Amid hyper-partisanship, increasing critiques of civic education reform priorities from conservat... more Amid hyper-partisanship, increasing critiques of civic education reform priorities from conservatives, and growing signs of democratic backsliding, can schools provide foundational support for democratic norms, commitments, and capacities? Drawing on a unique national survey of high school principals conducted in 2018, we examine how political context, district priorities, and principal beliefs and characteristics are related to support for civic education. We find that a school’s partisan context is unrelated to most supports for democratic education. Of note, however, support for the discussion of controversial issues is less common in conservative districts, raising important questions about why the discussion of controversial issues (a core building block of democratic societies) is less common in conservative settings. In addition, support for civic education at the school level is highest at schools led by principals who are civically active and in districts that are committed to democratic aims. At a time when school districts face highly contentious politics, these findings indicate that systemic district commitments can help strengthen our civic foundations and that principals and district leaders may be able to promote small-d democracy amid increasingly politicized school governance contexts.
This article investigates the factors that shape the circulation of political content on social m... more This article investigates the factors that shape the circulation of political content on social media. We analyze an experiment embedded within a nationally representative survey of U.S. youth that randomly assigned participants to see a short post designed to resemble content that circulates through social media. The post was experimentally manipulated to vary in both its ideology and whether it contained factually inaccurate information. In general, we found that participants’ intentions to circulate a post on social media were strongly influenced by whether that post aligned with their ideology, but not by whether it contained misinformation. The relative effects of ideological alignment and misinformation were found to differ according to participants’ level of political knowledge and engagement, indicating that different groups of young people are susceptible to particular kinds of misinformation.
This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a natio... more This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a nationally representative sample of young people in the United States. It employs a cross-lagged design to investigate the extent to which common forms of online activity create pathways to online and offline forms of political activity. Specifically, we examine the influence of Friendship-Driven (FD) and Interest-Driven (ID) online activity on online participatory politics and on offline forms of political action. Our findings reveal that FD and ID activity relate to political engagement, but in different ways. In addition, we find that the size of young people's social networks interacts with both FD and ID online activity to promote political activity. This indicates that having exposure to "weak-ties" (resulting from large social networks) promote higher levels of political engagement. These findings demonstrate the need to specify the kinds of online activities in which youth are engaged and, more broadly, the political significance of social media and social networks Most 18-year-olds eligible to cast their first presidential ballots in the 2012 election were born in 1994, the same year that Yahoo!, the Sony PlayStation, and Amazon.com appeared. For these individuals, who have matured in the shadow of Web 2.0, digital media have played a central role in the development and maintenance of their social relationships. found that 92% of teens (ages 13 to 17 years) go online every day, with 24% reporting being online almost constantly. Furthermore, the rate of social media use by 18-to 29-year-olds has grown precipitously, from 41% in 2006 to 90% in 201590% in (Perrin, 2015.
Online environments are now central to political life, especially for young people. They are prom... more Online environments are now central to political life, especially for young people. They are prominent contexts for activities that include: fundraising, political debate, sharing political perspectives, mobilizing individuals and groups to act, and applying pressure to governments, corporations, and nonprofits. Much of this online politically focused activity occurs within a broader media ecology that can be characterized as a participatory culture. Many have argued that media literacy efforts are needed for youth to fully leverage these digital opportunities, but rigorous studies of such educational efforts are just beginning to emerge. Drawing on an original panel survey, this paper examines whether efforts to promote digital engagement literacies increase youth online engagement in politics. We find that they do. Educators’ efforts to foster digital engagement literacies increase youth engagement in participatory politics and in applying targeted political pressure to government, corporations, and nonprofits.
