The Association of Camp Experiences with Civic Attitudes and Intentions in Late Adolescence

In this study, associations between camp experiences and civic attitudes and intentions were examined among late adolescents. Various lines of research suggest a positive association of camp experiences emphasizing religiosity and social justice/community involvement with more positive civic attitudes and intentions. To examine this possibility, 163 late adolescents completed surveys about camp experiences and civic attitudes and intentions. Possible mediators (e.g., individual religiosity, social capital resources related to civic engagement, identity exploration) of the relation between camp experiences and civic attitudes/intentions were also examined. Results suggest a trend toward higher levels of civic attitudes and intentions among late adolescents who attended a camp emphasizing both religiosity and social justice/community involvement than among adolescents who attended other kinds of camps. Although camp type predicted the proposed mediators, these constructs did not predict civic attitudes or intentions, resulting in little evidence for the hypothesized mediated associations. Results did indicate a consistent pattern in which adolescents who attended a camp emphasizing both religiosity and social justice/community involvement perceived more positive changes in their civic attitudes and intentions as a result of camp experiences than did adolescents who attended any other kind of camp; somewhat more evidence of mediation emerged in predicting perceived impact.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Wegman, Holly

• Civic Engagement

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/14819

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/14819