Note: [] Address for correspondence: Sara K. Johnson, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, 301 Lincoln Filene Hall, Medford, MA, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Young people's civic engagement over the transition to adulthood is often sporadic, interspersed with life transitions, and patterned differently across people. Understanding covariates of patterns of civic engagement, and changes in these patterns, could enhance efforts to promote young adults' civic engagement. Using two time points of data from the Young Entrepreneurs Study (N = 2,364; 61.9% female; 60.9% European American), we identified four profiles of civic engagement: Low Initiative, Moderately Involved, Highly Involved, and Organizers. Profile membership was moderately stable, and stability rates were similar regardless of changes in participants' education status. Participants' initial levels of contribution ideology were related to stability in profile membership; participants with higher initial levels of contribution ideology were more likely to be classified in the Highly Involved profile at both waves. Implications for future research and applications are discussed.
