ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author draws from the preschool, 3rd, and 4th grade data sets to show the kinds of considerations children make about others as they approach a civic space. She shows that children think about the relationships they share with others and argues that closeness to others often makes children feel more responsible for others and more comfortable engaging. Sometimes, however, familiarity with others causes children anxiety and gets in the way of their engagement. The trust assessments children make of others play a critical role in their calculus. She closes with a discussion of how children’s thinking about others informs their civic engagement and why it matters.
