acknowledgements & contributors: michael furdyk, jennifer ... · 2010 takingitglobal member...

2010 TakingITGlobal Member Survey:

Prepared By: Sean Keith January 18th, 2012 Acknowledgements & Contributors: Michael Furdyk, Jennifer Corriero

2010 TakingITGlobal Member Survey 2

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Table of Contents:

Introduction & Acknowledgements: ………………………………………………….. 3 Abstract ………………………………………………….. 4 Main Body ………………………………………………….. 5 References ………………………………………………….. 15 Appendix ………………………………………………….. 20


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Being part of the TakingITGlobal has been a great blessing for me, as it helped me to embrace a variety organizations, projects, and opportunities to shift my message of Peace across the globe. Therefore through TakingITGlobal I was able to participate at international conferences and workshops where I met young passionate agents of peace and social justice.

Male, age 20, from Kyrgyzstan

TakingITGlobal (TIG) operates a global online community with close to 400,000 registered members from 261 countries or regions, reaching more than 4.5 million visitors each year.1 Leveraging a robust set of social media tools, educational resources and the collaborative power of this sizeable network of youth members, TIG aims to facilitate an increase in the frequency and impact of behaviours associated with youth leadership and civic engagement on a global scale. In June 2010, TakingITGlobal developed and launched a large‐scale survey of its global membership. Over the course of two weeks, the forty-five question survey yielded a sample of 3,338 complete interviews. Results from the survey suggest that involvement with TIG fosters three capacities taken to be core components of leadership, viz. (1) Issues awareness; (2) the ability to connect, collaborate and meaningfully contribute; and (3) the willingness to take responsibility through action. Following a discussion of literature relating the definitions of leadership, TIG’s relationship to each of these components will be explored through the 2010 survey data. Evidence from this data suggests that involvement with TIG yields positive increases among members which, taken together, support the claim that involvement with TIG fosters the development of leadership capacities among young people globally.

1 The total registered member database stood at N=333,876 at the time when the 2010 TIG Research Survey went

into field. The valid responding base for the survey was n=3338.


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Abstract: While there are multiple points of entry into civic engagement behaviours requiring different levels of upfront investment, background knowledge and confidence, for the majority of the 4.5 million users that visit TIG on a yearly basis the majority do so as observers. Through a host of online resources, member stories, educational resources and social network tools, these individuals are introduced to key questions, insights, reflections and issues-based dialogue with others. While populations may differ in their particular needs, interests or level of involvement by duration, region or gender, respondent data clearly supports the claim that involvement with TIG leads to a substantial self-reported increase in awareness of local and global issues, cultures and perspectives, resources, and opportunities. Beyond awareness, members are clearly refining and increasing their skills, confidence and sense of connection to their communities with benefits linked via external literature to academic performance, tolerance and civic responsibility. Lastly, involvement with TIG has led to substantial increases in volunteerism among members, with roughly 40,000 members attributing their involvement in service activities to their TIG membership. While activities include substantive increases in political talk, the actions of the community speak much louder with members reporting increases in both participatory and initiating civic engagement behaviours. Taken together, the survey data supports the claim that involvement with TIG fosters the development of key capacities associated with Gini’s (2006) characterization of leadership and Luskin’s (1996) models of political sophistication. Key Words: Youth, civic literacy, civic engagement, volunteerism, leadership


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Main Body: In an effort to begin a conversation about the efficacy of TakingITGlobal (TIG) as a platform to empower young people everywhere to understand and act on humankinds’ greatest challenges, the starting point is to define the outcomes that TIG aims to create. Fundamentally, the inputs to TIG’s model for affecting change range from thousands of hours of volunteer time, investments in technology, consultations and dialogue with leaders in education, policy and civil society. With more than ten years of experience, TIG’s efforts have evolved from their initial foundations providing a shared online space for young people to connect. With the rise of social media, TIG’s focus is on leveraging the convening power of the network to facilitate participation through programs, projects and site offerings that help to bring young people into conversation with issues of public concern. Simply put, through its network (www.tigweb.org), educational offerings (www.tiged.org) and host of online collaborative tools, TIG aims to foster and support the development of leadership capacities among young people in the more than two-hundred and sixty countries where members are active. Understanding the various dimensions and dynamics of leadership has been a subject of study in the behavioural sciences and management literature for more than fifty years.2 Through a review of this extensive body of literature, Al Gini (2007), observes that while this topic remains the focus of volumes worth of academic writing and review, lack of clarity regarding the fundamentals of definition for the term itself have undermined opportunities for consensus.3 Through his research as a Professor of Business Ethics at the Loyola Graduate School of Business and efforts as the co-founder and associate editor of Business Ethics Quarterly, Gini offers the following as a unifying foundation for the discussion of leadership. Leadership is defined as “a power and value laden relationship between leaders and followers/constituents who intend real change(s) that reflect their mutual, purpose(s) and goal(s).”4 Through his discussion, Gini explores the value-laden, pluralistic and transformational elements of leadership brought about through the exercise of power at the individual and institutional level. While Gini’s discussion centers on leadership in the spheres of commerce and politics, TIG’s interest is in understanding the dimensions of leadership as it pertains to young people in particular. With this question in mind, Gini’s definition can be reconstructed to serve as a guide to the discussion of leadership specifically as it pertains to youth in the following way:

(1) Do youth have ‘power’ to direct change? (2) Within the youth movement, are there clear leaders and followers? (3) Are efforts aimed at creating ‘real change’?

a. Are these changes indicative of a shared purpose and goal? Ultimately, if evidence suggests affirmative answers to these questions, the final question is whether or not research supports the claim that involvement with TIG increases the capacities that underwrite each component of this reconstructed definition. Within his model, Gini describes power as “the capacity to control or direct change” (Gini, 2007, pp. 324). One needs look no further than the headlines in Egypt or the protests associated with the Occupy movement to see that young people, aligned under a common objective are clearly voicing their desire for changes in political leadership and the global banking and financial services industries. There are

2 Chester Barnard, (1948), cited in Gini, Al, “Moral Leadership: An Overview”. Journal of Business Ethics; 1997, Vol.

16(3), pg. 323. 3 Ibid, Gini, Al, 2007, pp. 324.

