| dc.description.abstract | The main focus point of this chapter is to shed light on the study of civic engagement as a root of social cohesion in Latin America. Based on the assumption that the quality of social interactions among individuals and their active involvement in the society build the foundation for a cohesive society, this chapter analyzes the role of socialization practices in schools and some relevant psychological processes involved (i.e., personal beliefs about inequality and minorities, citizenship self-efficacy, and prosocial behaviors) as predictors of civic engagement and social cohesion. In particular, the chapter focuses on how young people learn and exercise their citizenship in contexts of inequalities, and going further, it examines how young people’s civic participation may support social cohesion in a region that structurally needs it.
The theoretical foundation underlying this contribution stems from the integration of different research traditions related to psychological and political development. In particular, the social cognitive approach and the intergroup relations research, addresses both personal and the situational roots of civic participation, which are highlighted in this chapter. In this vein, three different empirical contributions of the Chilean case were presented as local responses to the current challenges of socialization practices on civic and political participation among the youth. In particular, the first study focuses on school dynamics and their interplay with personal factors that may predispose young people to get involve in civic domains. In particular, this study stresses the mediational role of citizenship self-efficacy on linking civic knowledge and open school climate on different facets of civic engagement. The second empirical contribution examines the psychological factors that promote heterogenic change over time on youth’s perceptions of classroom
cohesion between native Chilean and Peruvian immigrants and highlights the relationship of intergroup contact with school civic participation in social cohesion. Finally, using an experimental design in a randomized control trial, the third contribution offers preliminary evidences of a school-based program entirely designed in Chile for promoting prosocial and civic participation for social cohesion within classrooms. The role of political psychology on how to promote social justice and equality via a citizenship education for social cohesion in Latin America is finally discussed.
Keywords: Youth civic engagement; social cohesion; citizenship education; Latin America | |
