Interaction, Communication and Behavior within the Family − Family Experience and Political Attitudes of Adolescents and Young Adults

Familie auf Brücke im Wald
© colourbox.de

Project goal

This project analyses the connection between communication and interaction in the family and the political attitudes of adolescents and young adults.

Brief description

This research project deals with the question of whether there is a connection between communication and interaction in the family and the political attitudes of adolescents and young adults. This topic is highly relevant in view of the crisis phenomena of democratic constitutional states that have recently been observed in Germany and other countries. When it comes to the question of factors that influence political attitudes, this project focuses on the family. The influence of the family as a place of education for the democratic competence of future generations is often underestimated. On the one hand, the family can promote political commitment and social competence and, on the other hand, help to understand fundamental democratic principles. The project focuses on the assumption that certain free spaces and co-determination opportunities of young people in the family have a positive effect on their democratic attitudes.

However, it is not clear how family interaction and communication affect the acquisition of political attitudes. Since the information needed to analyze this question is not sufficiently available in existing data sets, the ZFG is planning its own survey in which adolescents and young adults will be asked about their family life and political attitudes. Based on the data collected, multivariate statistical methods will be used to analyze the extent to which there is a connection between communication and interaction in the family and the political attitudes of adolescents and young adults.

The results of this project are not only important for closing a scientific research gap, but are also of great importance from a social and educational policy perspective.

Project management

Stüwe, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

Project collaborators

Gotschke, Jasmin, M.Sc.

Hartmann, Lisa, M.A.

Hecht, Veronika, Dr.