Flanagan etc al. (1998) Ties that Bind: COrrelates of Adolescents' CIvic Commitments in Seven Countries

Abstract: The relationship of voluntary work, school climates, and family values to public interest as a life goal of adolescents is presented for a sample of 5,579 12-18 year olds in three stable and found transitional democracies. If 5 of the 7 counties, females were more likely than makes to be engaged in voluntary work, and in all 7 countries girls were more likely than boys to report hat their families encouraged an ethic of social responsibility. Regardless of gender or country, adolescents were more likely to consider public interest and important life goal when their families emphasized an ethic of social responsibility. In addition, engagement volunteer work and a sense of student solidarity at school were formative components of public interest as a life goal for youth in some but not all countries.

Country Sample:
Australia
USA
Sweden
Hungary
Czech Repub
Bulgaria
Russia

Methods
500 kids 12 -18 from each country

survey administered

Dep Var: Civic commitment
measurement: 2 indicators

Ind Vars:
VOluntary work
family ethic of social responsibility
school climates: democratic climate and a sense of membership at school

FIndings:

engagement in voluntary work and student solidarity at school are factors related to an adolescent's identification with the public interest; societies that emphasize social responsibilty as a norm of citizenship are more likely to encourage a democratic polity.