The Election Is Over, Now What? Youth Civic Engagement as a Path to Critical Consciousness
2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 68; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.10.033
ISSN1879-1972
AutoresKaty Miller, Maura Shramko, Calla Brown, María Verónica Svetaz,
Tópico(s)Service-Learning and Community Engagement
ResumoSince the extrajudicial killing of Mr. George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day, 2020, we have observed profound shifts in public discourse, with protests and uprisings around the world fighting against police brutality and systemic racism. The youth presence in the Black Lives Matter movement clearly demonstrates the power young people bring to political movements, and young people around the world are often on the forefront of political engagement and activism. For example, teen climate change activists such as Vanessa Nakate in Uganda, Greta Thurnberg in Sweden, and Autumn Peltier of the Wikwemikong First Nation have generated international momentum for addressing climate change [[1]Pimentel J. Bernucca C. Khal 20 young activists who are changing the world. Complex.com.https://www.complex.com/life/young-activists-who-are-changing-the-world/Google Scholar]. Parkland High School students became strong advocates for firearm safety after the Parkland mass shooting, organizing the nationwide March for Our Lives in 2018 [[1]Pimentel J. Bernucca C. Khal 20 young activists who are changing the world. Complex.com.https://www.complex.com/life/young-activists-who-are-changing-the-world/Google Scholar]. Often, these youth-led movements emerge from collective trauma and injustice, carrying on legacies of previous generations of activists who radically reimagine our society [[1]Pimentel J. Bernucca C. Khal 20 young activists who are changing the world. Complex.com.https://www.complex.com/life/young-activists-who-are-changing-the-world/Google Scholar]. Gen Z is the most racially diverse generation in the history of the U.S., and its members value social justice, equity, and societal change [[2]Pew Research CenterOn the Cusp of adulthood and facing an Uncertain future: What We Know gen Z So far. Social & Demographic Trends.https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/essay/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far/Google Scholar]. This commentary will describe methods for using the antiracism framework of positive youth development described by Svetaz et al. [[3]Svetaz M.V. Barral R. Kelley M.A. et al.Inaction is not an option: Using Antiracism Approaches to address health inequities and racism and Respond to current Challenges Affecting youth.J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67: 323-325Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar] in practice-based settings to explore youth civic engagement in election season and beyond, with an ultimate goal of working toward youth activation and activism.Table 1Applying antiracist frameworks and promoting youth civic engagement in health-care settings•Discuss with youth the different forms of civic engagement—Healthy People 2020 [[14]Promotion O of DP and HCivic participation. Healthy people 2020.https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/civic-participation#:∼:text=Examples include voting%2C volunteering%2C participating,(e.g.%2C volunteer organizations)Google Scholar] mentions a variety of examples, including voting, community gardening, and other forms of community building and involvement, leading to social capital as a pathway to improved health.•Consider sharing information with parents about the benefits of youth civic engagement. Remember, civic engagement is more than voting! Youth may experience benefits from volunteering, organizing, and participating in activism in addition to voting.•Support young people to discuss power and race in a developmentally appropriate way to help them develop and amplify their racial and political socialization. For example, discuss bullying with an intersectional lens for younger teens. For older teens, deeper conversations may include conversations about identifying bias, discrimination, and stereotyping; validating such experiences; and providing coping tools to manage such experiences.•Consider asking youth what they would like to see change in their communities, and explore what they are doing to bring about such change.•Be aware of the toll that sociopolitical events and climate can have for youth holding marginalized identities (e.g., police violence, immigration policy, removal of civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] individuals). Make sure you create a safe space for validating negative encounters about race and create spaces to process these important emotions.