CIRCLE Update

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How do American Teenagers Spend their Time? And which Harry Potter Character do they Resemble Most? In our most recent working paper, CIRCLE Deputy Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg analyzes how the country's youth spend their out-of-school time. The study  focuses especially on students' participation in extracurricular activities, which has changed significantly over the past few decades and reflects troubling socioeconomic gaps. In her innovative research, Kawashima-Ginsberg identifies six distinct clusters of students whose extracurricular interests and leisure-time use predict various academic, social, and psychological patterns. To better describe and contextualize the nature of these groups, each cluster is represented by aHarry Potter character. It is crucial, the paper argues, for educators and practitioners to understand these trends and the changing landscape of teenage time use, so that they may develop programs and interventions that foster positive youth development and civic engagement. Read the full working paper HERE. ............................................................................... CIRCLE Analysis Reveals Significant Findings about Humanities Network As part of the national effort, “Humanities at the Crossroads,” CIRCLE collaborated with Indiana Humanities to study the network of public humanities in the Hoosier state. The study was innovative in its use of network analysis to investigate a set of organizations and individuals that address civic purposes together. This opportunity to assess the network of organizations in one domain of civic work in one state will serve as a model for further research on civic engagement. The analysis revealed significant findings, such as the central role that three organizations play as "hubs" for the humanities in the state, and the fact that historical associations are the most prominent humanities organizations. Read more HERE. Stay connected to CIRCLE on Facebook and Twitter to learn more. Sign up here for CIRCLE’s monthly e-update.