Social Policy and Society

Table of Contents - 2007 - Volume 6, Issue 04  

Articles

Social Capital and Political Participation: Understanding the Dynamics of Young People's Political Disengagement in Contemporary Britain

Matt Henna1, Mark Weinsteina2 and Sarah Hodgkinsona3

a1 Graduate School College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham E-mail: matt.henn@ntu.ac.uk

a2 Graduate School College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham E-mail: mark.weinstein@ntu.ac.uk

a3 Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, Leicester E-mail: sf101@leicester.ac.uk

Abstract

Only 37 per cent of young people voted at the 2005 British General Election, seemingly confirming the oft-cited view that this generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the political process. Results from a nationwide survey, however, indicate that their withdrawal from formal politics is more a result of their scepticism of the way the political system operates, than apathy. Furthermore, they are diverse in their political (dis)engagement. Results from an examination of the relative effects of socio-economic location and social capital are inconclusive, although the data indicate that government social policy aimed at mobilising social capital and addressing socio-economic issues may increase civic engagement.