•If appropriate, ask youth if they are eligible to vote and if they are planning to vote in the next election. If they are not registered or if they are not sure, provide resources to register or verify registration. Discuss other venues for youth to support voting in their friends and families (e.g., driving people to the polls, registering people to vote).•Facilitate access to voting resources in your clinic for both patients, family, and community members. This may include hosting voting registration drives at your clinic site or posting flyers about registering to vote and other civic engagement opportunities in waiting rooms and examination rooms. Connect with local organizations that sponsor voter registration drives and support (such as transportation) on election day. Have resources available to share with youth and families.•Stay nonpartisan: avoid asking about political affiliation or who a youth might vote for. Rather, encourage civic engagement and voter registration as a component of positive youth development and a critical task of adolescence. Open table in a new tab The critical issues at play today—climate change, systemic racism, immigration, and health-care access and infrastructure—have the potential to impact the lives of young people for generations to come. These issues represent systemic obstacles to health equity for Black, Indigenous, and people of color and other marginalized communities. Youth civic engagement not only addresses the root causes of inequities but can also bring about a broader societal benefit from the activism and engagement of youth-led, intersectional movements for social justice. Our best chance of an equitable future requires us to look to young people to transform our society toward youth well-being and collective social justice [[4]Ballard P.J. Syme S.L. Engaging youth in communities: A framework for promoting adolescent and community health.J Epidemiol Community Health. 2016; 70: 202-206Crossref PubMed Scopus (32) Google Scholar]. Youth civic engagement, including prosocial values, beliefs, and behaviors such as voting, volunteering, and activism, is beneficial to youth in adolescence and beyond. Youth civic engagement has been associated with higher socioeconomic status in adulthood, educational attainment, improved mental health, decreased risk behaviors, and greater optimism and life satisfaction [5Ballard P.J. Hoyt L.T. Pachucki M.C. Impacts of adolescent and young Adult civic engagement on health and socioeconomic status in adulthood.Child Dev. 2019; 90: 1138-1154Crossref PubMed Scopus (40) Google Scholar, 6Chan W.Y. Ou S.-R. Reynolds A. Adolescent civic engagement and Adult Outcomes: An Examination among Urban racial Minorities wing.J Youth Adolesc. 2014; 45: 1829-1843Crossref Scopus (52) Google Scholar, 7Wray-Lake L. Maggs J.L. Johnston L.D. et al.Associations between community attachments and adolescent substance use in nationally representative samples.J Adolesc Health. 2012; 51: 325-331Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (42) Google Scholar, 8Finlay A. Wray-Lake L. Flanagan C. Civic engagement during the Transition to adulthood: Developmental Opportunities and social policies at a critical Juncture.in: Sherrod L.R. Torney-Purta J. Flanagan C.A. Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth. 2010: 277-305Crossref Scopus (45) Google Scholar, 9Wray-Lake L. Shubert J. Lin L. Starr L.R. Examining associations between civic engagement and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood in a national U.S. sample.Appl Dev Sci. 2019; 23: 119-131Crossref Scopus (9) Google Scholar]. Furthermore, civic engagement, including activism, can promote a sense of empowerment and purpose, help youth cope with stress, and develop community connections and social capital [[10]Ballard P. Ozer E. Implications of youth activism for health and well-being.in: Conner J. Rosen S. Contemporary Youth Activism: Advancing Social Justice in the United States. Praeger, Santa Barbara, California2016: 223-243Google Scholar]. Studies show the unique benefits of civic engagement for youth from historically marginalized communities, such as Black, Indigenous, and people of color, undocumented, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth, in part because their civic engagement addresses oppressive conditions that have detrimental impacts for themselves and their communities [10Ballard P. Ozer E. Implications of youth activism for health and well-being.in: Conner J. Rosen S. Contemporary Youth Activism: Advancing Social Justice in the United States. Praeger, Santa Barbara, California2016: 223-243Google Scholar, 11Watts R.J. Williams N.C. Jagers R.J. Sociopolitical development.Am J Community Psychol. 