The Politics of the Mundane

Abstract

Extensive research on political participation suggests that parental resources strongly predict participation. Other research indicates that salient political events can push individuals to participate. I offer a novel explanation of how mundane household experiences translate to political engagement, even in settings where low participation levels are typically found, such as immigrant communities. I hypothesize that experiences requiring children of Latinx immigrants to take on “adult” responsibilities provide an environment where children learn the skills needed to overcome the costs associated with participation. I test this hypothesis using three datasets: a survey of Latinx students, a representative survey of young adults, and a 10-year longitudinal study. The analyses demonstrate that Latinx children of immigrants taking on adult responsibilities exhibit higher levels of political activity compared with those who do not. These findings provide new insights into how the cycle of generational political inequality is overcome in unexpected ways and places.

Activist Gentrifiers: Transforming Urban Politics in Latinx Communities

“…In this case study of Barrio Logan in Southern California, I have demonstrated how the influx of ethnic entrepreneurs and business owners has paved the way for distinctive avenues of minority activism. By adopting a "placebased" mobilization model (Nuamah & Ogorzalek, 2021;Carlos, 2021) and delving into the intricate intersection of ethnic and class affiliations, this study contributes to the existing body of literature on activism and mobilization within ethnic and racial minority communities (Carlos, 2021;Nuamah & Ogorzalek, 2021;Lawless & Fox, 2001;Michener, 2021;Barreto, 2004;Bedolla, 2005;Shukra et al, 2004;Sbicca & Perdue, 2014). It discerns unique patterns of activism that transcend anti-system protests by intersecting the class diversity, and local processes impacting these populations.…”

“…License: All Rights Reserved contentious urban politics. By employing a "place-based" mobilization model and exploring the complex interplay of ethnic and class ties, this study adds to the political science literature on protest, activism, and mobilization within ethnic/racial minority communities (Nuamah & Ogorzalek, 2021;Carlos, 2021;Lawless & Fox, 2001;Michener, 2021;Barreto, 2004;Bedolla, 2005;Shukra et al, 2004;Sbicca & Perdue, 2014).…”

Partisanship on the Playground: Expressive Party Politics Among Children

“…Political socialization begins early in life, with parents as crucial to the process of partisan preference formation (Pedraza and Perry 2020;Jennings et al 2009;Sapiro 2004). Evaluations of the processes of parental-child transmission reveal deep connections between the eventual partisan identification of children and their parents (McDevitt 2005;Ojeda and Hatemi 2015;Oxley 2017), while recent studies note the importance of transfers of political information from children to parents, particularly for immigrant families (Carlos 2021;Pedraza and Perry 2020). Early studies of political socialization showed that children develop political attitudes even before they understand much about politics, and that they develop mostly positive attitudes about politics and political leaders (Easton et al 1969;Greenstein 1965;Hess and Easton 1960; see also Oxley et al 2020).…”

“…5.Scholars of political socialization have long focused on parents as crucial to the process of partisan formation (Jennings and Niemi 1968; Jennings, Stoker, and Bowers 2009; Sapiro 2004), although recent work suggests that this relationship might be bi-directional, with children (particularly children of immigrants) socializing their parents (Carlos 2021). Because our ethical approach required that we collect no identifying information on the children at all, we were unable to link each child’s information to their parents or guardians.…”