Adolescent moral motivations for civic engagement: Clues to the political gender gap?

Abstract

This study explored gender differences in moral motivations and civic engagement among adolescents to add to existing explanations for the gender gap in political engagement in the US. We examined moral motivations for civic engagement in a sample of 1578 high school seniors, using a mixed-methods analysis of survey and interview data. Multiple regression confirmed that girls were more civically involved and expressed greater future civic intention. However, analysis of motivations suggested that differences in moral motivations might impact ongoing political development, as girls were more likely to take political action out of desire to help, while boys were more often motivated to act on values. Case studies of two interviewees—one male and one female—were analyzed to examine how civic commitment emerges in the interaction of desire to help, to act on civic values and another moral motivation that emerged in the qualitative analysis—to empower others.

Keywords:

• adolescents
• gender
• civic engagement
• political engagement
• moral motivations

Acknowledgements

This work was conducted as part of the Civic Purpose Project at the Stanford Center on Adolescence under the direction of William Damon, Principal Investigator. Thank you to current and past project staff for their contributions: Parissa Ballard, Anne Colby and Tenelle Porter.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by a Spencer Foundation New Civics Initiative grant.

Notes on contributors

Heather Malin

Heather Malin, Director of Research at the Center on Adolescence, Stanford University Graduate School of Education;

Kirsi Tirri

Kirsi Tirri, Professor of Education and Research Director at the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki;

Indrawati Liauw

Indrawati Liauw, Stanford Center on Adolescence at Stanford University Graduate School of Education.