Regional cultures attracting interregional migrants

The International Journal of Community and Social Development

2021

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Does civic participation lead to a large social network? This study claims that high levels of civic participation may obstruct individual social embeddedness. Using survey data from the German Survey on Volunteering (Deutscher Freiwilligensurvey; 1999–2009), this study conducts macro- as well as multi-level regressions to examine the link between civic participation and social embeddedness. Findings reveal that civic participation on the sub-national regional level is not generally associated with social embeddedness, but it affects the participants’ and non-participants’ possibilities for friendships differently. This holds especially true in urban areas, but the effect cannot be found in rural areas. The analysis has implications for further research to enhance the social embeddedness of the excluded.

Section: Research Method: Data and Operationalisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Civic Participation and Social Embeddedness: Differences Between Urban and Rural Communities

The International Journal of Community and Social Development

2021

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“…This mechanism of social exclusion is relevant not only on the national level, but on the subnational level as well. A region can be interpreted as a spatial unit with its own specific constellation of historical, social, political, cultural and intellectual elements (Hirschle and Kleiner, 2014; Kleiner, 2018). Due to their specific features – including their power relations, religious references, rural issues, economic and social factors, density of relationships, and regionally endogenous innovation potential – subnational regions develop their own regional characteristics, including their own values, mentality and lifestyle.…”

Section: Subnational Regions As Context Categoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The isolating side effect of civic participation

2020

Journal of Sociology

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Does widespread civic participation lead to more social capital? We argue that this is not necessarily the case. As more actors join voluntary associations, the pool of social resources available to non-active individuals is diluted, which can make it difficult for them to accrue social capital. We hypothesize that there is an insider/outsider effect, whereby widespread civic participation increases the risk that non-participants will be excluded from communal life. Using survey data from the German Freiwilligensurvey (German Volunteer Survey 1999–2014) and multi-level regressions, we examine the link between regional civic participation and individual social capital. Our findings reveal that civic participation rates on the macro level affect participants’ and non-participants’ friendship and support networks differently. While high macro-level participation is associated with more friendships and a higher expectation of receiving support for participants, it is also associated with fewer friendships and a lower expectation of receiving support for non-participants.

“…The reasoning underpinning this definition is the belief that social, political, structural, economic and cultural features are spatially condensed within national borders, making subnational regions referential contexts for human behaviour (see, e.g., Fitzgerald & Lawrence ; Freitag ; Hooghe et al. ; Hirschle & Kleiner ; Jesuit et al. ; Kestilä & Söderlund ; Kleiner ; McVeigh & Cunningham ; Oliver ; Vanhoutte & Hooghe ).…”

Section: Data and Operationalisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public opinion polarisation and protest behaviour

European J Political Res

2018

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Does an increasing divide in normative notions within a population influence citizens’ political protest behaviour? This article explores whether public opinion polarisation stimulates individuals to attend lawful demonstrations. In line with relative deprivation theory, it is argued that in an environment of polarisation, individuals’ normative notions are threatened, increasing the probability that they will actively participate in the political decision‐making process. Using the European Social Survey from the period 2002–2014 and focusing on subnational regions, multilevel analyses are conducted. Thereby a new index to measure public opinion polarisation is introduced. Depending on the issue, empirical results confirm the effect of polarisation. While average citizens are not motivated to demonstrate over the issue of whether people from other countries are a cultural threat, they are motivated by the issues of reducing inequality and of homosexuality. The article goes on to examine in a second step whether ideological extremism makes individuals more susceptible to environmental opinion polarisation. Findings show that members of the far left are more likely to protest when their social environment is divided over the issue of income inequality. In contrast, members of the far right are motivated by rising polarisation regarding homosexuality. In sum, citizens become mobilised as their beliefs and values are threatened by public opinion polarisation.