Society

5.1.1 Paying Attention to Current Events

5.1.2 Learning from Trusted Adults

5.1.3 Choosing a Political Party Affiliation

5.2 Sharing One’s Voice in Contemporary Society

5.2.1 Maintaining Friendships

5.2.2 Young People’s Perceptions of Being Heard

5.2.3 Using Everyday Tools for Political Voice: Young People in the Black Lives Matter Movement

5.3 Engaging in the Political World in Contemporary Society

6.1 Youth in Contemporary Society

6.2 Civic Identity in the Digital Age

6.2.1 A New Framework of Civic Identity

6.2.2 Digitally Mediated Civic Engagement: Opportunities for Youth Voice

6.3 Building Efficacy for Engagement in the Political World: A Case for Civic Education

6.3.1 From Perspective Taking in the Classroom to Efficacy in the Community

6.3.2 Civic Education for Digitally Mediated Civic Engagement