Peer-reviewed article
The role of youth extracurricular activities and political intentions in later political participation and civic engagement
2025Lundberg, E., & Abdelzadeh, A.Journal of Adolescence
What is this study about?
The study examines how experiences and political intentions during adolescence are associated with participation later in life. By following the same individuals from age 16 to 20, it analyses both the significance of participation in organized leisure activities and the young people's own intentions to engage politically. The study thus examines both how social contexts can contribute to political socialization and what significance young people's own motivation and readiness for action have for later participation.
What did we find?
What young people do and what they themselves plan to do politically can affect their future participation. The study follows adolescents from age 16 to 20 and shows that both participation in organized leisure activities and early political intentions are associated with later political participation offline. The results underline the importance of both young people's social contexts and their own political readiness for action.
Why does it matter?
Research on political socialization has often emphasized how family, school and organizations shape young people's political development. The study shows that adolescents also need to be understood as active participants in their own political socialization. What they themselves want and plan to do politically can matter for their future participation. The results therefore show why both the environments in which young people participate and their own motivations need to be considered in order to understand how political engagement develops from adolescence into adult life.
Citation
Lundberg, E., & Abdelzadeh, A. (2025) The role of youth extracurricular activities and political intentions in later political participation and civic engagement. Journal of Adolescence 97(3) 662–674
Research area
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