Tariq Adediran

Tariq Adediran

3/25/2015

GOV 370K

Research Design

Research Question: How can church positively affect African America youth who lack civic engagement?

Significance of the question: African Americans youth living in either urban or rural areas tend to be less politically active then there other racial counterparts who are majorly Anglo-whites Americans. The reason for African American youth not being civically engage could be due to the lack of resources in their community. This resources lacking are programs that able to target the neighborhoodsthat have the lowest civic engagement amongst African American youths, or political organization who can mobilize African American youths.

Definition: civic engagement

Civic engagement encompass all the different civic forms like individual or group voluntarism, organizational involvement, and electoral participation that citizens engage in to help shape the community and most importantly the country future. In addition this term has been associated in recent year with American youth in being a critical component in keeping United States representative democracy intact for the future.

Thesis statement:If African American youth who lack civic skills due to external factors attend church on a regularly bases the church environment can nurture differentcivic skills which will develop African American who are not civically active to gradually become productive United States citizens in civic engagement.

Theory #1: Primary season is when church attendance from African American youths is most important in getting them to go to the polls and vote.

When looking at 2000 and 2004 elections Dalton (2011) takes up the debate on how the outcome of the both election would have been different if there would have been higher level of youth participation.Although one could say that it was the candidate’s faults at the times of those elections innot getting their ideas to appeal tothe nation youth, yet the main problem during those timesis effort in mobilizing urban or rural minority, superficiallyAfrican Americans to vote.

One institution that has in past and currently still counteractsthe lack of effort in politically organization in mobilizing African American’s youth to show up at the poll, besides recent social media efforts, is the church. The church can host educational forum where they unite all candidates running in local, state, or national elections to share their views and answers questions.This specific forum used by the church is significant for African American youth given the research done in Cathy Cohen work that uses figures showing youngAfrican Americans have a highest rateidentifying the church as religious institution of mobilization then the other races.

Also African American churches create the network of “social capital” which is consider by most to be critical component in the quality of political and economic productivity. In defining social capital it is the value that comes about when one is associated with individuals in different socioeconomic classes other then them. Moreover, being active and in these “social capital” network craterby the church, raises one’s awareness of relevant information and increases the opportunity of all its members connected in network

Furthermore by looking at the existing experiment on church attendance and civic engagement as well as survey data on the African American community one will see that there substantial truth in proving my theory is correct.

Theory #2: Given its past the African American church can develop civic skill ofAfrican American youth who are involved in the church

One of the most valuable skills for American youth to have is civic skills. Civic skills capabilities can consist of collective influence toward policy, effectively speaking with government official, being aware and active in one polity, writing letters, and be able understand the distinction of civic and political life. Although is commonly assume that one being affiliated with political organizations such as political parties or candidates organization will acquire civic skills. However, civic skills are crafted frequently in nonpolitical organizations like the church (Peterson 1992; Verbaet al. 1995).

Churches specifically in the African American community have the most impact on civic skills development given that are commonly lacking in young African Americans in urban area or rural areas compare to their Anglo-White American counterparts due to the lack of resources and environment. By understanding how African American churches have historical equipped its members with civic skills by giving them the opportunity to develop these skills within their institution, one will see that their strong correlation between African American church attendance of the youth and an increase in civic skills.

Frazier (1957) argues that during the civil rights era African American’s enthusiasm for attending the church was because of institutional racism, oppressive barrier place on African Americans in competing with white for leadership in both private and public employment market. As a result, this left African American mainly looking for leadership position from local, state, and national church assemblies. Nevertheless, thechurch filledthe void of civic skills in African American community by providing leadership development in church position of deacons, chairs for men’s and women’s committees for the church, and trustee.

In addition the environment of the church is where each person in a leadership position inside the church gradually learned how to navigate through issues in maintaining a productive environment. These issues were handling inner group disagreement, maintaining budgets, nominating capable officials to church office, and having a high degree of accountability amongst their peers. All the civic skills acquired by the church were important to African Americans at that time in having the capabilities in organizing a quality civil-rights movement (Lincoln & Mamiya 1990).

In addition, an early 90’s survey data displayed from the Citizen Participation study (Verba et al. 1995, Appendix A) shows substantial difference in civic skills develop in church amongst racial ethnicities. The data display African Americans as having more chances to cultivate civic skills in the church given that 40% practice their civic skills at their respective place of worship compare to Latino Americans being 20% and Anglo- white Americans being 28%. Given all the history and data of the church foster civic skills, it’s accurate to say that attendance of African American youth to church who lack civic due to external factors such social status, income, and environment can break these barriers in gaining civic skills.

Lit Review #1

In a research article presented by Gerber, Gruber, and Hungerman their studies show a strong correlation in church attendance in the overall population, young to elderly and political activism. In the research the authors dissect the “blue laws” in the south by applying a methodological approach of survey gathering from the Decennial Censuses which contain the population data and scope of states being “battleground” states for election.