New media have come to play a prominent role in civic and political life. Social network sites, w... more New media have come to play a prominent role in civic and political life. Social network sites, web sites and text increasingly serve as both a conduit for political information and a major public arena where citizens express and exchange their political ideas; raise funds; and mobilize others to vote, protest, and work on public issues. This chapter considers how the ascendency of today's new media may be introducing fundamental changes in political expectations and practices. Specifically, we see evidence that new media are facilitating participatory politics--interactive, peer-based acts through which individuals and groups seek to exert both voice and influence on issues of public concern. While these kinds of acts have always existed, evidence suggests that new media are providing new opportunities for political voice and discussion, thus increasing the role of participatory politics in public life. In this chapter, we provide a conceptual overview of the implications of this shift for how political life is organized, emerging political practices, and pathways to political engagement. We focus our analysis on youth, who are early adopters of new media, and provide some empirical evidence to demonstrate the importance of participatory politics to their political life as well as to highlight some benefits as well as risks associated with this form of political engagement.
Educators and policymakers are increasingly pursuing programs that aim to strengthen democracy th... more Educators and policymakers are increasingly pursuing programs that aim to strengthen democracy through civic education, service learning, and other pedagogies. The nature of their underlying beliefs, however, differ. "What Kind of Citizen?" calls attention to the spectrum of ideas represented in education programs about what good citizenship is and what good citizens do. Our arguments derive from an analysis of both democratic theory and a two-year study of educational programs that aim to promote democracy. We detail three conceptions of the "good" citizen-personally responsible, participatory, and justice oriented-that underscore political implications of education for democracy. We demonstrate that the narrow and often ideologically conservative conception of citizenship embedded in many current efforts at teaching for democracy reflects not arbitrary choices but rather political choices with political consequences.
In light of evidence that the Internet, participatory media, and online communities are increasin... more In light of evidence that the Internet, participatory media, and online communities are increasingly central to civic and political life, this article investigates online political discourse as a context of youth civic development. Drawing on a national survey of 2,519 youth, ages 15 to 24, we find that exposure to conflict in online discourse is common. Nearly half of youth report witnessing conflict online, although fewer participate directly in these exchanges. We find that youth who are most involved in online political discussions or who get news through online participatory media are more likely to encounter such conflict. In addition, experiences with conflict vary by type of online community: Greater involvement in interest-driven online communities is associated with greater involvement in online conflict, while involvement in friendship-driven communities is not. Finally, we examine youths' normative reactions to online conflict and discuss implications for youth civic engagement and development.
From their 2005 survey of 2,366 California high school seniors, Mr. Kahne and Ms. Middaugh conclu... more From their 2005 survey of 2,366 California high school seniors, Mr. Kahne and Ms. Middaugh conclude that, if educators wish to foster a strong and committed sense of democratic patriotism in their students, they have some serious work to do.
Most existing scholarship that measures the impact of the Internet on civic or political engageme... more Most existing scholarship that measures the impact of the Internet on civic or political engagement focuses on political uses of new media. Drawing on two large panel studies, we find that youth engagement in nonpolitical online participatory cultures may serve as a gateway to participation in important aspects of civic and political life, including volunteering, community problem-solving, protest activities, and political voice. These relationships remain statistically significant for both datasets, even with controls for prior levels of civic and political participation and a full range of demographic variables. While politically driven online participation is clearly worthy of attention, these findings indicate that it should not be seen as the only relevant bridge from online activity to civic and political engagement.
This paper argues that, while contemporary advocates of Multiple Pathways address some important ... more This paper argues that, while contemporary advocates of Multiple Pathways address some important concerns with equity, they do not attend sufficiently to the quality of civic life that the civic role of schooling promotes. Such attention is critical to the future of democracy. Recent scholarship on civic education suggests that unless high schools move proactively to assure a robust program in civic education, students will not develop essential civic skills.
Can media literacy education promote and improve youth engagement in civic and political life? Un... more Can media literacy education promote and improve youth engagement in civic and political life? Unfortunately, to date, there have been almost no quantitative assessments of the frequency of media literacy education, nor of any possible subsequent impacts. This study draws on a unique panel data set of a diverse group of youths in high school and college settings. It finds that exposure to media literacy education is not strongly related to demographic variables. In addition, with controls for prior levels of online political activities, for political interest, and for a broad range of demographic variables, this study also finds that digital media literacy education is associated with increased online political engagement and increased exposure to diverse perspectives.
