22
ISSUES: Citizenship
Chapter 2: Active citizenship
The ESS data shows that the most
active in most forms of civic and
political participation are those
with a high education (see Table 1).
Interestingly, it would seem that being
ineducationneutralises thedifferences
between high-income and low-
income groups with regards to levels
of civic and political participation.
The key question is why? In our view,
this is likely to be due to the political
socialisation effect of educational
establishments,
which
provide
students with social networks and a
culture of participation, underpinned
by a relatively democratic ethos. It
is not possible to test this claim with
the ESS data, but it is consistent
with the findings of the Citizenship
Education Longitudinal Study, which
has been surveying the civic learning,
behaviour, and attitudes of young
people in England since 2001
4
.
We draw two main conclusions from
our analysis of the ESS data. First,
educational institutions play a vital
role in scaffolding the transition of
young people into adulthood, for
example, by providing them with
opportunities to engage in forms of
civic and political activity. And second,
educational establishments play a
key role as social levellers, as they
are particularly effective in providing
a platform for civic and political
engagement for young people from
deprived backgrounds. In our view,
this places added emphasis on the
role of educational organisations in
nurturing such engagement.
19 May 2015
Ö
The
above
information
is
reprinted with kind permission
from The Crick Centre. Please visit
for further
information.
© The Crick Centre 2017
4 Keating, A., Kerr, D., Benton, T., Mundy, E.
and Lopes, J. (2010)
Citizenship Education in
England 2001–2010: young people’s practices
and prospects for the future: the eighth and
final report from the Citizenship Education
Longitudinal Study
, (London: DfE); see also
education-longitudinal-study-cels/
Does volunteering make
you happier?
H
ere at Join In, we often see the
effect that volunteering has on
people. We love hearing how
rewarding our volunteers find it to
help others, and make a difference in
their communities. So we decided to
look into the subject a little bit more
with an independent online survey.
Carried out in April 2014 by Delta Value
and Morar Research, we surveyed
over 2,500 people from a controlled
population of clubs and volunteers
in the Join In database, as well as the
general public.
What did we find?
Well, the research showed that, when
compared to a group that had never
volunteered in sport, those that had
volunteered were less likely to feel
unhappy or depressed. Interestingly,
there was also a direct correlation
between happiness and the longevity
of volunteering – as those who had
volunteered in sport for ten plus years
gave the most positive responses.
Here are some of the stats:
Ö
88% of people agreed they had a
lot to be proud of
Ö
87% said their life has more
meaning because of volunteering
Ö
People who volunteer in sport
have a 10% higher self-esteem,
emotional
wellbeing
and
resilience than those who have
never volunteered
Ö
Thosewhohavenever volunteered
in sport are more likely to feel
unhappy, sad or depressed
Ö
Sports volunteers are 15% less
likely to worry, and less likely to
feel anxious or cry a lot
Ö
They are 28% more likely to feel
what they do has importance
These results back up what we
hear throughout the year from the
thousands of people involved in Join
In. Here are just a few of the messages
we’ve received from them about the
positive impact of volunteering:
“I want as many people as possible
to experience the sense of pride
and honour I feel to be a part of
something so special. As a volunteer at
a grassroots club, you are an integral
part of creating childhood memories,
friendships and experiences that will
stay with these kids for their whole
life.”
“I had panic attacks when I split up
with my husband and couldn’t travel
on trains anymore. Being accepted as
a Games Maker for London 2012 made
me tackle that fear.”
“Volunteering makes me feel lucky and
privileged, proud and valued. I feel
needed and like I make a difference by
offering lots of brilliant kids a positive
activity.”
20 May 2014
Ö
The above information is reprinted
with kind permission from Join in.
Please visit
for
further information.
© Join in 2017
