TY - JOUR
T1 - Civic Learning and Self-Determination: A Model of User-Generated Content and Civic Readiness among Actualizing Citizens
T2 - A Model of User-Generated Content and Civic Readiness Among Actualizing Citizens
AU - Gotlieb, Melissa
AU - Sarge, Melanie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Communication Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/2/1
Y1 - 2021/2/1
N2 - Participation in user-generated content (UGC) consistently relates to participation in various forms of online and offline politics, suggesting that it is likely to complement or even serve as a gateway to instrumental engagement. Yet, there has been little attempt to offer a comprehensive account of the mechanisms that explain these relationships. We address this gap in the literature by theorizing how participation in UGC contributes to civic readiness. Specifically, we advance a conceptual model relating the attributes of UGC involvement to civic readiness through two concurrent processes: a civic learning process that relates the attributes to civic ability and a self-determination process that relates them to civic motivation. In doing so, we suggest that in addition to the development of civic skills, participation in UGC also contributes to civic readiness by promoting the perception that such participation is self-determined. The result is the development of competent and engaged citizens.
AB - Participation in user-generated content (UGC) consistently relates to participation in various forms of online and offline politics, suggesting that it is likely to complement or even serve as a gateway to instrumental engagement. Yet, there has been little attempt to offer a comprehensive account of the mechanisms that explain these relationships. We address this gap in the literature by theorizing how participation in UGC contributes to civic readiness. Specifically, we advance a conceptual model relating the attributes of UGC involvement to civic readiness through two concurrent processes: a civic learning process that relates the attributes to civic ability and a self-determination process that relates them to civic motivation. In doing so, we suggest that in addition to the development of civic skills, participation in UGC also contributes to civic readiness by promoting the perception that such participation is self-determined. The result is the development of competent and engaged citizens.
KW - Civic Engagement
KW - Civic Learning
KW - Political Participation
KW - Self-Determination Theory
KW - User-Generated Content (UGC)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143373675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ct/qtaa032
DO - 10.1093/ct/qtaa032
M3 - Article
VL - 31
SP - 127
EP - 149
JO - Communication Theory
JF - Communication Theory
IS - 1
ER -