Understanding the costs and benefits of politics among adolescents within a sociocultural context

Abstract

Politics entails personal costs and benefits, which may differ for youth from different sociocultural backgrounds. The at‐stake hypothesis proposes that politically marginalized youth experience greater costs (e.g., stress, conflict) and benefits (e.g., empowerment) related to politics, whereas the at‐risk hypothesis proposes that politically marginalized youth experience greater costs but lower benefits. In Study 1, we examined the factor structure of a new political costs and benefits measure among youth (N = 1,056, Mage = 15.91 years) and tested mental health and demographic correlates. Consistent with the at‐stake hypothesis, marginalized youth experienced greater political costs and benefits than non‐marginalized youth, although findings were nuanced. In Study 2, a sub‐sample of participants (N = 191, Mage = 16.05 years) were recontacted from Study 1 to provide written explanations for why specific findings emerged. Adolescents' reasons indicated that laws and policies disproportionately affect youth from marginalized populations, thus producing both negative and positive political experiences

Differential resilience effects of everyday political engagement against heterosexist victimization among sexual minority youth: The importance of identity‐based action

“…The results conflict with some prior evidence suggesting that collective action may be negatively related to distress and positively related to well‐being (Watson et al, 2018). Such a contrast in the present findings may be explained by the ambivalent affective and interpersonal outcomes associated with collective action (Becker et al, 2011; Oosterhoff et al, 2022). Indeed, while engaging in collective action may contribute to an increased sense of purpose, empowerment, and social connection, it may also bring about interpersonal conflict and stress (e.g., confronting others for using heterosexist language) and carry personal costs (e.g., time, emotion, and resources) (Becker et al, 2011; Chan & Mak, 2021).…”

“…While such figures constitute a substantial proportion of sexual minority youth, their levels of everyday political engagement are lower than those reported among sexual minority adults in Western democratic societies (Friedman & Leaper, 2010; Velez & Moradi, 2016). The discrepancy may perhaps be attributed not only to greater democratic values and norms in Western contexts which reward proactive political participation (Cho, 2015; Quintelier & Hooghe, 2013), but also to the personal costs associated with young people's political action (e.g., stress, time commitment, interpersonal conflict) (Oosterhoff et al, 2022). Unlike heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth may also face further risks, such as being kicked out of their home, being deprived of personal freedom, and being subject to financial control due to family disapproval of their sexual identity and engagement in LGBT collective action (Fish et al, 2020), which may have especially pronounced mental health consequences in the collectivist, family‐centered Chinese context (Shao et al, 2018).…”

“…Furthermore, it is crucial to acknowledge the limits of collective action, especially in less democratic societies, where collective action is sometimes considered a threat to the established order (Dittmer et al, 2000; Fu, 2017). Previous research has also suggested that political engagement is not universally beneficial to youth with different social identities and that politically marginalized youth (e.g., sexual minority youth) may experience greater costs and backlash from participating in politics (Oosterhoff et al, 2022). When the political system is unresponsive to their demands or does not effectively bring about social change, it may trigger feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness.…”

“…Sexual minority youth may also be linked to gay‐straight alliances and other community agencies, which can offer spaces for making meaningful connections and countering heterosexist experiences (Case & Hunter, 2012). Nonetheless, psychologists and counseling professionals must recognize the potential risks and challenges involved in collective action (e.g., facing discrimination or backlash) and that it can be time‐consuming and emotionally draining (Becker et al, 2011; Oosterhoff et al, 2022). They should work to support sexual minority youth to engage in LGBT collective action in ways that are safe and empowering.…”

Early Adolescents Demonstrate Peer-Network Homophily in Political Attitudes and Values

“…Data were collected in Fall 2019, a time when political division was relatively high compared with other points in U.S. history. Some research suggests that political conflict can lead to important disruptions among adolescent friends (Oosterhoff et al, 2022) and that the sociopolitical contexts change over historical time (Oosterhoff et al, 2020). Future research should continue to examine these processes over time to understand how period and cohort effects impact these results.…”