Deviant Societal Attitudes and Civic Knowledge by 13 or 14 Years Old Children Living in Different Family Forms? A Cross-National Analysis

Jaap Dronkers, Universiteit Maastricht

This paper focuses on a consequence of parental divorce or separation: attitudes of their children towards society. We use 2009 data from the International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS). It tests civic attitudes and participation of 13 or 14 year old students across 38 countries. We use six indicators of civic attitudes: civic knowledge, trust in civic institutions, positive attitudes towards own country, equal rights for all ethnic groups, positive attitudes towards gender equality, support for democratic values. We distinguish between 11 family-forms: two-parent family; single-mother; mother & step-father; single-father; father & step-mother; etc. The analysis shows clear and differences between the civic attitudes of 13 or 14 year old students, living in a two-parent family on the one hand and the civic attitudes of 13 or 14 year old students, living in other family forms, irrespective of the country of test, and also after control for parental socio-economic background.