Abstract:

Contemporary political and social theorists (e.g. Habermas 1984; Delli Carpini/Keeter 1993; 1997; Vujčić 2001) consider political knowledge as an important dimension of a democratic political culture and a vital prerequisite for deliberating on various political issues, as well as for active and responsible participation in the political process. Despite the growing number of research and literature targeting this issue internationally, political literacy is still quite neglected in the academic discourse in Croatia, and therefore data on youth political literacy and socialization are scarce. Some of the recent studies show how Croatian youth has no or little knowledge related to democracy and citizen participation. They communicate undemocratic attitudes, poor knowledge of basic political concepts and human rights, as well as low level of ‘being up to date’ with the recent political turmoil. This paper analyses the most recent study on youth political literacy conducted in Croatian high schools in 2015, with more than 1000 students participating.

Political literacy was operationalized through three dimensions:
(I) understanding the fundamental political concepts,
(II) knowledge of constitutional-political organization and
(III) awareness of recent (national) political developments.

Preliminary results indicate low level of literacy, but there are significant differences among students of different types of high schools – students attending grammar schools report significantly higher level of political knowledge. Considering that more than two third of all high school students in Croatia attend other types of vocational schools, it is evident that educational authorities and NGOs have to seriously (re)consider strengthening the program of political education.

Keywords:

Youth political knowledge, youth political literacy, grammar vs. vocational schools, political education.