4 Ibid, Gini, Al, 2007, pp. 324.

http://www.tigweb.org/

http://www.tiged.org/


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leaders that serve to catalyze mobilization efforts through the sharing of information and followers who respond by attending and lending their voice to the crowd. Taken together, these efforts destabilized a regime that had retained power for the better part of the past three decades. While the political challenges facing Egypt are undoubtedly complex, they support the notion that through collective action young people have the power necessary to take on leadership roles with global implications. Looking at trends observed among young people in the United States, it would seem as though leadership is not a capacity of which the majority of young people are possessed. Research evidence suggests a substantial decrease in interest, awareness and activities typically associated with formal and informal participation in politics and issues of government (Delli Carpini, Genx.Com, 2000, pp. 3). This trend is attributed in part to what Michael Delli Carpini, Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication, refers to as the “systematic devaluing of the public sector over the past thirty years”.5 Through increasingly public scandals of both personal and professional natures among elected officials, Delli Carpini argues that young people in particular have lost confidence in the political system as an effective means to represent their interests. Young people in the US are less trusting of their fellow citizens (Rahn, 1998), less interested in politics (Zukin, 1997), less informed on current events (Sax, Astin, Korn & Mahoney, 1997), and less knowledgeable about political processes (National Association of Secretaries of State, 1998). Taken together, the evidence is clear: The prevalence of leadership behaviour in relation to civic engagement among young people in the US is on the decline. As the global credit crisis continues to impact the lives of citizens in the US and abroad, trends in informal civic participation seem to be on the rise. The Occupy Movement rallies taking place in the fall of 2011 were attended by tens of thousands of young people from more than nine-hundred cities around the world.6 With dozens of protests taking place across the United States, US participants numbered in the thousands in the New York demonstrations alone.7 With a focus on addressing issues of economic and social inequity, consensus and clear leadership structures were less pronounced than those observed in Egypt. While some criticise the movement as fleeting, challenging the substantive commitments of protestors more broadly, what is undeniable in this context is the power of collective action on a global scale.8 The social and political repercussions may remain difficult to identify but what is apparent is the capacity of young people particularly in the US to focus global media attention on the role that young people will play in the current and future global economy. Declining trends in civic engagement suggest a reciprocal decline in leadership capacity. The Occupy Movement is evidence of an interest in key issues affecting young people and of mass mobilization around a set of issues, suggesting that capacities for leadership are clearly visible among US youth. Having established an operative definition of leadership, reviewed preliminary evidence to suggest that young people are capable of possessing this quality, it is worthwhile to briefly explore some of the theory on the conditions that foster the development of leadership behaviours. In his review of the

5 Delli Carpini, Michael X. Gen.Com: Youth, Civic Engagement and the New Information Environment. "Political

Communication 17 (2000): 341-349 6 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/occupy-wall-street-protests-go-

global/2011/10/15/gIQAp7kimL_story.html 7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15784439

8 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is quoted in the Washington Post as having described protestors as “Left-

wing agitators who would be happy to show up next week on any other topic”, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/is-occupy-wall-street-

overblown/2011/10/12/gIQAjnjyfL_blog.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/occupy-wall-street-protests-go-global/2011/10/15/gIQAp7kimL_story.html


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15784439

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/is-occupy-wall-street-overblown/2011/10/12/gIQAjnjyfL_blog.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/is-occupy-wall-street-overblown/2011/10/12/gIQAjnjyfL_blog.html


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literature, Delli Carpini argues that citizens who are more informed about issues, in particular the substance and processes of politics, are “more accepting of democratic norms such as political tolerance; more politically efficacious; more likely to be interested in, follow, and discuss politics; and more likely to participate in politics in a variety of ways” (Delli Carpini & Keeter, 134). The characteristics of those who are ‘informed’ in this way are defined relative to the framework proposed by the political theorist Robert Luskin. On Lukin’s view, to be ‘informed’ is to demonstrate a degree of fixity about one’s views. The term he uses to describe this property is political sophistication, which he defines as “the extent to which [an individual’s] political cognitions are numerous, cut a wide substantive swatch, and are highly organized or ‘constrained’” (Luskin, 1990, pp. 332). The tactical implications of political sophistication are aligned with increases in traditional measures of civic engagement, most interestingly for this context leading to increases in the probability of individuals voting and participating in political activities.9 Luskin’s research focuses on developing a statistically robust framework to evaluate the criticality of different variables as they relate to the development of sophistication.10 According to Luskin’s model, these variables can be broadly grouped under the following three headings, viz. (1) Opportunity; (2) Ability; and (3) Motivation. Opportunity, on Luskin’s model, refers to the kinds of information to which one has access. The variables in Luskin’s model include a host of elements from general interest in politics to parental interest in politics.11 Summarizing the assumptions of his model, Luskin describes the logic of his framework as follows:

To become highly sophisticated, we must encounter a certain quantity of political information, be intellectually able enough to retain and organize large portions of the information we encounter, and have reason enough to make the effort (Luskin, Robert. Pp. 337).

The core principles of Luskin’s model are echoed in the more recent work of Thomas Lickona, whose efforts extend the core logic of sophistication to the domain moral values education. Adhering to a three-part framework, Lickona posits that moral development involves the following three critical stages, describing the first as the state of Moral Knowing. The variables Lickona references as indicators include moral awareness, knowledge of moral values, perspective-taking, moral reasoning, decision-making and self-knowledge (Lickona, Thomas, pp. 56). These elements represent a broad awareness of the individual and collective views on moral principles and are conceptually well-aligned Luskin’s category of opportunity, expressed within the political context as awareness of political information. The second and third elements of both Lickona’s and Luskin’s models overlap substantially in their underlying content, with differences defined by the distinction between action and the potential for action. On Lickona’s view, the second phase of development involves the acquisition of a sense of empathy and conscience that he avers provide the motivation to progress to the final phase, Moral Action. At this stage add the competencies to meaningfully act as a moral agent to the existing foundations of awareness and empathy.12 At the second and third phases, the logic of Luskin’s model proceeds along very similar lines. In specific, Luskin’s notion of Motivation reflects his view on the shared criticality of a perceived sense of impetus towards actions with individual or collective political outcomes. Ability within Luskin’s model embodies components of Lickona’s notion of Moral Action,

