That there are gaps in political engagement according to social and gender-related characteristics is well established. Research from UCL suggests that these gaps can be overcome by providing young people with better access to civic activities in school.
The report highlights a clear gender gap in political interest, with girls less likely than boys to be interested in politics at age 16, and their interest growing at a slower rate as they age.
“Our findings suggest that early adolescence is the crucial period when a social gap in political engagement emerges,” the researchers explain. “Educational conditions relating to lower secondary—ages 11 to 15—are the key factor that can explain this growing gap.”
Socioeconomic circumstances
When the researchers broke down these growth rates by qualifications at the age of 25, they found that the lowest growth rates emerged in women with the fewest qualifications. This didn’t appear to be the case for men, however, who tended to have a greater interest in politics as they got older regardless of their level of education.
“Our finding that post-16 educational pathways are related to diverging gender trajectories in political engagement leads us to advocate for more and better civic learning opportunities for those undertaking vocational qualifications in further education colleges,” the researchers explain. “It’s important that we pay particular attention in this respect to courses that are highly gender-segregated and attract mainly girls such as care, hospitality, and beauty.”
The researchers found that parental education had a significant impact on the changes in the political engagement levels of their children between 11 and 15. Whilst there is no effect at age 11, by the time children reach age 15, the education levels of parents are significant for children’s political engagement.
The data shows that all children gradually gain a greater interest in politics, but that the rates of children from less educated families grow much slower than their peers from higher-educated families. This also indicates a widening social gap.
“This report highlights how socioeconomic factors can influence young people’s engagement and interest in politics. It also demonstrates the importance of accessible and continuing learning, access and exposure to politics and civic participation in schools and colleges to help counter the decline,” the researchers explain. “Equipping and empowering all young people to engage with the political system is vital to help prevent the erosion of trust in public institutions and encourage political engagement.”
Closing the gap
The researchers believe that schools often exacerbate this gap, with factors such as the climate of classroom discussions and the social composition of schools playing a major role.
For instance, children from higher-educated families often have greater civic learning opportunities and classroom discussions about political and social matters. This participation then translates into a rise in political interest.
“It’s vital that schools can effectively implement initiatives that provide equal access to civic learning opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to counter existing processes that unintentionally exclude them,” the authors conclude. “Teachers should therefore play a more active role in guiding and facilitating more equitable participation.”
