Political and Civic Participation- 2nd International
Multidisciplinary Conference organised by the PIDOP Consortium in
collaboration with the Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and
Multiculturalism (CRONEM), University of Surrey, UK
University of Surrey, UK
16 -17 April, 2012
Call for Papers
The closing date for abstracts is 31st December 2011.
PIDOP is a multinational research project funded by the European Commission
under the Seventh Framework Programme. The project is examining the
processes which influence democratic ownership and participation in eight
European states - Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Portugal,
Sweden, Turkey and the UK. For more information
http://www.fahs.surrey.ac.uk/pidop/index.htm
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In many countries, conventional forms of political participation have
declined in recent years, with growing levels of political apathy,
disengagement from formal democratic processes and increasing distrust of,
and lack of confidence in, political institutions. At the same time,
however, research suggests that a shift is currently taking place among
younger generations, with civic participation coming to be prioritised over
more traditional forms of political participation. As a result, issues that
might have mobilised individuals into taking political action in the past
are now being tackled instead by many young people either via voluntary,
community or charitable activities, or via consumer activism. Thus, it is
possible that while traditional forms of political participation such as
voting are currently in decline in many European countries, this trend may
not be indicative of public disengagement per se but of a shift to a
qualitatively different kind of public activism.
Existing research has established that macro-level historical, political
and institutional factors are related to citizens' political and civic
participation within any given country (e.g., type of electoral system,
historical longevity of democracy within the country, etc.), as are
demographic factors (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, etc.) and social and
psychological factors (e.g., social capital, levels of trust, neighbourhood
attachment, political attentiveness, internal and external efficacy, etc.).
However, at the present time, the processes through which these various
factors inter-relate, and how macro-level and sociological factors interact
and impact on the psychological factors are poorly understood.
This conference aims to take stock of the numerous factors which can impact
on the different forms of citizen participation, will explore how
political, sociological and psychological factors inter-relate, and will
draw out implications for policies which have as their goal the enhancement
of levels of political and civic participation.
The conference also aims to examine the factors and processes which impact
on levels of participation among marginalised groups that are at risk of
political disengagement due to age, gender, ethnicity or migration. For
this reason, papers focusing on either young people, women, ethnic
minorities or migrants are especially encouraged.
Hence, this conference seeks to provide an opportunity for
interdisciplinary discussion and debate on:
* the different forms of political and civic participation which
exist
* the factors and processes which enhance and/or hinder the
different forms of participation
* forms and levels of participation within different national,
ethnic and migrant groups
* forms and levels of political and civic participation among women
* forms and levels of political and civic participation by youth
* policy interventions which can be used to increase levels of
political and civic participation within particular societal settings
Confirmed speakers:
* Professor Judith Torney-Purta, Professor of Human Development at
the University of Maryland at College Park, USA
* Professor P.G. Klandermans, Professor in Applied Social Psychology
at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
For more information about Call for Papers and online submission forms,
please visit:
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/cronem/newsandevents/conferences/pidop_conference_2012.htm
Conference enquiries (Call for Papers, registration and other
administrative matters):
Ms Mirela Dumic
m.dumic@???<
mailto:m.dumic@surrey.ac.uk>
======================
Mirela Dumic
Research Centre Co-ordinator
Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (CRONEM)
School of Politics
14 AC 05
Post Box I4
University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH
Tel: +44 (0) 1483 682365 <%2B44%20%280%29%201483%20682365>
Email: m.dumic@???
www.surrey.ac.uk/cronem
