Overview

Based upon a three-year multi-disciplinary international research project, Political and Civic Participation examines the interplay of factors affecting civic and political engagement and participation across different generations, nations and ethnic groups, and the shifting variety of forms that participation can take. The book draws upon an extensive body of data to answer the following key questions: Why do many citizens fail to vote in elections? Why are young people turning increasingly to street demonstrations, charitable activities, consumer activism and social media to express their political and civic views? What are the barriers which hinder political participation by women, ethnic minorities and migrants? How can greater levels of engagement with public issues be encouraged among all citizens? Together, the chapters in this volume provide a comprehensive overview of current understandings of the factors and processes which influence citizens’ patterns of political and civic engagement. They also present a set of evidence-based recommendations for policy, practice and intervention that can be used by political and civil society actors to enhance levels of engagement, particularly among youth, women, ethnic minorities and migrants. Political and Civic Participation provides an invaluable resource for all those who are concerned with citizens’ levels of engagement, including: researchers and academics across the social sciences; politicians and political institutions; media professionals; educational professionals and schools; youth workers and education NGOs; and leaders of ethnic minority and migrant organizations and communities.

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9780415704670

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Reviews

Centering on the civic and political experiences of those less heard, this book offers a rigorous cross-disciplinary, multi-national investigation into the opportunities for and challenges of participation in contemporary Europe. This is an impressive and superbly executed achievement from a truly collaborative endeavor to work across the key social science disciplines to better understand this fundamental social issue. Together the contributors develop a deep and nuanced understanding of barriers and enablers in regard to engagement and advance conceptual frameworks for current times. Drawing on a range of studies, the book delivers vital insights into theory, policy, and practice that are transforming ways of both seeing and doing political and civic engagement. Its breadth and depth make it a must-read for students and scholars seeking a comprehensive overview of contemporary theorising and the latest research findings on possibilities for active citizenship in a changing world. - Anita Harris, School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Australia

The international PIDOP consortium, funded by the European Commission, has produced a ground-breaking volume on citizen engagement, political participation, and the complex nature of policy discourse in democratic societies. This scientifically rich, multi-national, and interdisciplinary volume could not have arrived at a more propitious time as scholars, politicians, and policy makers in many countries scramble to better understand the nature and consequences of shifting patterns of civic participation among youth, women, ethnic minorities, and migrant constituencies. This collaborative volume is a must read for anyone interested in how social and policy science illuminates what we know and need to know about political and civic engagement. - Eugene Borgida, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, USA Centering on the civic and political experiences of those less heard, this book offers a rigorous cross-disciplinary, multi-national investigation into the opportunities for and challenges of participation in contemporary Europe. This is an impressive and superbly executed achievement from a truly collaborative endeavor to work across the key social science disciplines to better understand this fundamental social issue. Together the contributors develop a deep and nuanced understanding of barriers and enablers in regard to engagement and advance conceptual frameworks for current times. Drawing on a range of studies, the book delivers vital insights into theory, policy, and practice that are transforming ways of both seeing and doing political and civic engagement. Its breadth and depth make it a must-read for students and scholars seeking a comprehensive overview of contemporary theorising and the latest research findings on possibilities for active citizenship in a changing world. - Anita Harris, School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Australia

Author Information

Martyn Barrett is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK. Bruna Zani is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Bologna, Italy.

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