by Christi Parsons
College students of today are more engaged than were their counterparts in Generation X, but they're ambivalent about formal politics and averse to what they see as "spin" and polarization of current discourse.
Those are findings of a new national study to be released later today by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE).
They conducted focus groups on twelve campuses around the country to determine whether and how students' civic engaged had changed since the last comparable Kettering study 15 years ago.
In 1993, the study found that students considered politics irrelevant to their lives and saw little purposes in ever being an active part of the political system.
Today, however, students typically have a lot of experience with volunteering and feel they have an obligation to work together on social issues. Students of the Millenial Generation (born after 1985) are critical of modern politics, the new report says, but they still want to engage
Interestingly, the report suggests that the generation raised on the Internet tends to disregard much of the information available to them because they see it as polarizing and partisan. They turn to friends and family to help filter.
The study involved undergraduate students enrolled at four-year colleges and universities (but researchers note that more than half the people in that age range are not enrolled at such institutions.)
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Comments
They turn to friends and family to help filter.
Who are now just as partisan as the rest of Washington. What kind of advice would John D give his freinds and family?
Posted by: bill r. | November 7, 2007 7:00 AM
It's possible to sift through the spin, but I don't think family and friends are the best sources of impartial knowledge. Neither is the blogosphere. If a person really wants to know for example, what the SCHIP bill was all about, they should get a copy of it and read it. Then they will immediately see how the issue was spun in the media. As for the media, there are some impartial sources, but most have a little or a lot of spin one way or the other. We all gravitate toward what we want to believe, that's the reality of life.
Posted by: Tom | November 7, 2007 8:20 AM
College students are bombarded in colleges and universities
by socialist/enviro wacko faculties.
Never has academia been more leftist than it is today but,even with these wirdos in charge of classes. Many are rebelling and joining college Republican Clubs. My grandson is a member and he is as he tells me not alone in a vibrant Republican Club.
Political correctness spawns rebellion and the leftists are too self absorbed to notice.Jerry White,Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerrry White | November 7, 2007 9:21 AM
Why does it matter? Students are traditionally apathetics. They don't vote anyway. It didn't make a difference in the 2004 or 2006 Election. And it won't make a difference in 2008.
But they are foolish, because under the Republicans, their billions of dollars of loans were diverted to Banks. They ended up with less grants, loans and higher interests. While the Banks got their money for free. They should be glad the Democrats restored it back to them.
Man. . .talking about monkey boys.
Posted by: Lou | November 7, 2007 12:01 PM
College students are bombarded in colleges and universities
by socialist/enviro wacko faculties.
Posted by: Jerrry White | November 7, 2007 9:21 AM
Your world must really suck, Jerry. Is there anything that doesn't scare you? The left, terrorists, socialists....
oh my!
Posted by: bill r. | November 7, 2007 12:10 PM
It's very important that everyone vote for Hillary Clinton in this election. She is the only candidate with 5 important attributes (there are more but I forget the others): integrity, morals, passion, patriotism, and kindness. It's time for serious change in America, it's time for Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: Vote for Hillary Online | November 7, 2007 2:22 PM
VFHO,
You are kidding right?
Posted by: Terry | November 7, 2007 7:35 PM