Human Services News

Chapin Hall:

Concerns about declining political participation in the United States have once again raised the question of how young people get involved in politics.

This project focuses on engaged youths and explores the personal trajectories, people and institutions that encouraged them to become engaged with their communities.

In-depth interviews were conducted with young people in Chicago, who were identified by directors of community organizations as the most engaged youths in their civic engagement projects.

Most youth interviewed have a parent who respects them and listens to their ideas, and are involved in community and school organizations that provide opportunities for engagement.

The young people have a keen sense of themselves as youths, even as other social identities such as race, nationality and gender play a role in their sense of self.

Combating the negative stereotypes of youth, in particular the stereotypes of Latinos and African Americans, is central to their political activism, since they feel that such stereotypes can silence their political voices.