9 Verba and Nie, 1972; Klingemann, 1979b; Inglehart, 1979 Cited in Gini et Al. 2007.

10 Robert Luskin, pp. 337.

11 Robert Luskin, pp. 337.

12 Lickona, Thomas, pp. 53.


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incorporating the shared focus on an individual’s “ability to turn moral judgment and feeling into effective moral action” (Lickona, Thomas, pp. 61). The implications of the parallels between Luskin’s model of political sophistication and Lickona’s model of moral character development serve to show that there is theoretical support for the application of the core logic of Luskin’s model to contexts beyond the discussion of political sophistication. As an organization, TakingITGlobal is designed to enable young people to connect with issues including but not limited to political advocacy. Through a variety of Issues Pages (http://www.tigweb.org/global-issues/) TIG aims to support the interests of young people across a broad spectrum of issues of public concern, from the Millennium Development goals to issues identified by the membership.13 On TIG’s view, the process of increasing sophistication involves increasing awareness, building critical capacities necessary for meaningful participation, connecting individuals with opportunities to contribute both on- and offline, and ultimately seeing these contributions lead to change at the institutional level. These steps are defined relative to the following fourfold framework of TIG’s Theory of Change:

1. Youth Development – Individuals increase their awareness about issues of public concern, begin to show interest in staying informed on an issue or issues;

2. Youth Action & Participation – Individuals find others who are interested in issues of public concern, identify skills that are required to contribute to affecting change, and actively begin developing these skills;

3. Social Movements – Individuals who self-identify as informed and skilled begin to connect their efforts to existing projects or organizations through volunteerism;

4. Societal Change – Individuals begin outreach at the institutional level, appealing to organizations or those connected directly to political processes, creating opportunities for others to take action on projects they initiate;

With offerings specifically designed to empower young people to act at each level within this framework, TIG serves as a platform to enable the development of Luskin’s notion of sophistication around any issue of public concern. Conceptually, the difference between TIG’s models and those put forth by Luskin and Lickona respectively is grounded in a distinction in the scope of the outputs for action. The changes taking place within the Social Movements and Societal change phases of the TIG Theory of Change differentiate between actions whose outputs are intended affect micro-level change at the project or individual level as contrasted with macro-level change at the systems level. In both cases, the focus of both dimensions reflects the underlying logic of Luskin’s notion of Motivation and Lickona’s notion of Moral Action. When there are clear points of access, relevant capacities in place and an interest in a desired outcome, individuals or groups are more likely to remain cohesive and focused in their approach to affecting and sustaining change. Understanding the critical components of sophistication relative to TIG’s mandate is a significant challenge, given the inherent and intentional focus on providing support to foster the development of leadership across multiple issues. The components of civic literacy represent the generalized form of Luskin’s approach to sophistication. Defined as “knowledge about community affairs, political issues and the processes whereby citizens affect change, and about how one could become informed if they were not already,” (Flanagan and Faison, 2001, pp. 3) the notion of civic literacy expresses Luskin’s model in terms distinct ideas and processes and power in terms of action, reflection and discovery that are inclusive to dialogues beyond the political. To possess knowledge,

13

COINS Paper: Semantic Analysis of TakingITGlobal.org, 2010.

http://www.tigweb.org/global-issues/


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know how to increase that knowledge, know about the issues and about the processes required to create substantive change is to possess the critical components of sophistication as civic literacy. Developments in the critical capacities of civic literacy increase the probability of sophistication around particular issues, which satisfy the conditions outlined in Gini’s definition of leadership. Through collective action, young people possess the capacity to affect directed change. Awareness about key issues and the capacity to identify an issue as problematic are critical components that serve to distinguish those who lead by initiating projects from those who follow by participate or learning about them. Support that builds consensus around outcomes creates alignments among a collective of young people, fostering connections that lead to mobilization and action. Outcomes from this mobilization can affect change at both the project and systems levels, i.e. for individuals at the local level and systems at the institutional level. It is via this process that TIG, as a practitioner organization, fosters the development of leadership behaviours among young people globally. Recalling Gini’s definition, an individual or group possessed of all three of these attributes will be one that has the capacity to exert influence through individual or collective action on an issue of shared concern with the aim of affecting real and positive change at the local or global level. The challenge for TIG is, therefore, to develop a community, programs and offerings that lead to positive change along each of these dimensions among the membership. The challenge for this research is to show that these changes are taking place and ultimately to establish that TIG is effective in fostering leadership and enabling powerful youth-led change on both a local and global scale. The research presented in this report will bring together results from the 2010 TIG Research Survey with relevant discussions from academic literature in the behavioural and social sciences to support the hypothesis that each of the attributes of leadership defined above are individually supported by TIG’s efforts from the perspective of the TIG global membership. Taken together, increases in each respective dimension support the claim that involvement with TIG fosters civic literacy and leadership. Three Components of Youth Leadership:

1. Issues awareness: a. Involvement with TIG increases levels of awareness for issues of public concern

2. The ability to connect, collaborate and meaningfully contribute: a. Involvement with TIG increases members’ reported connection to their communities,

facilitating cross-cultural collaboration and the development of 21st century skills 3. The willingness to take responsibility through action:

a. The majority of TIG members volunteer and a significant number report doing so as a result of involvement with TIG

Take Away 1: Involvement with TIG increases levels of awareness for issues of public concern TakingITGlobal’s extensive database of issues-focused information resources, discussion boards, web-chats and educational programs aim to support individuals interested in learning more about issues of public concern. In response to questions about the extent to which involvement with TIG had led to increases in awareness in terms of local and global issues (Q6), cultures and perspectives (Q7), resources and opportunities (Q8) for 90.3% and an average Top2Box score of 36.2%. In general, nine out of every ten TIG members report increasing their awareness and roughly one third indicate that the extent of this increase was to a ‘large’ or ‘very large’ extent. When asked about organizations working to


