A Critical Examination of the ways Researchers have Conceptualized Children’s Political Understanding and Participation

Although a growing number of children take part in political actions in various ways, Korean society seems to be without consensus on what forms of civic/political actions are desirable or allowable for such young students. Educational researchers could contribute to this ongoing discussion by deepening our knowledge of children’s civic/political understanding and participation. However, existing research has not settled on any single theoretical lens for approaching this topic area. What theoretical framework would help educational researchers better understand this topic? This paper is intended to lay some of the groundwork for answering this question by examining the ways that scholars have conceptualized children’s political understanding and participation, particularly in the field of psychology and childhood studies.