2003; 31: 185-194Crossref PubMed Scopus (259) Google Scholar, 12Ginwright S. Hope and healing in urban education: How urban activists and teachers are reclaiming matters of the heart. Routledge, New York2015Crossref Scopus (53) Google Scholar, 13Flores-Rleming A. Valdes P. Pillai S. 2010 youth organizing field scan. Brooklyn, New York2010Google Scholar]. Given the current sociopolitical context characterized by heightened racist and xenophobic rhetoric and violent attacks on U.S. communities of color, Svetaz et al. call for an antiracism-infused approach to positive youth development [[3]Svetaz M.V. Barral R. Kelley M.A. et al.Inaction is not an option: Using Antiracism Approaches to address health inequities and racism and Respond to current Challenges Affecting youth.J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67: 323-325Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar]. This framework encourages the development of critical consciousness in youth: the critical evaluation of systems of power and oppression and how race and racism can be used to create and reinforce power. When paired with civic engagement, we create a prosocial pathway to assist youth to channel the pain and frustration of systemic inequities into racial transformation of the world around them [[3]Svetaz M.V. Barral R. Kelley M.A. et al.Inaction is not an option: Using Antiracism Approaches to address health inequities and racism and Respond to current Challenges Affecting youth.J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67: 323-325Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar]. This occurs in parallel to processes of racial and political socialization, where young people are learning about their own racial identities, cultural strengths, but also the broader sociopolitical context, and leads to young people themselves as agents of change in our communities. Providers should consider how to support and coach young people to channel the pain, frustration, and stress as they go through these processes and grapple with societal inequities into proactive social outlets that are safe for them [[3]Svetaz M.V. Barral R. Kelley M.A. et al.Inaction is not an option: Using Antiracism Approaches to address health inequities and racism and Respond to current Challenges Affecting youth.J Adolesc Health. 2020; 67: 323-325Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar]. We have seen increased youth activism in anticipation of the November 2020 presidential election; however, civic engagement extends far beyond elections alone. We use this antiracist and positive youth development framework to inform our clinical practice: We consider civic engagement to be a crucial task of youth development and of particular importance for youth whose identities are marginalized [10Ballard P. Ozer E. Implications of youth activism for health and well-being.in: Conner J. Rosen S. Contemporary Youth Activism: Advancing Social Justice in the United States. Praeger, Santa Barbara, California2016: 223-243Google Scholar, 11Watts R.J. Williams N.C. Jagers R.J. Sociopolitical development.Am J Community Psychol. 2003; 31: 185-194Crossref PubMed Scopus (259) Google Scholar, 12Ginwright S. Hope and healing in urban education: How urban activists and teachers are reclaiming matters of the heart. Routledge, New York2015Crossref Scopus (53) Google Scholar, 13Flores-Rleming A. Valdes P. Pillai S. 2010 youth organizing field scan. Brooklyn, New York2010Google Scholar, 14Promotion O of DP and HCivic participation. Healthy people 2020.https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/civic-participation#:∼:text=Examples include voting%2C volunteering%2C participating,(e.g.%2C volunteer organizations)Google Scholar, 15De Angelo L. Schuster M.T. Stebleton M.J. California DREAMers: Activism, identity, and empowerment among undocumented college students.J Divers High Educ. 2016; 9: 216-230Crossref Scopus (29) Google Scholar]. In our clinical practice (and everywhere we are coaching youth), we often ask youth how they practice civic engagement in their communities. If they are older than 18 years, this includes asking if they are registered to vote, including for local elections, and providing educational resources or completing the voter registration process in clinic. A recently published article in this journal demonstrated that facilitating access to voter registration is a feasible intervention in the primary care setting [[16]Lickiss S. Lowery L. Triemstra J.D. Voter registration and engagement in an adolescent and young adult primary care clinic.J Adolesc Health. 2020; 66: 747-749Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar]. Querying about participating in civic engagement can thus be a clinical intervention, allowing us to promote youth agency and channel that agency into activism as a strategy to promote resilience and build social capital. It is also important to acknowledge that voter suppression is a critical issue in the U.S., and systemic racism is evident in access to voting. From the beginning, racism, sexism, and classism were built into notions of citizenship. Jim Crow–era practices and policies threatened violence or worse to Black Americans exercising their legal right to vote, [[17]Takaki R. A different mirror: The making of multicultural America.in: A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. 