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address problems on both the local and global scale, 72.9% of respondents could name organizations active within their community and 67.5% could name others active on a global scale. Looking to the demographics within the survey sample, reported increases in awareness vary along the dimensions of duration of membership, region and sex. Awareness of local and global issues, cultures and perspectives increases significantly after two years and awareness of opportunities as membership exceeds three years. On average, 33.3% or one third of responding members who have been involved for less than two years report increases at the ‘large’ or ‘very large’ extent. This evidence suggests that involvement with TIG has a clear influence on reported levels of awareness about issues relevant to civic engagement discourse. Interestingly, this increase is incrementally stronger as the duration of membership moves beyond the two year mark. On average for these ‘longer term’ TIG members, increases at the ‘large’ or ‘very large’ extent reach 42%, a significant difference relative to members whose involvement does not exceed two years. In the final durational break, those who have been members for three years or more, this pattern is even more pronounced, with an average increase at the uppermost scale interval, ‘very large’ extent, of 45.6%.14 Those who remain active within the membership over the longer term report greater benefits in the area of awareness in terms of local and global issues, cultures and perspectives, and resources and opportunities based on continued exposure and direct or indirect involvement with TIG tools. Contextualizing what it means for levels of awareness to increase requires a nuanced understanding of the factors that determine the initial level of awareness for respondents. Factors influencing awareness will vary along a host of potential dimensions, from personality, socio-cultural or economic to political. In an effort to frame this discussion and understand where different dimensions may be operative or influential, respondent data was aggregated to report on trends across regions. From this perspective, the most substantial increases in awareness were observed among responding groups outside of North America and Europe. The most pronounced differences across regions were observed among those within the African TIG membership, with ‘large’ or ‘very large’ increases reported among a staggering 51.6% or one out of every two African respondents. These were significantly larger than any other reported increase observed across the study. ‘Large’ or ‘very large’ increases were reported among roughly 20% or one in five respondents for both North American (19.9%) and European (20.9%) respondents, with numbers approaching 33% for all other regions.15 Take Away #2: Involvement with TIG increases members’ reported connection to their communities, facilitating cross-cultural collaboration and the development of 21st century skills. The connection between civic literacy, in terms both service learning and community service, and performance among young people is well established. In a recent paper, Schmidt, Shumow and Kackar provide an overview of this literature, and specifically mention the following as the most common outputs from service participation: “

“Improved civic attitudes, appreciation of diversity, increased responsibility towards the community, increased political-efficacy -awareness, -interest and -knowledge, a willingness to volunteer and vote in the future, and a sense of positive contribution to society” (Schmidt, Shumow and Kackar, 2007, pp. 128).

14

Those members who have been involved with TIG for two years or more are likely to be among those most active and with the highest ‘loyalty’ to TIG as demonstrated by their continued participation.

15 These include: Asia / Middle East, South American / Caribbean and Oceania.


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Other research has also highlighted impacts associated with the reduction of adolescent risk behaviours relating specifically to the frequency of drug and alcohol usage, violence, sexual risk tasking and school dropout rates.16 In addition to reduction of key risk behaviours, Schmidt et. Al also report that increases are also observed in relation to academic performance through grades (Follman, 1998; O’Bannon, 1999; Shumer, 1994), standardized test scores (Akujobi and Simmons 1997; Morgan 2000), attendance rates (Follman, 1998; O’Bannon, 1999; Shumer, 1994), overall academic interest and decreased dropout rates (Duckenfield and Swanson, 1992). While the benefits of civic participation are appreciable across the board, the National Household Education Survey (2006) showed that adolescents participating in service work and in particular those working for organizations, had “better civic outcomes than adolescents who performed other types of service” (Jennifer A. Schmidt, Lee Shumow & Hayal Kackar, 2007, pp. 127). Research also suggests a strong correlative relationship between levels of civic knowledge and “the civic content [individuals] learn in school, its range and recency, to class discussions of current events, and to participation in student government and community service” (Flanagan and Faison, 2001, pp. 3). These clear benefits stand in sharp contrast to the declines in civic engagement behaviour observed within the US over the past two decades (Delli Carpini, GenX.com, 2000), demonstrating the widening gap between opportunities and motivation to participate in programs and projects that build civic literacy skills. TIG provides young people with precisely the kinds of tools that are highlighted here as positively contributing to the development of civic literacy. Opportunities for dialogue through discussion boards and facilitated member chats allow young people from all over the world to share their perspectives on issues of the day, from youth mobilization in Tahrir Square to the reflections on the role of young people in responding to the challenges of post-Tsunami Japan.17 In an effort to understand the ways in which involvement with TIG relates to increases in civic literacy and participation, survey questions centered on assessing the ‘sense of belonging’, skills building and collaborative aspects of the TIG member experience. The nature of the TIG social network is such that individuals connect with one another based on commonalities found through shared work on projects, support of organizations, countries visited, languages spoken or issues of greatest concern. Rather than connecting directly with individuals with whom one is already acquainted, the ‘friending’ model is designed intentionally to bring together individuals who do not have an existing ‘offline’ connection. The upshot of these connections, which occur for 53.8% (Q9) or one out of every two TIG members, is that these connections create substantial opportunities for collaboration with others on both the local and global scale. Collaborations with others through the network took place among a reported 44.8% (Q10) of members, with 42.4% (Q11) indicating that collaborations involved people from different cultural backgrounds. The increased inter-cultural connections create opportunities for discourse and the exchange of ideas, which helps to drive the reported 75% (Q26, 28.0% Top2Box) of respondents who indicated an increase in the frequency of conversations about local or global issues. While inclusivity, frequency of ‘public talk’ and tolerance for the ideas of others and are identified in the literature as critical capacities of civic literacy, involvement with TIG is also shown to provide additional

16

Schmidt, Shumow and Kackar, 2007, pp. 128. 17

These are two examples of facilitated web-chats conducted over the summer of 2011 that provided young people from within the membership with the opportunity to collaboratively discuss their thoughts, reactions and

feelings about their connections to these issues and to one another through the tigweb.org platform.


