LEC V: Pickard “defining and measuring political participation and young people
Defining political participation
● Period sensitive: depends on time because evolve to reflect prevailing social.economic
technological and political contexts
● Beholder sensitive: who is doing the defining? Difference political science/sociology
Participation in elections not representative; only every few years and large focus because basis of
democracy.
Political science centred on quantitative studies producing empirical work about voting and political
parties, towards embracement of wider repertoire of participation. Restrictive definitions resulted into
labelling youth as “politically apathetic” and fear for future of democracy narratives.
Broader definitions + Political Sociology found that many feel alienated from politicians and polity;
however do have interest in politics and political issues.
Different / new forms of youth participation:
- increasing environmental awareness
- globalisation
- digital technologies
- higher levels of education
Ways of studying young people’s political participation
1. avoid being hermetically sealed in academic speciality
2. Reject narrow definitions of political participation and adopt wider interpretations
3. Devise mixed methodology studies using quantitative and qualitative approaches
4. move beyond the political apathy analysis
5. Incorporate the notion of alienation into analyses of young people’s relationship w/politics
6. Increase understanding of other notions
7. Acknowledge the nature of post-materialist values, everyday politics, lifestyle politics
8. Avoid the more anachronistic, reductive and subjective binary classifications
9. acknowledge online participation and its value
10. recognise and take into account the specificities of young people
11. refuse the use of certain unobjective generational labels and generalisations
12. take into account and the barriers young people encounter regarding political participation
13. Observe intra-generational differences
14. Distinguish between intragenerational and intergenerational differences
, LEC X: Toft et al. “The Rise of Politically Assertive Religion
Some argue that there is a revival of religion. Others contend that it continues to decline; laatste
stuiptrekkingen, terrorism weapon of the weak.
If revivalists are right; to what extent does religious revival entail increased global political influence.
Authors’ argument: major religious actors enjoy greater capacity for political influence today than
ever before.
Two shifts that have won them greater political power
1. Religious actors have come to enjoy greater institutional independence from political
authorities; won greater leverage over the state.
2. Many religious actors have exchanged relatively passive political theologies for activist and
engaged political theologies.
shift in proximity to political power
Rise of Politically Assertive Religion
1960s: aspiration for political secularism was becoming reality. Politics + public life to be free of
substantive religious influences. Secularism was not speculative theory but imminent global reality.
Setbacks in the 1960s:
1. Most important agents of political secularism disappeared. Nehru died, Nassar lost war to
Israel; pan-islamic consciousness surge.
2. Many religious movements formerly sidelined began a political comeback in 60s/70s. eg 1979
iran revolution.
In every major religious tradition, leaders abandoned an exclusive focus on spiritual or cultural
activity and took up political activity as integral component of their religious mission. But why?
- Some dominant political and social trends of 19th/20th c. failed to deliver coup de grâce.
Modernisation was expected to weaken hold of religion. Political secularisation was meant to
cut religion off from financial and symbolic support. Measures did not necessarily weaken
religion; increased urbanisation, economic development brought petite bourgeoisie that
provided what state did not. Modernisation and secularisation increased autonomy and
capacity to formulate own political agendas.
- Spread of democracy greatly increased opportunity of religious actors to compete freely for
political influence. Reason why MENA has produced radical religious movements.
- Globalisation increased the capacity of religious actors to project influence, mobilize
resources and attract followers across national boundaries. People feel connected across time
and space.Immigration has made possible to have transnational networks. Apply increasing
pressure on far-away governments.
growing institutional independence of religious actors means that they enjoy a political position that is
not merely different in degree from their position in previous eras but different in kind. Religious
actors have become “peer competitors”. Political ascendancy because religious actors enjoy a
qualitatively greater level of independence from political authorities
Defining political participation
● Period sensitive: depends on time because evolve to reflect prevailing social.economic
technological and political contexts
● Beholder sensitive: who is doing the defining? Difference political science/sociology
Participation in elections not representative; only every few years and large focus because basis of
democracy.
Political science centred on quantitative studies producing empirical work about voting and political
parties, towards embracement of wider repertoire of participation. Restrictive definitions resulted into
labelling youth as “politically apathetic” and fear for future of democracy narratives.
Broader definitions + Political Sociology found that many feel alienated from politicians and polity;
however do have interest in politics and political issues.
Different / new forms of youth participation:
- increasing environmental awareness
- globalisation
- digital technologies
- higher levels of education
Ways of studying young people’s political participation
1. avoid being hermetically sealed in academic speciality
2. Reject narrow definitions of political participation and adopt wider interpretations
3. Devise mixed methodology studies using quantitative and qualitative approaches
4. move beyond the political apathy analysis
5. Incorporate the notion of alienation into analyses of young people’s relationship w/politics
6. Increase understanding of other notions
7. Acknowledge the nature of post-materialist values, everyday politics, lifestyle politics
8. Avoid the more anachronistic, reductive and subjective binary classifications
9. acknowledge online participation and its value
10. recognise and take into account the specificities of young people
11. refuse the use of certain unobjective generational labels and generalisations
12. take into account and the barriers young people encounter regarding political participation
13. Observe intra-generational differences
14. Distinguish between intragenerational and intergenerational differences
, LEC X: Toft et al. “The Rise of Politically Assertive Religion
Some argue that there is a revival of religion. Others contend that it continues to decline; laatste
stuiptrekkingen, terrorism weapon of the weak.
If revivalists are right; to what extent does religious revival entail increased global political influence.
Authors’ argument: major religious actors enjoy greater capacity for political influence today than
ever before.
Two shifts that have won them greater political power
1. Religious actors have come to enjoy greater institutional independence from political
authorities; won greater leverage over the state.
2. Many religious actors have exchanged relatively passive political theologies for activist and
engaged political theologies.
shift in proximity to political power
Rise of Politically Assertive Religion
1960s: aspiration for political secularism was becoming reality. Politics + public life to be free of
substantive religious influences. Secularism was not speculative theory but imminent global reality.
Setbacks in the 1960s:
1. Most important agents of political secularism disappeared. Nehru died, Nassar lost war to
Israel; pan-islamic consciousness surge.
2. Many religious movements formerly sidelined began a political comeback in 60s/70s. eg 1979
iran revolution.
In every major religious tradition, leaders abandoned an exclusive focus on spiritual or cultural
activity and took up political activity as integral component of their religious mission. But why?
- Some dominant political and social trends of 19th/20th c. failed to deliver coup de grâce.
Modernisation was expected to weaken hold of religion. Political secularisation was meant to
cut religion off from financial and symbolic support. Measures did not necessarily weaken
religion; increased urbanisation, economic development brought petite bourgeoisie that
provided what state did not. Modernisation and secularisation increased autonomy and
capacity to formulate own political agendas.
- Spread of democracy greatly increased opportunity of religious actors to compete freely for
political influence. Reason why MENA has produced radical religious movements.
- Globalisation increased the capacity of religious actors to project influence, mobilize
resources and attract followers across national boundaries. People feel connected across time
and space.Immigration has made possible to have transnational networks. Apply increasing
pressure on far-away governments.
growing institutional independence of religious actors means that they enjoy a political position that is
not merely different in degree from their position in previous eras but different in kind. Religious
actors have become “peer competitors”. Political ascendancy because religious actors enjoy a
qualitatively greater level of independence from political authorities
