In the last years, Internet has brought many changes to the relation between citizens and political participation, more precisely how we can interact with enterprises, organizations and, obviously how we can act within the political sphere.
Internet was and is a authentic and powerful revolution.
Facebook, Twitter, on-line petitions, blogs, newspapers...etc are new channels for the exchange of ideas, opinions and information. Every electoral campaign, any political party and each candidate fights to attract voters and transmit their message. Internet has greater
impact every day. Such as we were able to see in Obama's last election which showed us the importance of the union between youth, Internet and political participation.
However, what is the real effect of Internet on the mobilization of people? Why should political parties pay attention to the changes happening within Internet? Can those parties mobilize voters through Internet? What is the role of citizens in Internet? Is it increasing or changing political participation?
There are many questions yet about the changes that Internet brought in the political participation.
In my research proposal I want to analyze exactly the consequences of Internet on youth and their role in signing petitions. Young people pay more attention and time to Internet, they are the principals users and maybe they are the best adapted to the changes brought by
Internet.
(a) Introduction
Introduction of the topic
In the last years, Internet has brought many changes to the relation between citizens and political participation, more precisely how we can interact with enterprises, organizations and, obviously how we can act within the political sphere. Internet was and is a authentic and powerful revolution.
Facebook, Twitter, on-line petitions, blogs, newspapers...etc are new channels for the exchange of ideas, opinions and information. Every electoral campaign, any political party and each candidate fights to attract voters and transmit their message. Internet has greater impact every day. Such as we were able to see in Obama's last election which showed us the importance of the union between youth, Internet and political participation.
Scientific and societal relevance
However, what is the real effect of Internet on the mobilization of people? Why should political parties pay attention to the changes happening within Internet? Can those parties mobilize voters through Internet? What is the role of citizens in Internet? Is it increasing or changing political participation?
There are many questions yet about the changes that Internet brought in the political participation. In my research paper I want to analyze exactly the consequences of Internet on youth and their role in signing petitions. Young people pay more attention and time to Internet, they are the principals users and maybe they are the best adapted to the changes brought by Internet.
Research question
Therefore, my research question is clear: Does Internet access increase youth political participation? In this specific case I want to study if Internet increases the number of petitions signed among young people or not. As for my research focus, I am further delimiting the group of young people being studied to the age between 15-29 years old. I will concentrate my investigation on signing petitions. On the other hand, the countries studied will be Argentina, Germany (before 1990 only West Germany), Great Britain, Japan, Spain, Sweden and United States and I am going to employ the five waves made by the World Values Survey: 1981, 1990, 1995, 2000 and the recent and last wave in 2005-2008. I have chosen the full period because I would like to analyze if there has been a possible increase of signing petitions since 1995 and if this increase has been caused by Internet or if it was a part of a general global trend.
At last, these countries have a reasonable variability between per capita income, inequality, democratic period and social-cultural components which might influence the outcome of my research questions.
My dependent variable
For my research proposal I am going to define “youth political participation in signing petitions ” as dependent variable and “Internet access” as my independent variable. I want to remember that “political participation” will be only the number of signed petitions.
I think Internet access is a good measure to study the evolution of users in Internet and easily to compare longitudinally. On the other hand, the evolution on time of signing petitions can be a good instrument to measure an increasing or decreasing of youth political participation in this concretely field.
(b)Theory
Theoretical framework
Explaining political participation is not easy and it is very hard to measure. First of all, we need to define concepts and finally select only a little field within the broad concept of political participation. According to some authors and their definitions, political participation is basic and is the core for democracy. Verba and Nie give us a very short definition: “behavior designed to affect the choice of governmental personnel and/or policies” (1972: 2-3). On the other hand, Eva Anduiza and Agusti Bosch (2004) offer a more complete definition: “any citizen action aimed at influencing the political process and its outcomes. These actions can be targeted to the choice of public office, to the formulation, development and implementation of public policies, or the action of other political actors. Political participation requires an observable behavior performed in a public or group by a citizen to be considered as such”.
Within political participation, we must not forget the division between conventional and non- conventional political participation. Manuel Sabucedo (1986: 165) says the conventional political participation “associated with actions concerning during an electoral process, this participation is strengthened from the power of the State and the Constitution. Conventional political participation indicates the right of citizenship, the right to vote is not measured by social class, party, sex or education. It occurs in every democracy and is enshrined in the law, which can be easily controlled and verified”. Moreover, unconventional political participation “refers to actions such as petitions, lawful demonstrations, boycotts, legal and illegal strikes, damage to property, sabotage, personal violence, etc. This participation goes beyond the institutional mechanisms for participation and, sometimes, makes opposition to the established constitutional law” (Ibid.).
In my study, I am going to focus on the Internet access between my seven selected countries and their relation across the evolution of signing petitions and youth.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿De qué trata este documento?
Este documento es una introducción a una investigación académica sobre el impacto de Internet en la participación política juvenil, específicamente en la firma de peticiones. Presenta el tema, su relevancia científica y social, la pregunta de investigación, las variables dependiente e independiente, y un marco teórico inicial.
¿Cuál es la pregunta de investigación principal?
La pregunta central es: ¿El acceso a Internet aumenta la participación política juvenil? Específicamente, se analiza si Internet incrementa el número de peticiones firmadas por jóvenes.
¿Cuál es la definición de "participación política" que se utiliza?
<En este estudio, "participación política" se refiere específicamente al número de peticiones firmadas.
¿Quiénes son los "jóvenes" en este estudio?
"Jóvenes" se define como personas entre 15 y 29 años.
¿Qué países se incluyen en el estudio?
Los países estudiados son Argentina, Alemania (anterior a 1990, solo Alemania Occidental), Gran Bretaña, Japón, España, Suecia y Estados Unidos.
¿Qué periodos de tiempo se analizan?
Se emplean las cinco oleadas de la Encuesta Mundial de Valores (World Values Survey): 1981, 1990, 1995, 2000 y 2005-2008.
¿Por qué se eligieron esos países y ese periodo de tiempo?
Se eligieron esos países por su variabilidad en ingresos per cápita, desigualdad, periodo democrático y componentes socio-culturales. El periodo completo se eligió para analizar posibles aumentos en la firma de peticiones desde 1995, y si este aumento está relacionado con Internet.
¿Cuál es la variable dependiente?
La variable dependiente es "participación política juvenil en la firma de peticiones".
¿Cuál es la variable independiente?
La variable independiente es "acceso a Internet".
¿Cómo justifica el autor el uso del acceso a Internet como variable independiente?
El autor considera que el acceso a Internet es una buena medida para estudiar la evolución de los usuarios en Internet y para comparar longitudinalmente. Además, la evolución en el tiempo de la firma de peticiones puede ser un buen indicador del aumento o disminución de la participación política juvenil en este ámbito.
¿Qué marco teórico se presenta?
El documento introduce definiciones de participación política, mencionando autores como Verba y Nie, y Anduiza y Bosch. También distingue entre participación política convencional y no convencional, citando a Manuel Sabucedo.
¿Cómo se relaciona Internet con la participación política según el marco teórico?
El marco teórico sugiere que Internet democratiza el acceso a la información, facilita la organización política, y atrae a los jóvenes hacia una "nueva política" más participativa y enfocada en temas locales e inmediatos.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Lic. Soc. Ignacio Garcia Marin (Autor:in), 2011, Political participation, Internet and youth , München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/182023
