Forms and Socio-demographic Determinants of Civic Engagement among Young Undergraduates at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia, there is limited research on student engagement in social and political activities and thefactors influencing it. This study used social capital theory to examine the forms of civic engagement andsocio-demographic determinants among young undergraduate students at Addis Ababa University. This crosssectionaland quantitative study collected primary data from 265 respondents. Data processing, cleaning, andanalysis were performed using SPSS version 26. Mean, standard deviation, effect size, chi-square test ofindependence, and independent samples t-test were used to analyze the data. Principal axis factoring wasconducted to create a parsimonious measurement of the latent variables. The findings revealed that students atAddis Ababa University are more active in voluntary social activities than offline and online political activities.Religiosity, age, gender, and area of residence are essential socio-demographic determinants of students’engagement in social and political activities. The study findings suggest that young students at Addis AbabaUniversity are often disengaged from formal social and political activities, regardless of their socioeconomicbackground. Therefore, policymakers, educators, NGOs, and governmental organizations should focus onestablishing inclusive platforms for diverse students to participate in community matters, empowering youth tolead impactful and swift socio-economic and political transformations in Ethiopia. Future researchers shouldundertake longitudinal studies to examine the long-term effects of the factors identified in this study.