Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:00:14.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social Capital and Political Participation: Understanding the Dynamics of Young People's Political Disengagement in Contemporary Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2007

Matt Henn ,
Mark Weinstein  and
Sarah Hodgkinson
Matt Henn
Affiliation:
Graduate School College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham E-mail: matt.henn@ntu.ac.uk
Mark Weinstein
Affiliation:
Graduate School College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham E-mail: mark.weinstein@ntu.ac.uk
Sarah Hodgkinson
Affiliation:
Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, Leicester E-mail: sf101@leicester.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Only 37 per cent of young people voted at the 2005 British General Election, seemingly confirming the oft-cited view that this generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the political process. Results from a nationwide survey, however, indicate that their withdrawal from formal politics is more a result of their scepticism of the way the political system operates, than apathy. Furthermore, they are diverse in their political (dis)engagement. Results from an examination of the relative effects of socio-economic location and social capital are inconclusive, although the data indicate that government social policy aimed at mobilising social capital and addressing socio-economic issues may increase civic engagement.

Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , October 2007 , pp. 467 - 479
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Butler, D. and Stokes, D. (1974), Political Change in Britan, London: MacMillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cole, M. (1997), ‘Politics and youth’, Politics Review, 6, 3, February: 5–9.Google Scholar
Coleman, J.S. (1988), ‘Social capital in the creation of human capital’, American Journal of Sociology, 94, 95–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Electoral Commission (2005a), Election 2005: Turnout, How Many, Who and Why? London: The Electoral Commission.Google Scholar
Electoral Commission (2005b), Social Exclusion and Political Engagement, London: The Electoral Commission.Google Scholar
Electoral Commission and the Hansard Society (2006), An Audit of Political Engagement 3, London: The Electoral Commission and the Hansard Society.Google Scholar
Fahmy, E. (2004), Youth, Social Capital and Civic Engagement in Britain: Evidence from the 2000/01 General Household Survey, London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.Google Scholar
Foley, M. and Edwards, B. (1996), ‘The paradox of civil society’, Journal of Democracy, 7, 3, 38–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franklin, M.N. (2004), Voter Turnout and the Dynamics of Electoral Competition in Established Democracies since 1945, Cambridge: Cambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, P. (1999), ‘Social Capital in Britain’, in British Journal of Political Science, 29, 417–461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halpern, D. (1999), ‘Moral Values, social trust and inequality – can values explain crime?’, British Journal of Criminology, 41, 236–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heath, A. and Park, A. (1997), ‘Thatcher's children?’, in Jowell, R., Curtice, J., Park, A., Thomson, K. and Jarvis, L. (eds), British Social Attitudes: The 14th Report. The End of Conservative Values? Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Henn, M., Weinstein, M. and Forrest, S. (2005), ‘Uninterested youth? Young people's attitudes towards party politics in Britain’, Political Studies, 53, 3, 556–578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henn, M. and Weinstein, M. (2006), ‘Young people and political (in)activism: why don't young people vote?’, Policy and Politics, 34, 3, 517–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jowell, R. and Park, A. (1998), Young People, Politics and Citizenship: A Disengaged Generation? London: Citizenship Foundation.Google Scholar
Leighley, J.E. (1995), ‘Attitudes, opportunities and incentives: a field essay on political participation’, Political Research Quarterly, 48, 1, 181–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowndes, V. and Wilson, D. (2001), ‘Social capital and local governance: exploring the institutional design variable’, Political Studies, 49, 629–647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, K. (1999a), ‘Social and political trust in established democracies’, in Norris, P. (ed.), Critical Citizens: Global Support for Democratic Governance, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 169–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, K. (1999b), ‘Social capital and democracy in modern Europe’, in van Deth, J et al. (eds), Social Capital and European Democracy, London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Norris, P. (2003), ‘Young people and political activism: from the politics of loyalties to the politics of choice?’, Paper presented to the Council of Europe Symposium, Young People and Democratic Institutions: From Disillusionment to Participation, Strasbourg, 27–28 November 2003.Google Scholar
Office for National Statistics (2001), Labour Force Survey, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Office for National Statistics (2001), Regional Trends, 36, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Office for National Statistics (2002), Annual Abstract of Statistics, 138, London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Oppenheim, A.N. (1992), Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement, London: Continuum.Google Scholar
O'Toole, T., Lister, M., Marsh, D., Jones, S. and McDonagh, A. (2003), ‘Tuning out or left out? Participation and non-participation among young people’, Contemporary Politics, 9, 1, 45–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, A. (2000), ‘Young people and political apathy’, in Jowell, R., Curtice, J., Park, A., Thomson, K., Jarvis, L., Bromley, C. and Stratford, N. (eds), British Social Attitudes: The 16th Report. Who Shares New Labour Values? Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Parry, G., Moyser, G. and Day, N. (1992), Political Participation and Democracy in Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pattie, C., Seyd, P. and Whiteley, P. (2003), ‘Citizenship and civic engagement: attitudes and behaviour in Britain’, Political Studies, 51, 443–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pattie, C., Seyd, P. and Whiteley, P. (2004), Citizenship in Britain: Values, Participation and Democracy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phelps, E. (2004), ‘Young citizens and changing electoral turnout, 1964–2001’, The Political Quarterly, 75, 3, 238–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phelps, E. (2005), ‘Young voters at the 2005 Britain general election’, in The Political Quarterly, 76, 4, 482–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pirie, M. and Worcester, R. (1998), The Millennial Generation, London: Adam Smith Institute.Google Scholar
Pirie, M. and Worcester, R. (2000), The Big Turn-Off: Attitudes of Young people to Government, Citizenship and Community, London: Adam Smith Institute.Google Scholar
Power Inquiry (2006), Power to The People, York: The Power Inquiry.Google Scholar
Putnam, R.D. (1993), Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Putnam, R. D. (1995), ‘Tuning in, tuning out: the strange disappearance of social capital in America’, Political Science and Politics, 28, 664–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putnam, R.D. (2000), Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Russell, A., Fieldhouse, E., Purdam, K. and Kalra, V. (2002), Voter Engagement and Young People, London: The Electoral Commission.Google Scholar
Verba, S. and Nie, N. (1972), Participation in America: Political Democracy and Social Equality, New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Verba, S., Schlozman, K.L. and Brady, H.E. (1995), Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weinstein, M. (2005, ‘A comparative analysis of youth activism in mainstream political parties and social movements in Britain’, unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham.Google Scholar
White, C., Bruce, S. and Ritchie, J. (2000, Young People's politics: Political interest and engagement amongst 14- to 24-year-olds, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.Google Scholar
Whiteley, P., Clarke, H., Sanders, D. and Stewart, M. (2001), ‘Turnout’, in Norris, P. (ed.), Britain Votes 2001, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wring, D., Henn, M. and Weinstein, M. (1999), ‘Young people and contemporary politics: committed scepticism or engaged cynicism?’, in Fisher, J., Cowley, P., Denver, D. and Russell, A. (eds), British Elections and Parties Review, Vol. 9, London: Frank Cass Publishers.Google Scholar