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What's going around? A social network explanation of youth party membership
[journal article]
Abstract Because people do not join political parties in a social vacuum but rather in close relation with their peers, this paper explores how the structure and composition of interpersonal, social networks affect youth party membership, and questions the answer's implications for recruitment. The structure... view more
Because people do not join political parties in a social vacuum but rather in close relation with their peers, this paper explores how the structure and composition of interpersonal, social networks affect youth party membership, and questions the answer's implications for recruitment. The structure does not affect statistically the young citizens' probability of becoming party members, as the process depends to a high degree on their proximate network core, e.g. their relatives, pointing towards a certain exclusivity in recruitment patterns and giving insight also on why they might stay away from conventional politics. A homogeneous composition matching with a high social and political profile is a pattern that has a considerable impact on their odds of joining a party, stressing that social networks can work in reproducing social and political inequalities, confining recruitment targets to the national population's most "usual suspects", and thereby explaining some difficulties faced by party organisations. Drawing on these findings, the conclusion discusses strategic considerations for Belgian parties.... view less
Keywords
adolescent; young adult; party; membership; political participation; political interest; political behavior; social relations; peer group; social network; political socialization; Belgium
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 9-24
Journal
Intergenerational Justice Review, 5 (2019) 1
Issue topic
How attractive are political parties and trade unions to young people? (II)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.24357/igjr.5.1.731
ISSN
2190-6335
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed