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Birds of a Feather? Citizenship Norms, Group Identity, and Political Participation in Western Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 April 2009

Tracey Raney  and
Loleen Berdahl
Tracey Raney*
Affiliation:
Ryerson University
Loleen Berdahl*
Affiliation:
University of Saskatchewan
*
Tracey Raney, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5B 2K3, traney@politics.ryerson.ca.
Loleen Berdahl, Department of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 5A5, loleen.berdahl@usask.ca.
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Abstract

Abstract. This paper explores how citizenship norms of duty to vote and to volunteer in one's community influence political participation, and the role of group identities in producing these norms. By showing how citizenship norms influence an array of political activities, and by drawing on social psychology literature that shows how citizenship norms are shaped by group identifications, the paper offers a more complete picture of the relationship between citizenship norms and political participation beyond traditional civic duty/federal vote models that currently dominate Canadian political research. The central argument forwarded is that not only do citizenship norms matter to political participation, but that group identities matter, too.

Résumé. Cette étude explore les effets sur la participation politique des normes relatives au devoir du citoyen de voter et de contribuer à sa communauté, de même que le rôle des identités de groupe dans la production de ces normes. En montrant comment les normes de citoyenneté influencent une foule d'activités politiques et en puisant dans la littérature en psychologie sociale, qui montre comment ces normes sont formées par des identifications de groupe, cette étude aide à mieux comprendre la relation entre ces normes et la participation politique au-delà du cadre traditionnel devoir civique / vote fédéral qui domine actuellement la recherche en politique canadienne. La thèse avancée est que les normes de citoyenneté jouent effectivement un rôle important dans la participation politique, tout comme les identités de groupe.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , March 2009 , pp. 187 - 209
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association 2009

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