Civic engagement is defined as thinking about, caring about, and taking action to address public social issues. It is informed by and intertwined with an individual’s sense of self; however, there is not yet a measure that connects behaviors of civic engagement to an individual’s identity and values.
The CIYA project aims to develop a quantitative measure for “civic identity” in youth and young adults by studying how an individual’s membership in a particular community is related to the social responsibilities they feel toward this social group. The development of this measure will hopefully promote sustained civic engagement among young people knowing how their sense of self is deeply connected with their civic behaviors.