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tactical benefits in terms of 21st century skills.18 In particular, respondents were asked about the extent to which they had refined or gained skills as a result of involvement with TIG, to which 67.9% (Q29; 23.3% Top2Box) reported positive increases. In addition to questions about the extent of the increase, respondents were also provided with an open-ended opportunity to list the skills they felt they had gained through their experience with TIG. Through a random sampling of 150 responses from within the total survey sample, the top five most common responses were as follows, viz. (1) Communications / Self-Expression: 31.3%; Social Entrepreneurship / Project Management: 18.6%; Issues Awareness: 14.0%; Leadership / Confidence: 12.6%; and Networking / Connection to Others: 12.6% (Q29-Open Ends). Results also suggest that for many, TIG serves as a platform for self-expression and as a vehicle for the sharing of expertise and best-practice, with 66.5% (Q30; 19.6% Top2Box) and 77.9% (Q31; 32.3% Top2Box) of members indicating positive increases along both dimensions respectively. Ultimately, a deeper sense of connection to the community develops as awareness and interest in local or global issues combines with critical skills necessary to effectively frame an idea or plan an initiative that will create a positive change. Interestingly, some researchers are finding low levels of hopefulness or optimism, measured as agreement with the claim, “I think the world is becoming a better place”, results suggest that TIG members are increasingly confident in their capacities to directly affect change.19 Respondents were asked to reflect on their confidence in their own abilities as individuals to meaningfully contribute to projects or organizations. For three out of four TIG members, 73.2% (Q25; 27.8% Top2Box), increased levels of confidence were observed. When framed as a question about the belief of youth as a movement to meaningfully contribute, roughly four out of five, 84.1% (Q32; 44.2% Top2Box), responded positively. The results suggest that TIG members recognize the value of the network in terms of its ability to connect individuals as part of a broader movement and that while the efforts of individuals can be impactful it is through collaboration and collective action that young people can be most effective in fostering change at both the local and global level. Taken together, there is a clear benefit associated with participation in spaces where different issues are being discussed with a diverse range of individuals from a variety of cultural, ethnic, social, political and geographic perspectives. Survey data suggests that through its social network, tools and resources, TIG helps to foster the development of these critical civic literacies, and belief in the ability of young people as a movement affect change. When asked about the extent to which TIG members feel an increased sense of belonging to their communities, 25.7% (Q26) or one quarter of respondents agreed to a ‘large’ or ‘very large’ extent. As a proportion of the TIG membership more broadly, this outcome suggests that roughly 87,000 TIG members share this optimistic view regarding the potential of young people to meaningfully participate in change-making processes.20 Through personal connections, collaboration, sharing of expertise, intercultural dialogue and engagement with issues, the TIG platform serves to build civic literacies. For a significant proportion of the membership, the result is a deepening feeling of connection to their respective communities correlated in the literature with improvements in academics, tolerance and civic participation. Take Away #3: The majority of TIG members volunteer and a significant number report doing so as a result of involvement with TIG.

18

Delli Carpini & Keeter, 2002: The Internet and Informed Citizenry 19

Energy BBDO: GenWorld: The New Generation of Global Youth., 2006, p.3; http://www.energybbdo.com/uploads/GenWorld%20Overview.pdf

20 Based on TIG membership as of August 2010: n=338876;

http://www.energybbdo.com/uploads/GenWorld%20Overview.pdf


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TIG’s efforts to support individuals in taking action occurs both within the network online and within local communities offline. The observed increase in levels of awareness and frequency of issues-based conversation take place both online through discussion boards, facilitated chats, E-courses and webinars and offline as members share their insights with others within their peer group. While not often included as a significant form of participatory action, Delli Carpini et. Al (2004, pp. 318) argue that ‘political talk’ is a critical component of deeper discourse, such that

talking in public with other citizens is a form of participation, one that arguably provides the opportunity for individuals to develop and express their views, learn the positions of others, identify shared concerns and preferences, and come to understand and reach judgments about matters of public concern (Deli Carpini, et. Al, 2004, pp. 318; Public Deliberation and Citizen Engagement).

When asked about changes in the frequency of conversations about issues, three out of four respondents, 75.1% (Q26; 28.0% Top2Box) indicated a positive increase. Additionally, when asked whether or not members would recommend becoming a member of TIG to friends or colleagues, a staggering 92.2% (Q27) answered in the affirmative.21 Through positive changes in the frequency of conversation, involvement with TIG facilitates an increase in awareness for individuals and a reciprocal benefit to those within their immediate circles, as issues-based dialogue increases overall. While ‘talk’ in this context can be viewed as a positive end in and of itself, TIG members do much more than discuss. While research is ongoing to develop a deeper understanding of the trends observed among volunteer efforts undertaken by the TIG membership as a whole, respondents did provide some insight in terms of prototypical behaviours associated with civic participation. TIG has been involved in securing UN accreditation for roughly 450 members (334 within the UN system and 125 for the UNFCCC), introducing them first hand to the processes and discussions involved in the coordination of global civil society. When asked about event attendance, 19.9% (Q14) indicated they had participated as a result of their participation with TIG. Additionally, 29.1% (Q22) of respondents reported that they had become involved in a project or joined an organization as a result of membership.22 Beyond participating in projects developed by others, a proportion of TIG members have taken it upon themselves to create opportunities for civic participation, defining new trajectories that express the dynamic needs of a community as it evolves over time. As a result of involvement with TIG, 27.3% (Q23) of respondents had started a project or organization and 19.9% (Q15) had organized and event. In addition to creating new opportunities for others, 35.9% (Q13) of respondents had contacted an organization from the TIG database and 32.8% (Q12) had connected with leaders in government or organizations as a result of involvement with TIG. With awareness, connections and capacities TIG members are able to work to participate in efforts, create initiatives where gaps are identified, share

21

Q27, “Would you recommend becoming a member of TakingITGlobal to your friends?” was asked using a binary “yes/no” scale. Subsequent research efforts have adopted an 11-pt numerical scale and as such the 2010 figures

may be inflated. 22

The comparatively modest numbers for event attendance are consistent with the view that offline actions require a higher degree of investment, background knowledge and perceived risk on the part of the individual. The distinction between on- and offline civic participation behaviours relates to the levels of awareness and confidence individuals possess in addition to a host of psychosocial dynamics like natural or adapted personality. The point in this context is to suggest that lower numbers associated with offline engagement are expected given what they

require of participants relative to online forms of civic participation which do not require the same levels of personal exposure.