Amid hyper-partisanship, increasing critiques of civic education reform priorities from conservat... more Amid hyper-partisanship, increasing critiques of civic education reform priorities from conservatives, and growing signs of democratic backsliding, can schools provide foundational support for democratic norms, commitments, and capacities? Drawing on a unique national survey of high school principals conducted in 2018, we examine how political context, district priorities, and principal beliefs and characteristics are related to support for civic education. We find that a school’s partisan context is unrelated to most supports for democratic education. Of note, however, support for the discussion of controversial issues is less common in conservative districts, raising important questions about why the discussion of controversial issues (a core building block of democratic societies) is less common in conservative settings. In addition, support for civic education at the school level is highest at schools led by principals who are civically active and in districts that are committed to democratic aims. At a time when school districts face highly contentious politics, these findings indicate that systemic district commitments can help strengthen our civic foundations and that principals and district leaders may be able to promote small-d democracy amid increasingly politicized school governance contexts.
This article investigates the factors that shape the circulation of political content on social m... more This article investigates the factors that shape the circulation of political content on social media. We analyze an experiment embedded within a nationally representative survey of U.S. youth that randomly assigned participants to see a short post designed to resemble content that circulates through social media. The post was experimentally manipulated to vary in both its ideology and whether it contained factually inaccurate information. In general, we found that participants’ intentions to circulate a post on social media were strongly influenced by whether that post aligned with their ideology, but not by whether it contained misinformation. The relative effects of ideological alignment and misinformation were found to differ according to participants’ level of political knowledge and engagement, indicating that different groups of young people are susceptible to particular kinds of misinformation.
This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a natio... more This paper examines panel data from two waves of the Youth Participatory Politics Survey, a nationally representative sample of young people in the United States. It employs a cross-lagged design to investigate the extent to which common forms of online activity create pathways to online and offline forms of political activity. Specifically, we examine the influence of Friendship-Driven (FD) and Interest-Driven (ID) online activity on online participatory politics and on offline forms of political action. Our findings reveal that FD and ID activity relate to political engagement, but in different ways. In addition, we find that the size of young people's social networks interacts with both FD and ID online activity to promote political activity. This indicates that having exposure to "weak-ties" (resulting from large social networks) promote higher levels of political engagement. These findings demonstrate the need to specify the kinds of online activities in which youth are engaged and, more broadly, the political significance of social media and social networks Most 18-year-olds eligible to cast their first presidential ballots in the 2012 election were born in 1994, the same year that Yahoo!, the Sony PlayStation, and Amazon.com appeared. For these individuals, who have matured in the shadow of Web 2.0, digital media have played a central role in the development and maintenance of their social relationships. found that 92% of teens (ages 13 to 17 years) go online every day, with 24% reporting being online almost constantly. Furthermore, the rate of social media use by 18-to 29-year-olds has grown precipitously, from 41% in 2006 to 90% in 201590% in (Perrin, 2015.
Online environments are now central to political life, especially for young people. They are prom... more Online environments are now central to political life, especially for young people. They are prominent contexts for activities that include: fundraising, political debate, sharing political perspectives, mobilizing individuals and groups to act, and applying pressure to governments, corporations, and nonprofits. Much of this online politically focused activity occurs within a broader media ecology that can be characterized as a participatory culture. Many have argued that media literacy efforts are needed for youth to fully leverage these digital opportunities, but rigorous studies of such educational efforts are just beginning to emerge. Drawing on an original panel survey, this paper examines whether efforts to promote digital engagement literacies increase youth online engagement in politics. We find that they do. Educators’ efforts to foster digital engagement literacies increase youth engagement in participatory politics and in applying targeted political pressure to government, corporations, and nonprofits.