These survey gives sense on how voting level have regressed by looking at the population size of each county and whether a states is highly contested by the majority parties of Democrats and Republicans. A short history on the Blue Laws, otherwise known as Sunday closing laws, is discussed which is essential to know in order to understand the author’s mindset of the correlation between these laws and political activism.

The Blue laws originated during colonial times, but were brought back during 17th century and lasted in certain area in the south and Midwest states until the later stage of 20th century. The “Blue laws” prohibited numerous actives on Sabbath. Key to this article is the hypothesis formed from the states abolishing the legislation of “blue laws” which caused a decline in religious attendance adversely effecting voter turnout. This is similar in retrospect to my hypothesis in African American churches being crucial element in mobilizing civic engagement from African American youth who attend on a regular basis.

Furthermore in theGerber, Gruber, and Hungerman studyone could see how the blue laws that link people to the church help one to understand how church has impact on political activism.

Lit Review# 2

The model of civic voluntarism was created by data gather from the study of civic participation which is a survey that included 15,000 people. The civic voluntarism model was further studied in research article of “Voice and Equality” (Verba et al., 1995), which finds three aspects for adults to have inorder to engage properly in public life. These important aspects for one to have are passion or motivation, being connect to wide arrange of network people who are civically engage, and the resources like financial capitol and time which in return require one to have civic skills to properly use the resources.

Diving deeper into the subject of civic skills the authors discuss several key assumptions for one being able to comprehend the importance of civic skills. Briefly defining civic skills,the authors move on to examine the civic voluntarism model which display a sequence of "organization and communication skills" that help one in using their money and time correctly in the political atmosphere (Verba et al., 1995). One of the aspects that weredistinguished in the research was between “political behavior” and having the “skills” to perform the “behavior”. For instances the behavior is classified as writing a letter which is acivic skill. However, one will find process of writing a letter to a congressman tough, a process classified as political behavior, if one does not have civic knowledge in knowing current issues, ways to contact elected officials, and places express one political or civic opinion.

Final goal of the civic voluntarism model is to show how civic skills are gained in multiple organizational setting staring from childhood all the way to adulthood. Organizations are important because it foster and environment that allow for person to develop his or her civic skills in order to be a productive participate in civic engagement.

Furthermore the author’sresearchhas had a significant influence on the knowledge of civic skills by defining it, using empirical data, and showing how civic skills such as writing or giving a speech are connected tocomponent of civic knowledge which is vital for one to have in being an active political participated.

Annotated Bibliography

Dalotn, R.J. (2011) “Introduction: The Debate over Youth Participation,” in R.J. Dalton (ed.) Engaging Youth in Politics: Debating Democracy’s Future, New York and Amsterdam:

International debate education association: 1-15.

Analyze the pattern of youth political participation in the U.S. democracy, the inequality of political engagement amongst different racial ethnicities, and possible reforms that rejuvenate greater youth participation.

Peterson, Steven A. 1992. “Church Participation and Political Participation: The Spillover Effect.”American Politics Quarterly 20:123–39.

The research looks at the correlation between civic engagement and religious participation in different culture perceptive. The shows that attending church regularly is critical component in encourage participation in civil society.

Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Henry E. Brady. 1995. Voice and Equality: Civic

Voluntarism in American Politics. Appendix A. Harvard University Press.

Test the idea first created by Alexis de Tocqueville that United States democracy based on civic voluntarism. Also how some citizens have greater voice in politics compare to other and the inequality that certain races have in gaining access to vital resources that attribute to voluntarism.

Frazier, Edward Franklin. 1957. Black Bourgeoisie. Free Press.

Studies middle class black living in America, and how different problems sprung up due to the aftermath of “black flight” which composed the black community in the urban areas and the black community in the rural areas.

Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence E. Mamiya. 1990. The Black Church in the African-American

Experience. Duke University Press.

Studies African American churches in urban and rural areas. Also examine the historical of the church as it relates to contemporary African American culture.

Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Henry E. Brady. 1995. Voice and Equality.

Cambridge Harvard University Press.

Research on participatory process which is commonly center around resources of citizens and their access to network is proved to be false. Also moreparticipatory equality will result in a different mixture of policy messages toward political leaders

Gerber, Alan, Jonathan Gruber, and Daniel Hungerman. 2008. “Does Church Attendance Cause People to Vote? Using Blue Laws’ Repeal to Estimate the Effect of Religiosity on Voter Turnout.” Working Paper No. 14303. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Find strong correlation between r regular church attendance and increases in voting pattern. To prove the correlation theory the paper studies the repeal of laws restrictingretail activity on Sunday which are known as “Blue Laws” and the effects on church attendance that stimulate a political participation for an activity such as voting.