14

best practices and work to connect with governments and organizations to scale their efforts and bring about institutional changes on a broader scale. When asked about their involvement in volunteer work as part of a project or organization, 74.6% (Q16) of those responding indicated they had either volunteered in the past or were doing so currently. While a significant proportion of those responding indicated they had been involved in volunteer efforts prior to joining TIG (Q17), 12.4% of respondents indicated their volunteer efforts came as a result of involvement with TIG (Q18). Expressed as a proportion within the global TIG membership, this percentage suggests that roughly 40,000 members have become involved in volunteer efforts as a result of their membership within the TIG community. 23 Members who volunteered were also asked to give an indication of how much time they typically spent on weekly basis through their efforts. The most commonly occurring response was five hours per week reported among 8% of the total membership. As a projection among the total TIG population, this translates to roughly 16,000 TIG initiated volunteer hours weekly, roughly 64,000 on a monthly basis and more than 750,000 hours on a yearly basis.24 Based on survey data, involvement with TIG is clearly empowering a proportion of the membership to increase their levels of volunteerism and through collective action create a substantial amount of available volunteer resources for volunteer projects around the world. Overall, survey results suggest that 65.8% of respondents reported that involvement with TIG had positively increased their amount of volunteer activity. While there are multiple points of entry into civic engagement behaviours requiring different levels of upfront investment, background knowledge and confidence, for the majority of the 4.5 million users that visit TIG on a yearly basis the majority do so as observers. Through a host of online resources, member stories, educational resources and social network tools, these individuals are introduced to key questions, insights, reflections and issues-based dialogue with others. While populations may differ in their particular needs, interests or level of involvement by duration, region and gender, respondent data clearly supports the claim that involvement with TIG leads to a substantial self-reported increase in awareness of local and global issues, cultures and perspectives, resources and opportunities. Beyond awareness, members are clearly refining and increasing their skills, confidence and sense of connection to their communities with demonstrative benefits in academic performance, tolerance and civic responsibility. Lastly, involvement with TIG has led to substantial increases in volunteerism among members, with roughly 40,000 members attributing their involvement to their TIG membership. While activities include substantive increases in political talk, the actions of the community speak much louder with members reporting increases in both participatory and initiating civic engagement behaviours. Taken together, the survey data supports the claim that involvement with TIG fosters the development of key capacities associated with Gini’s (2006) characterization of leadership and Luskin’s (1996) models of political sophistication.

23

This calculation assumes a TIG membership sample size of N=338876 24

These figures assume 8% (Q19) of the 12.4% (Q18) of the TIG population whose volunteerism is as a result of involvement with TIG volunteer 5 hours per week (Mode from Q19);


15

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Appendix: Respondents were recruited from within the TIG membership and those interested in taking part self-selected. The invitation included a link to the survey offered online through Surveymonkey.com and an iPod touch was offered to the respondent who had ‘the best’ response to the essay question (Q43). Earlier surveys had generated more modest sample sizes of roughly 384, the number necessary to achieve statistical representation for the TIG membership more broadly at the time.25 Based on previous survey efforts conducted with the TIG membership, limitations in expected return rates suggested a modest scope for the research effort. Consequently, the survey design was intended to provide descriptive statistics broadly grouped under the following four headings, viz. (1) Awareness; (2) Capacity Building; (3) Social Participation; and (4) Political Participation. Questions for the survey were assigned to one of each of these four groupings in an initial effort to begin a dialogue with TIG members about their self-reported attitudes and opinions about their relationship to TakingITGlobal and civic engagement behaviours more broadly. When the data was cleaned for incomplete responses, the final sample achieved through this outreach was 3338, incorporating responses from TIG members from around the world and achieving base sizes sufficient to statistically represent the North American and African membership in general. The sample achieved in this effort serves to indicate the interest of TIG members in participating in survey-based research efforts along these lines in the future, with 74.3% indicating explicitly that they would be interested in participating in follow-up discussions of this sort in the future. The strong response rates also demonstrate the potential of large-scale survey efforts amenable to more sophisticated statistical analysis and segmentation; however, the survey design in this case reflects a preliminary step and was not developed with this effort specifically in mind. TIG members are known to show a higher proportion of activity in the civic engagement space.26 The recruitment strategy ensures that the conversation about TIG is held among those already engaged within the TIG space. In the future, analysis of random samples and the introduction of control groups beyond the TIG sample will address selection-bias and provide more direct bases of comparison and work towards the establishment of internal and external sample validity. Efforts are ongoing to evolve the questionnaire content and quantify the potential implications of self-report bias by connecting survey responses to online activity captured through website analytics on TIGweb.org. Question wording also asks about the relationship between behaviours and TakingITGlobal specifically, potentially biasing respondents through issues of phrasing. Lastly, the unexpectedly large number of responses is undoubtedly driven by the incentive strategy, which could have a biasing effect on the levels of positivity in response as individuals may have felt that a more favourable report would increase chances of winning the essay contest. For these reasons, it is worthwhile to view survey data as a ‘proof of concept’ for how TIG could apply more formal methods of Impact Analysis, as defined by industry standards to quantify the impact of TakingITGlobal in accordance with research best-practice.27

25

Reference to TakingITGlobal Impact Report, 2008: 26

Cite the 2006 ‘Our Space’ article; 27

Gertler, Paul J., et. Al. Impact Evaluation in Practice. 2011: The World Bank.


21

Appendix: Impact by Question: Total Sample sorted by Top2Box

Rank: Q #: Question: Top2Box: (%)

Gap Score: T2B

- n= 3888 -

1 16 Are you a volunteer? (Past/Present) 74.6 38.8

2 35 Awareness of organizations working locally 72.9 37.1

3 39 Awareness of organizations working globally 67.5 31.7

4 9 Forming friendships 53.8 18.0

5 10 Forming collaborations 44.8 9.0

6 32 Ability of young people to affect change 44.2 8.4

7 11 Cross-cultural collaborations & partnerships 42.4 6.6

8 6 Awareness of local & global issues 38.2 2.4

9 8 Awareness of resources & opportunities 37.5 1.7

10 13 Contacting organizations in the TIG database 35.9 0.1

11 7 Awareness on cultures & perspectives 32.8 -3.0

12 12 Connections with government / organizations 32.8 -3.0

13 22 Joining projects / organizations 29.1 -6.7

14 27 Recommendation of TIG to friends 28.0 -7.8

15 26 Frequency of conversations about issues 28.0 -7.8

16 25 Ability to meaningfully contribute 27.8 -8.0

17 23 Starting projects / organizations 27.3 -8.5

18 28 Level of engagement in your community 25.7 -10.1

19 29 Refinement or acquisition of skills 23.3 -12.5

20 24 Amount of volunteer activity 20.6 -15.2

21 14 Attending events 19.9 -15.9

22 15 Organizing events 19.9 -15.9

23 30 Exchange of best-practice with other members 19.9 -16.2

24 18 Volunteer because of TIG 12.4 -23.4

**T2B mean: 58.5%; Gap scores calculated: (T2B score –T2B Avg.)

Blue: Gap scores just above and below the sample mean


22

Impact by Question: Total Sample sorted by All-Positives

Rank: Q #: Question: Avg. All-

Positive: (%)

