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(Home-)Schools of Democracy? On the Intergenerational Transmission of Civic Engagement

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  • Martin Binder

    (Bard College Berlin
    Levy Economics Institute of Bard College)

Abstract

Where do individuals learn civic engagement? While voluntary associations are often seen as the breeding grounds for democratic skills and virtues, many preferences are learned by children in their family and thus passed on between generations. The present paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991–2008) for the UK to analyze the intergenerational transmission of civic engagement and political participation preferences. It finds that both voluntary associational count variables as well as frequency and strength measures of doing volunteer work and political party support are correlated between parents and their grown up children (i.e. after leaving the parental household), even when controlling for resources like socio-economic background. The intergenerational transmission is more pronounced with regard to triggering filial civic engagement, but frequency of parental engagement is less strongly transmitted. A robustness analysis suggests that peer influences (as measured by regional levels of civic engagement) do not drive the intergenerational transmission of civic engagement.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Binder, 2020. "(Home-)Schools of Democracy? On the Intergenerational Transmission of Civic Engagement," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 911-945, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:149:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-020-02278-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-020-02278-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Clara Figueiredo Dalla Costa Ames & Mauricio Custódio Serafim, 2023. "Multiple Cases of Pro-life Volunteering in a Neo-Aristotelian Ethical Approach," RAC - Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Journal of Contemporary Administration), ANPAD - Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração, vol. 27(Vol. 27 N), pages 210315-2103.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Civic engagement; Political participation; Intergenerational transmission; Preference learning; BHPS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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