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Young People as Engaged Citizens: A Difficult Challenge Between Disillusionments and Hopes

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The Future of Digital Democracy

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 11300))

Abstract

The presence of young people as engaged active citizens in the political scenario seems to be declining in recent years all over Europe. However, whereas many young people are disinterested in politics and political participation, others are active political actors involved in new patterns of engagement and actions of participation. What are the factors leading some youth to be politically active and others not? There are multiple explanations for this phenomenon, and it is crucial for the future of citizens’ democratic participation to understand the position that young people might take between apathy and participation. The present chapter aims to contribute to this focusing on the psychosocial factors and processes that facilitate and hinder youth’s political and civic engagement with particular attention to the new forms of participation and engagement, including digital ones, that youngsters adopt to have their voice heard at national and European levels.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alma Mater Studiorum–Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Bruna Zani & Elvira Cicognani

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  1. Bruna Zani
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  2. Elvira Cicognani
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Correspondence to Elvira Cicognani .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Pierluigi Contucci

  2. University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy

    Andrea Omicini

  3. University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy

    Danilo Pianini

  4. University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Alina Sîrbu

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Zani, B., Cicognani, E. (2019). Young People as Engaged Citizens: A Difficult Challenge Between Disillusionments and Hopes. In: Contucci, P., Omicini, A., Pianini, D., Sîrbu, A. (eds) The Future of Digital Democracy. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11300. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05333-8_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05333-8_1

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