Political (Dis)Engagement: The Changing Nature of the 'Political' (Contemporary Issues in Social Policy)

In what ways is the meaning and practice of politics changing? Why might so many people feel dissatisfied and disaffected with electoral politics? What approaches do political activists use to raise issues and mobilise people for action? What role does the internet and social media play in contemporary citizenship and activism? This book brings together academics from a range of disciplines with political activists and campaigners to explore the meaning of politics and citizenship in contemporary society and the current forms of political (dis)engagement. It provides a rare dialogue between analysts and activists which will be especially valuable to academics and students across the social sciences, in particular sociology and political science. POLITICAL (DIS)ENGAGEMENT Contents List of figures and tables Notes on contributors Acknowledgements 1. Introduction The changing landscape of politics Contemporary political (dis)engagements The politics of identity and marginalisation Structure of the volume Part One: The changing landscape of politics 2. Does participation always have a democratic spirit? Introduction Participation and democracy: some innovative insights Assessing participation’s democratic ups and downs Democratic deficits in political participation? 3. Love always wins: All Out’s campaign for equality everywhere Introduction 4. Social media and political participation: BBC World Service and the Arabic Spring Introduction Participatory journalism: opportunities and constraints Political participation and deliberative literacies The BBC World Service: public service vs public diplomacy Case study: Nuqtat Hewar Evaluating BBC Arabic’s ‘global conversation’ Engaging audiences vs gatekeeping practices Participation in the ‘global conversation’ The quality of conversation and plurality of viewpoints Conclusion Part Two: Contemporary political (dis)engagements 5. Feeling politics: the importance of emotions for understanding electoral (dis)engagement Introduction Emotion and politics: strange bedfellows? The increasing importance of emotion in reflexive modernity The need to emotionalise reflexivity The study ‘Ordinary people’ struggling for connection Frustration, resentment and indignation: politicians’ ignoring economic disadvantage Concluding remarks 6. UK Uncut: direct action against austerity Introduction How UK Uncut started Getting online, getting organised and getting out on the streets Strategy and tactics for the anti-cuts movement Spread the message: there is an alternative Building the anti-cuts movement and empowering people through direct action Conclusion: resisting the government’s lies and promoting alternatives for the 99% 7. Doubly disillusioned? Young Muslims and mainstream British politics Introduction Decline in mainstream political participation Ethnic minority young people Double disillusionment: the particular case of British Pakistani Muslims To participate or not to participate? Biraderi politics across generations Conclusion Part Three: The politics of identity and marginalisation 8. Political engagement among ethnic minority young people: exploring new grammars of action Introduction A crisis of participation? Research design Changing political participation New grammars of action New technologies, global engagement and DIY activism DIY ethnicity, reflexive religiosity and political activism Conclusion 9. ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’ Introduction Spot the Black MP Political participation: patterns of disengagement The cost of disengagement Operation Black Vote: our future in is in our hands Stop ‘whitewashing’ history Conclusion 10. Political participation is self-interest ... but not in the way you might think Introduction Rethinking self and interest Mobilising participation through construing interest Conclusion 11. Conclusion: politics as open-ended process Index In what ways are the meaning and practice of politics changing? Why might so many people feel dissatisfied and disaffected with electoral politics? What approaches do political activists use to raise issues and mobilise people for action? What role does the internet and social media play in contemporary citizenship and activism? This book brings together academics from a range of disciplines with political activists and campaigners to explores the meaning of politics and citizenship in contemporary society and the current forms of political (dis)engagement. It provides a rare dialogue between analysts and activists and will be especially valuable to academics and students across the social sciences, in particular sociology and political science Academics from a range of disciplines join with political activists to explore the meaning of politics and citizenship in contemporary society and the current forms of political (dis)engagement, providing a timely interdisciplinary dialogue and interrogation of contemporary political practices.