Gap Score: All+

- n= 3888 -

1 6 Awareness of local & global issues 92.4 33.9

2 27 Recommendation of TIG to friends 92.2 33.7

3 7 Awareness on cultures & perspectives 89.5 31.0

4 8 Awareness of resources & opportunities 88.2 29.7

5 32 Ability of young people to affect change 84.1 25.6

6 28 Level of engagement in your community 75.4 16.9

7 26 Frequency of conversations about issues 75.1 16.6

8 16 Are you a volunteer? (Past/Present) 74.6 16.1

9 25 Ability to meaningfully contribute 73.2 14.7

10 35 Awareness of organizations working locally 72.9 14.4

11 29 Refinement or acquisition of skills 67.9 9.4

12 39 Awareness of organizations working globally 67.5 9.0

13 30 Exchange of best-practice with other members 66.5 8.0

14 24 Amount of volunteer activity 65.8 7.3

15 9 Forming friendships 53.8 -4.7

16 10 Forming collaborations 44.8 -13.7

17 11 Cross-cultural collaborations & partnerships 42.4 -16.1

18 13 Contacting organizations in the TIG database 35.9 -22.6

19 12 Connections with government / organizations 32.8 -25.7

20 22 Joining projects / organizations 29.1 -29.4

21 23 Starting projects / organizations 27.3 -31.2

22 14 Attending events 19.9 -38.6

23 15 Organizing events 19.9 -38.6

24 18 Volunteer because of TIG 12.4 -46.1

**All Positive mean: 58.5%; Gap scores calculated: (All+ score – All+ Avg.)

Blue: Gap scores just above and below the sample mean


23

2010 Survey:

2010 Impact Survey Questionnaire:

[Page 1:]

1. Before we begin, tell us a bit about yourself! Are you… [Radio Button; Single Select] a. Male b. Female

2. How old are you? [Drop Down; Single Select]

a. Less than 15 b. 16-20 c. 21-25 d. 26-30 e. 31-35 f. 36-40 g. 40+

3. Where do you live? [Drop Down; Single Select]

a. [TakingITGlobal Standard Countries List]

4. What is the highest level of education you have completed? [Drop Down; Single Select] a. Primary School b. Secondary School c. Undergraduate College / University d. Post-Graduate Degree e. Professional Degree (Law, Medicine) f. Doctorate Degree

5. How long have you been a member of TakingITGlobal.org? [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. Less than 3 months b. More than 3 months, but less than 6 months c. More than 6 months, but less than 1 year d. More than 1 year, but less than 2 years e. More than 2 years, but less than 3 years f. More than three years g. Don’t Know


24

[Page 2:]

Prompt: To begin, we’d like you to think a little bit about your involvement with TakingITGlobal…

6. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org increased your awareness of local and global issues? [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. Not at all b. To a small extent

c. To a moderate extent

d. To a large extent

e. To a very large extent

f. I don’t know

7. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org increased your awareness of different cultures and perspectives? Not at all [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. To a small extent

b. To a moderate extent

c. To a large extent

d. To a very large extent

e. I don’t know

8. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org increased your awareness of available resources and opportunities (e.g. organizations, events, professional and financial opportunities, etc.) of interest to you? [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. To a small extent

b. To a moderate extent

c. To a large extent

d. To a very large extent

e. I don’t know

[Page 3:]

Prompt: Now, we’d like you to tell us a little about your experience with TIG by looking at the next few statements and telling us how much you agree or disagree with each of them.

9. I have formed new friendships through TakingITGlobal.org. a. Strongly Agree [Radio Button; Single Select] b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree e. Don’t Know

10. I have formed collaborations and/or partnerships through TakingITGlobal.org. [Radio Button;

Single Select] a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree


25

e. Don’t Know 11. I have formed cross-cultural collaborations or partnerships through TakingITGlobal.org. [Radio

Button; Single Select] a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree e. Don’t Know

12. I have connected with leaders in government and/or organizations as a result of my involvement

with TakingITGlobal.org. [Radio Button; Single Select] a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree e. Don’t Know

[Page 4:]

Prompt: Now we’d like you to think specifically about organizations and events...

13. Have you contacted an organization listed on the TakingITGlobal.org organizations database? [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. Yes b. No

14. Have you attended an event as a result of your involvement with TakingITGlobal.org? [Radio

Button; Single Select] a. Yes b. No

15. Have you organized an event as a result of your involvement withTakingITGlobal.org? [Radio

Button; Single Select] a. Yes b. No

[Page 5:]

Prompt: Thinking about your involvement...

16. Have you done or are you currently doing any volunteer work on a project or for an organization? [Skip Logic Applied] [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. Yes b. No


26

[Page 6:]

Prompt: Continuing to think about your volunteer work...

17. Were you working on this project or for this organization before your involvement with TakingITGlobal.org [Radio Button; Single Select]

a. Yes b. No

[Page 7:]

18. Did you join this project or organization as a result of your involvement with TakingITGlobal.org?

[Radio Button; Single Select] a. Yes b. No

[Page 8:]

Prompt: Going back a bit, to talk again about volunteering…

19. In an average week, about how much time would you say you spend volunteering? Please enter your response as a number in the box below. [Open End – Number]

a. I typically volunteer this many hours per week:

[Page 9:]

Prompt: Thinking some more about the volunteer work you’ve done…

20. Thinking for a moment about your role as a volunteer, which of the following would you say best describes the kind of work you do in general? [Radio Button; Single Select; Randomized]

a. Generating new ideas b. Broadcasting the message c. Starting a conversation d. Keeping things organized e. Teaching others f. Tracking developments

21. What goals or achievements have you contributed to as a part of your current volunteer work?

[Open End – Text] a.

