Beyond conventional civic participation, beyond the moral‐political divide: young people and contemporary debates about citizenship

1. The study reported here was funded as part of the Nestlé Social Research Programme, an independent research activity of the Nestlé Trust. The first author is Research Director of the NSRP.

Abstract

In Western thought, the relationship between the moral and political domains has been dominated by a version of political philosophy which, based on the distinction between ‘public’ and ‘private’, argues that the moral is different from the political. In parallel, and related to this, has been a delineation of the ‘political’ as concerned with structural aspects of representative democracy, privileging electoral behaviour in particular. We challenge this distinction on the basis that it is not useful for addressing the motivational dimensions of political behaviour, which are crucial for crafting citizenship education. We explore the ways in which the concept of citizenship has become contested in the realities of the range of contemporary political engagement, and how current debates, for example that between liberals and communitarians, expose the underlying moral perspectives behind their theory and their prescriptions. Emerging from this we present an argument for three different modes of civic engagement; voting, helping and making one's voice heard, in which the moral and political play out differently. This model is explored through data from a study of British young people's involvement with civic issues and actions.

Notes

1. The study reported here was funded as part of the Nestlé Social Research Programme, an independent research activity of the Nestlé Trust. The first author is Research Director of the NSRP.

2. www.mori.com

3. See table 1 for list of actions.

4. See table 2 and 3 for list of normative actions.

5. To identify what social and political issues concerned young people, a question asked ‘Here are some issues that some young people are concerned about and would like to have the opportunity for their voice to be heard by the government. To what extent, if at all, would you like to have the chance to influence government decisions about each of the following issues?’ The list included items relating to health and social services, to social justice and inequality, to sovereignty and to the environment and to scientific developments.

6. Principle components with varimax rotation.

7. All results quoted reflect a level of significance with p<.001.

8. Q 33 If you are old enough to vote please answer the question in terms of your intention to vote. If you are not old enough to report please indicate what your answer would be if you were old enough to vote. How likely would you be to vote in the next general election?’ (At the time of the study, the General Election was known to be imminent; it took place on 5 May 2005.)

9. The party options offered were Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, British National Party and Green. Some 57% of the sample expressed a preference for a party.