Socialization or Self-Selection? Membership in Deliberative Associations and Political Attitudes

• Published in: Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 174 - 192
• Main Author: Quintelier, Ellen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2013; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescents; Associations; Attitudes; Belgium; Focusing; Membership; Memberships; Panels; Political attitudes; Political behavior; Selfselection; Social sciences; Socialization; Students; Studies; Tolerance; Tolerances; Voluntarism; Young people; Belgium; voluntary engagement; adolescents; socialization; self-selection; political attitudes
• ISSN: 0899-7640; 1552-7395; 0899-7640
• DOI: 10.1177/0899764011434556

Since de Tocqueville’s visit to the United States, it has become common knowledge that people in civic associations are more civic minded: They display higher levels of political interest, tolerance, and social and political trust. The question remains, however, whether young people are socialized through associations or self-select into associations. This article aims to untangle this relationship, using a representative panel of 16- and 18-year-old Belgian students by focusing on deliberative associations. The results show that both self-selection and socialization effects play a role with respect to political interest but not for other political attitudes and that long-lasting engagement and membership in multiple associations have the strongest socializing effect.