2008Google Scholar] while racialized mass incarceration stripped many, disproportionately Black and brown people, of their right to vote [[18]Lee H. Porter L.C. Comfort M. Consequences of family member incarceration: Impacts on civic participation and perceptions of the Legitimacy and Fairness of Government.Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 2014; 651: 44-73Crossref PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar]. Young people, women, people of color, transgender people, and Black Americans in particular, are disproportionately impacted by voter suppression and voter identification requirements [[19]Banks A.J. Hicks H.M. Fear and Implicit racism: Whites' support for voter ID laws.Polit Psychol. 2016; https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12292Crossref Scopus (18) Google Scholar,[20]McConville K.S. Stokes L. Gray M. Accumulating evidence of the impact of voter ID laws: Student engagement in the political process.Stat Public Policy. 2018; 5: 1-8Crossref Scopus (3) Google Scholar]. Thus, we support promotion of civic engagement beyond voting to make sure all voices in our society are heard. For youth who are ineligible to vote (due to age, immigration status, previous incarceration, or lack of identification documentation), it is imperative to avoid stigmatization and instead engage youth in a discussion of other forms of civic engagement. For example, youth can volunteer at polls, bring water to people waiting in line, or promote voter registration and voting among their friends, family members, and social media networks. Beyond voting, learning and reflecting about inequalities can lead to action, including challenging racism among friends or family, participating in peaceful protests, community meetings, or engagement with community organizations or political officials [[21]Bañales J. Aldana A. Richards-Schuster K. et al.Youth anti-racism action: Contributions of youth perceptions of school racial messages and critical consciousness.J Community Psychol. 2019; (August): 1-22https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22266Crossref Scopus (14) Google Scholar]. While we firmly believe that civic engagement is a powerful tool to promote youth agency and positive youth development, our recommendation comes with the caveat that in certain marginalized groups, safety is an issue, and exposing identities can come with a price. Examples include immigrant activists who may be targeted by immigration enforcement, transgender youth who become victims of bullying or hate crimes when they are open about their identities, or Black youth who attend protests and are arrested at disproportionate rates for their involvement. As with any intervention, promoting civic engagement must be carried out with careful attention to an individual's unique circumstances, with discussions of risks and benefits. Thus, recommendations around civic engagement must always address the importance of identifying safe spaces and participating in advocacy in ways that young people are not putting themselves at risk. Similarly, care must be taken to ensure we are not reinforcing the minority tax: the burden that minority communities bear in fighting for a more just society, while simultaneously bearing the burden of policies seeped in systemic racism. Our youth are leading us and pushing forward a new vision for the world, centering intersectionality when mobilizing around issues for social justice. We, as clinicians, have an opportunity to recognize and support the power of young people. We must listen to and accompany youth on their journey toward critical consciousness, agency, and activism: Our democracy depends on it. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under National Research Service Award (NRSA) in Primary Medical Care, grant no. T32HP22239 (PI: Borowsky). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. This work was also conducted as part of the University of Minnesota Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Interdisciplinary Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, funded through the Maternal Child Health Bureau . This project was also supported by the Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative from the Minnesota Department of Health , and M.V.S. would like to thank the initiative for their ongoing support and collaboration. ErratumJournal of Adolescent HealthVol. 68Issue 5PreviewIn Miller KK, Shramko M, Brown C, Svetaz MV. The Election Is Over, Now What? Youth Civic Engagement as a Path to Critical Consciousness. J Adolesc Health 2021;68:233-235. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.10.033. Full-Text PDF
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