The impact of education and family upbringing on the formation of loyalty to the state: The case of Latvia

This paper examines the concept of loyalty as a flexible principle and a motivational factor that influences an individual’s interest in the existence and development of the state. Loyalty significantly contributes to social cohesion and national resilience, especially in the current turbulent geopolitical climate. The aim of this study is to analyze the factors influencing Latvian students’ loyalty to the state, including civic engagement, a sense of being needed by the country, and education about civic responsibility. The study also examines the impact of education and family upbringing on the formation of loyalty to the state. Data were collected through a survey conducted in 2024, which included multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions. The sample consisted of 437 students in grades 9–12 from Liepaja, Latvia. The findings demonstrate that Pearson’s chi-square analysis revealed a positive association between loyalty to the state and the following factors: knowledge of state history (?2 = 33.28, p < 0.001), teaching of civic responsibility at school (?2 = 40.24, p < 0.001), discussing state politics with family members (?2 = 12.48, p = 0.001), and discussing civic responsibility within the family (?2 = 16.86, p < 0.001). Overall, 54.1% of respondents considered themselves civically engaged, and 81.4% reported feeling loyal to the state. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being civically engaged, feeling needed by the country, and receiving education about civic responsibility significantly increase the likelihood of students expressing loyalty to the state. © The author(s) 2025. © P?vels Jurs, Maija Ro??ne, Tetiana Konovalenko, Fatih Mutlu Özbilen, Oksana Zabolotna, 2025.