[Page 10:]

Prompt: Thinking a little bit more about organizations you’ve worked with…

22. Have you joined a project or an organization as a result of your involvement with TakingITGlobal.org?

a. Yes b. No


27

23. Have you started a project or an organization as a result of your involvement with TakingITGlobal.org?

a. Yes b. No

[Page 11:]

Prompt: Here we are at the half-way mark – and we can’t thank you enough for your help so far… Still thinking about volunteering…

24. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org increased the amount of your volunteer activity? a. Not at all b. To a small extent

c. To a moderate extent

d. To a large extent

e. To a very large extent

f. I don’t know

25. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org increased your ability to meaningfully contribute to projects or organizations?

a. Not at all b. To a small extent c. To a moderate extent d. To a large extent e. To a very large extent f. I don’t know

[Page 12:]

Prompt: Speaking of TIG…

26. Since joining TakingITGlobal.org, how would you describe the change, if any, in the frequency of your conversations about local community or global issues with people you know?

a. Since Joining TakingITGlobal.org, I would say the frequency has increased… i. I don’t know

ii. Not at all iii. To a small extent iv. To a moderate extent v. To a large extent

vi. To a very large extent

27. Would you recommend becoming a member of TakingITGlobal.org to your friends? a. Yes b. No


28

[Page 13:]

28. To what extent, if at all, are you more engaged in your community on a local, national, and/or

international level as a result of your experience with TakingITGlobal.org? a. Not at all b. To a small extent c. To a moderate extent d. To a large extent e. To a very large extent f. I don’t know

[Page 14:]

29. To what extent, if at all, have you refined or gained skills as a result of your involvement with

TakingITGlobal.org? a. Not at all b. To a small extent c. To a moderate extent d. To a large extent e. To a very large extent f. I don’t know g. If applicable, please specify which types of skills you have gained or refined

i.

30. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org enabled you to exchange expertise and best practices with other members?


31. To what extent, if at all, has TakingITGlobal.org enabled you to express your ideas and thoughts?



29

[Page 15:]

32. To what extent, if at all, has your experience with TakingITGlobal.org improved your view of the

ability of young people to affect change? a. Not at all b. To a small extent c. To a moderate extent d. To a large extent e. To a very large extent f. I don’t know

[Page 16:]

Prompt: Now we’d like you to tell us a bit about the challenges that you notice in your local community.

33. In the boxes below, please list the challenges facing your local community that you are most concerned about.

a. The challenge I am most concerned about is… b. The challenge I am second most concerned about is… c. The challenge I am third most concerned about is…


30

[Page 17:]

Prompt: Continuing to think about your local community…

34. Below is a list of some local community challenges other TIG members have mentioned. Thinking about each challenge individually, how concerned about each one are you for your local community? [Matrix; Single Select; Randomize]

I don’t know Not at all

To a small extent

To a moderate

extent To a large

extent To a very

large extent

Human rights and equity

Health and wellness

Learning and education

Peace and conflict

Regional governance

Media and identity

Economics and Innovation

Environment

35. Do you know of any international, national or local organizations working to overcome these

challenges in your local community? a. Yes b. No

[Page 18:]

Prompt: Continuing to think about your local community…

36. In the boxes below, please list any organization(s) you know are working to overcome these challenges in your local community. Feel free to add a web address if you know it!

a. 1 b. 2 c. 3


31

[Page 19:]

Prompt: Thinking globally now about the ‘Big Picture’…

37. In the boxes below, please list the challenges facing humankind, on a global scale, that you are most concerned about.

a. The challenge I am most concerned about is… b. The challenge I am second most concerned about is… c. The challenge I am third most concerned about is…

[Page 20:]

Prompt: Continuing to think globally…

38. Below is a list of some local community challenges other TIG members have mentioned. Thinking about each challenge individually, how concerned about each one are you, globally? [Matrix; Single Select; Randomize]

I don’t know Not at all

To a small extent

To a moderate

extent To a large

extent To a very

large extent

Human rights and equity

Health and wellness

Learning and education

Peace and conflict

Regional governance

Media and identity

Economics and Innovation

Environment

39. Do you know of any international, national or local organizations working to overcome these

challenges globally? a. Yes b. No

[Page 21:]

Prompt: Still thinking about global challenges…

40. In the boxes below, please list any organization(s) you know are working to overcome these challenges in your local community. Feel free to add a web address if you know it!

a. 1 b. 2


32

c. 3

[Page 22:]

Prompt: Thinking about the news…

41. On an average day, about how many MINUTES would you say you spend reading, watching, or listening to the news per day?

a. I typically spend this many minutes per day:

[Page 23:]

Prompt: Still thinking about the news…

42. How do you normally get your news? [Matrix; Single Select; Randomize]

Using the options below, we’d like you to tell us which of the following media souces is the one you use MOST to get each type of news. Here’s a tip to help you answer: If you wanted to say “I usually read a traditionally paper to get my local news,” then you would select: ‘Traditional News Paper’ and ‘Local News’ from the options below.

I don’t use this news source

Local News

National News

International News

Blogs, Message Boards

Television News Channels / Programs

Radio News Channels / Programs

Online News Papers

Traditional News Papers

Magazines

Social Media Sites (E.g., Facebook, Twitter)

[Page 24:]

Prompt: Here’s the big one – your chance to be hand-selected to win the iPod Touch! Take some time, and try to tell us a complete story about your experiences with TIG. We want to know things like: How you got involved, who you met, what you discovered or worked on, how it changed you, how it changed others etc. Don’t be shy – tell us your story, and we might feature it on the site… and you just might win the iPod!

43. What do you feel is the most important impact that TakingITGlobal.org has had on your life, if applicable? [Open End; Text]


33

[Page 25:]

Prompt: Thank you so much!!

44. If you win one of the awesome prizes, we will need to reach you! Please enter your email address below:

(Your email address will not be shared with anybody else, and will not be used for promotional purposes)

45. Would you be interested in sharing your experiences with TakingITGlobal.org in more detail by

participating in a follow-up interview? a. Yes b. No

- End of Survey -

acknowledgements & contributors: michael furdyk, jennifer ... · 2010 takingitglobal member...

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