New media have come to play a prominent role in civic and political life. Social network sites, w... more New media have come to play a prominent role in civic and political life. Social network sites, web sites and text increasingly serve as both a conduit for political information and a major public arena where citizens express and exchange their political ideas; raise funds; and mobilize others to vote, protest, and work on public issues. This chapter considers how the ascendency of today's new media may be introducing fundamental changes in political expectations and practices. Specifically, we see evidence that new media are facilitating participatory politics--interactive, peer-based acts through which individuals and groups seek to exert both voice and influence on issues of public concern. While these kinds of acts have always existed, evidence suggests that new media are providing new opportunities for political voice and discussion, thus increasing the role of participatory politics in public life. In this chapter, we provide a conceptual overview of the implications of this shift for how political life is organized, emerging political practices, and pathways to political engagement. We focus our analysis on youth, who are early adopters of new media, and provide some empirical evidence to demonstrate the importance of participatory politics to their political life as well as to highlight some benefits as well as risks associated with this form of political engagement.
Educators and policymakers are increasingly pursuing programs that aim to strengthen democracy th... more Educators and policymakers are increasingly pursuing programs that aim to strengthen democracy through civic education, service learning, and other pedagogies. The nature of their underlying beliefs, however, differ. "What Kind of Citizen?" calls attention to the spectrum of ideas represented in education programs about what good citizenship is and what good citizens do. Our arguments derive from an analysis of both democratic theory and a two-year study of educational programs that aim to promote democracy. We detail three conceptions of the "good" citizen-personally responsible, participatory, and justice oriented-that underscore political implications of education for democracy. We demonstrate that the narrow and often ideologically conservative conception of citizenship embedded in many current efforts at teaching for democracy reflects not arbitrary choices but rather political choices with political consequences.
In light of evidence that the Internet, participatory media, and online communities are increasin... more In light of evidence that the Internet, participatory media, and online communities are increasingly central to civic and political life, this article investigates online political discourse as a context of youth civic development. Drawing on a national survey of 2,519 youth, ages 15 to 24, we find that exposure to conflict in online discourse is common. Nearly half of youth report witnessing conflict online, although fewer participate directly in these exchanges. We find that youth who are most involved in online political discussions or who get news through online participatory media are more likely to encounter such conflict. In addition, experiences with conflict vary by type of online community: Greater involvement in interest-driven online communities is associated with greater involvement in online conflict, while involvement in friendship-driven communities is not. Finally, we examine youths' normative reactions to online conflict and discuss implications for youth civic engagement and development.
From their 2005 survey of 2,366 California high school seniors, Mr. Kahne and Ms. Middaugh conclu... more From their 2005 survey of 2,366 California high school seniors, Mr. Kahne and Ms. Middaugh conclude that, if educators wish to foster a strong and committed sense of democratic patriotism in their students, they have some serious work to do.
Most existing scholarship that measures the impact of the Internet on civic or political engageme... more Most existing scholarship that measures the impact of the Internet on civic or political engagement focuses on political uses of new media. Drawing on two large panel studies, we find that youth engagement in nonpolitical online participatory cultures may serve as a gateway to participation in important aspects of civic and political life, including volunteering, community problem-solving, protest activities, and political voice. These relationships remain statistically significant for both datasets, even with controls for prior levels of civic and political participation and a full range of demographic variables. While politically driven online participation is clearly worthy of attention, these findings indicate that it should not be seen as the only relevant bridge from online activity to civic and political engagement.
This paper argues that, while contemporary advocates of Multiple Pathways address some important ... more This paper argues that, while contemporary advocates of Multiple Pathways address some important concerns with equity, they do not attend sufficiently to the quality of civic life that the civic role of schooling promotes. Such attention is critical to the future of democracy. Recent scholarship on civic education suggests that unless high schools move proactively to assure a robust program in civic education, students will not develop essential civic skills.
Can media literacy education promote and improve youth engagement in civic and political life? Un... more Can media literacy education promote and improve youth engagement in civic and political life? Unfortunately, to date, there have been almost no quantitative assessments of the frequency of media literacy education, nor of any possible subsequent impacts. This study draws on a unique panel data set of a diverse group of youths in high school and college settings. It finds that exposure to media literacy education is not strongly related to demographic variables. In addition, with controls for prior levels of online political activities, for political interest, and for a broad range of demographic variables, this study also finds that digital media literacy education is associated with increased online political engagement and increased exposure to diverse perspectives.
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Papers by Joseph Kahne