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The New Young Masaryks? Support for Democracy and Its Principles among Czech Adolescents

Autor Jan ŠEREK
Organisation Fakulta sociálních studií Masarykovy univerzity
Year 2017
Research type paper in Journal
Annotation This article investigates levels and predictors of support for democracy and two democratic principles (free speech and minority rights) among Czech 14- to 17-year-olds. An analysis of survey data collected in primary and secondary schools in four regions in 2014 (N = 1,959) reveals that among young Czechs general support for a democratic regime is relatively independent from more specifi c pro-democratic attitudes (although there is an association between general support for democracy and the abstract principle of freedom of speech). On a general level, democracy was supported by about two-thirds of adolescents in the sample. Similar or even higher levels of support were found for the two principles of democracy when presented in abstract terms. However, when these principles were presented to them in specifi c, less clear-cut contexts, support for them was much lower. Specifi - cally, despite their strong support for free speech, about half of respondents supported restricting unconventional political activism. Moreover, a similar proportion of participants seemed to downplay minority rights when the majority rule was emphasised. Results of the analysis also revealed that support for different aspects of democracy was predicted by various psychological and socioeconomic factors.
Keywords support for democracy, democratic values, adolescents, Czech Republic
Research type unrepeated research
Start date
End date
Obor AD Politology and political sciences, AN Psychology
Email serek@fss.muni.cz
Availability available in the NRVDM electronic library
Download research 1530391884.pdf
Link https://doi.org/10.13060/00380288.2017.53.2.313
Research location Ano
Organisation Fakulta sociálních studií Masarykovy univerzity
Organisation web fss.muni.cz
Possible connection
Registry administrator Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Operator Národní pedagogický institut ČR
In cooperation Czech Council of Children and Youth
Links vyzkumy@npicr.cz Error and bug reporting Personal data protection