Ebook: Democracy in Transition: Political Participation in the European Union

,The papers in this collection, written by a cross-regional group of experts, provide insights into the causes of declining levels of citizen participation and other distinct forms of civic activism in Europe and explore a range of factors contributing to apathy and eventually disengagement from vital political processes and institutions. At the same time, this volume examines informal or unconventional types of civic engagement and political participation corresponding to the rapid advances in culture, technology and social networking. The volume is divided into three interrelated parts: Part I consists of critical essays in the form of theoretical approaches to analysing weakening political participation and citizen estrangement; Part II is dedicated to an exploration of the role and deployment of technologically advanced media, such as the internet, as determinants of changing patterns of political participationist behaviour. Finally, Part III presents findings of empirical research on the issue of political participation. Combining theoretical and empirical perspectives, the book contributes towards a better understanding of the disquietingtrend ofvoterapathy and disenchantment with politics in the context of the ongoing process of European integration, and offers a variety of analytical tools for decoding both the emergence of alternative conceptualizations of citizenship and other forms of meaningful civic and political engagement.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Front Matter....Pages 19-19
Contemporary Political Participation Research: A Critical Assessment....Pages 21-42
The Post-Welfare State and Changing Forms of Political Participation....Pages 43-60
The Rise of the “Pleasure Citizen”: How Leisure Can be a Site for Alternative Forms of Political Participation....Pages 61-75
“Parties with No Members?”: How to Ensure Political Participation in East Central Europe....Pages 77-93
Gender and Political Participation in Western and Eastern Europe....Pages 95-107
Trust and Openness: Prerequisites for Democratic Engagement?....Pages 109-134
“From Athens to Athens”. Europe, Crisis, and Democracy: Suggestions for a Debate....Pages 135-157
Front Matter....Pages 159-159
EU Democracy and E-Democracy: Can the Two Be Reconciled?....Pages 161-178
The Internet as a New Channel for Political Participation?....Pages 179-198
Front Matter....Pages 199-199
Transnational Citizenship as Status, Identity and Participation: Comparative Assessment....Pages 201-223
Political Participation and Non-democratic Political Culture in Western Europe, East-Central Europe and Post-Yugoslav Countries....Pages 225-251
Political Engagement Among the Youth: Effects of Political Socialization Across Europe....Pages 253-272
The Impact of Socio-economic Status on Political Participation....Pages 273-289
Introduction....Pages 1-17