How do experiences of discrimination and social participation interact to foster political interest among immigrant-origin youth? Agyeman-Osei (2025) examines the cognitive mechanisms underpinning youth political socialization, addressing conflicting empirical literature on whether adolescents with an immigrant background exhibit higher or lower levels of political interest than their native-born peers.
Political interest serves as a primary cognitive driver of active political participation and long-term democratic integration, taking root early in adolescence and developing alongside key sociodemographic markers such as socioeconomic status and immigrant heritage. However, existing research reveals contradictory patterns, with some studies identifying suppressed political interest among immigrant youth while others observe heightened political interest. The author investigates whether these conflicting outcomes can be explained by personal experiences of discrimination and their potential moderating effect on social participation—a well-established correlate of civic and political interest.
Drawing on empirical data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU), the study captures a wide range of discrimination experiences reported by young people across national contexts. Utilizing linear regression models, the author evaluates the direct and interactive effects of discrimination and social participation on adolescents’ political interest. The empirical findings reveal that both discrimination experiences and active social participation exert statistically positive effects on youth political interest. Crucially, the analysis identifies no significant moderation effect between the two variables, demonstrating that discrimination and social participation operate as independent, additive pathways to political awakening rather than mutually amplifying dynamics. The study concludes that adversity and marginalization do not inherently induce political apathy; rather, confronting discrimination can stimulate critical political interest among immigrant youth, underscoring the need for institutions to provide supportive civic avenues that translate this interest into sustained democratic participation.
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Agyeman-Osei, K. M. (2025). CIVIC INTEREST FROM THE MARGINS: DISCRIMINATION AND YOUTH POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.19368161