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YOUTH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

PRESENTATION

Existing studies on the political participation of young people in Portugal paint a pessimistic picture of their low levels of political involvement, both in comparative and longitudinal terms. But is it really the case? In this project, supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, we draw on existing studies and broaden and deepen its focus. We use data from representative surveys of the population, but also interviews, focus groups and ethnographic approaches to answer some fundamental questions:

1.

Can we really talk about a long-term decline in the political involvement of young Portuguese people?

2.

What picture emerges when we expand our angle of analysis to encompass new and unconventional forms of political participation?

3.

What factors determine the different types of political participation among young people, and how have they changed over time?

4.

To what extent have political parties changed the way they seek to attract and integrate young people?

5.

What new forms of political activism have emerged among young people? How do they act and communicate, and with what motivations?

COMPONENTS

This project has five main components:

1.

Secondary data analysis based on existing comparative studies, especially the European Social Survey.

2.

An original survey of the Portuguese population aged 15 or over, with over-sampling of young people (15-24) and “young adults” (25-34).

3.

A study based on a large set of interviews with members of youth organizations, both partisan and civic.

4.

A study of emerging forms of participation, through the online ethnography of activist collectives from different parts of the country and with different political positions.

5.

A study using focus groups carried out with young activists from eight groups with a wide range of orientations: nationalism, anti-fascism, environment and climate change, gender equality, LGBTQ + and student themes.

Team

GENERAL COORDINATION

Patrício Costa

UMinho

Pedro C. Magalhães

ICS-ULisboa

EMERGING FORMS OF POLITICAL LIFE
(CIIE-CENTRO DE INVESTIGAÇÃO E INTERVENÇÃO EDUCATIVAS, U.PORTO)

Coordination

Isabel Menezes

Pedro D. Ferreira

Team

Carla Malafaia

Gil Nata

Manuel Loff

Maria F. Jesus

Marta Silva

Norberto Ribeiro

Pedro Menezes

Ricardo Soares

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTICIPATION
(GOVCOPP – UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO)

Coordination

Patrícia Silva

Edna Costa

Team

Michelle Macêdo

João Palhau

Susana Machado