Skip to main content
Book cover

Politics, Protest and Young People pp 375–405Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Young People and DIO Politics: Do-It-Ourselves Political Participation

Abstract

This chapter explains how the political participation of young people has evolved and is increasingly operating outside political parties through non-electoral actions initiated by young political entrepreneurs, which can be summed up by what I call ‘DIO politics’ (Do-It-Ourselves). The chapter first explores key concepts that are helpful to understand young people and non-electoral political participation, such as postmaterialist values, everyday makers, standby citizens, lifestyle politics, political consumerism, boycotting and buycotting, issue-based politics, identity politics and personalised political participation. It then defines DIO politics and provides illustrations of how young people as part of diverse connected (local and global) communities and networks are reinventing non-electoral collective political participatory practices through creative and mindful means facilitated by digital technologies, which can have an impact on governmental policies.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-57788-7_12
  • Chapter length: 31 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-137-57788-7
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abramson Paul and Inglehart Ronald. “Generational Replacement and Value Change in Eight West European Societies.” British Journal of Political Science, vol. 22, no. 2, 1992, pp. 183–228.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Allaste, Airi-Alina and Cairns, David. “Youth Political Participation in a Transition Society.” Studies of Transition States and Societies, vol. 8, no. 2, 2016, pp. 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amnå, Erik and Ekman, Joakim. “Standby Citizens: Diverse Faces of Political Passivity.” European Political Science Review, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp. 261–281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S175577391300009X.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bang, Henrik and Sørensen, Eva. “The Everyday Maker. A New Challenge to Democratic Governance.” Administrative Theory and Praxis, vol. 21, no. 3, 1999, pp. 325–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.1999.11643381.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bang, Henrik and Sørensen, Eva. “The Everyday Maker: Building Political Rather than Social Capital.” Social Capital and Participation in Every Day Life, edited by Paul Dekker and Eric Uslaner. Routledge, 2001, pp. 141–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bang, Henrik. Everyday Makers and Expert Citizens: Building Political, not Social Capital. Working Paper. Australian National University, 2004. https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/42117/2/Henrik.pdf.

  • Bang, Henrik. “Among Everyday Makers and Expert Citizens.” Remaking Governance. Peoples, Politics and the Public Sphere, edited by Janet Newman. Policy Press, 2005, pp. 159–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bang, Henrik. “‘Yes We Can’: Identity Politics and Project Politics for a Late-Modern World.” Urban Research & Practice, vol. 2, no. 2. 2009, pp. 117–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/17535060902979022.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, Zygmunt. Liquid Modernity. Polity Press, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, Ulrich. Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. Translated by Mark Ritter. Sage, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, Ulrich. “The Reinvention of Politics: Towards a Theory of Reflexive Modernization.” Reflexive Modernization: Politics, Tradition and Aesthetics in Modern Social Order, edited by Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Scott Lash. Polity, 1994, pp. 1–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, Ulrich. “World Risk Society as Cosmopolitan Society? Ecological Questions in a Framework of Manufactured Uncertainties.” Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 13, no. 4, 1996, pp. 1–32.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, Ulrich. The Reinvention of Politics. Rethinking Modernity in the Global Social Order. Translated by Mark Ritter. Polity, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, Ulrich. World Risk Society. Polity Press, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, Lance. “The Uncivic Culture: Communication, Identity, and the Rise of Lifestyle Politics.” Political Science & Politics, vol. 31, no. 4, 1998, pp. 740–761.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, Lance. “Communicating Global Activism.” Information, Communication and Society, vol. 6, no. 2, 2003, pp. 143–168.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, Lance. “Civic Learning in Changing Democracies: Challenges for Citizenship and Civic Education.” Young Citizens and New Media, edited by Peter Dahlgren. Routledge, 2007, pp. 59–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bessant, Judith. Democracy Bytes: New Media, New Politics and Generational Change. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, Lance. “The Personalization of Politics: Political Identity, Social Media and Changing Patterns of Participation. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS), vol. 644, no. 1, 2012, pp. 20–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716212451428.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bessant, Judith, Farthing, Rys and Watts, Rob. The Precarious Generation: A Political Economy of Young People. Routledge, 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birdwell, Jonathan and Bani, Mona. Introducing Generation Citizen. Demos, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulianne, Shelley and Theocharis, Yannis. “Young People, Digital Media, and Engagement: A MetaAnalysis of Research.” Social Science Computer Review, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439318814190.

  • Cameron, David. “PM’s Speech on the Fightback After the Riots.” Cabinet Office and Prime Minister’s Office, 15 August 2011. http://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pms-speech-on-the-fightback-after-the-riots.

  • Cantle, Ted. Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team. Home Office, 2001. http://tedcantle.co.uk/pdf/communitycohesion%20cantlereport.pdf.

  • Carter, Neil. The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy. Cambridge University Press, 2007, 3rd edition, 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, Neil. “Vote Blue, Go Green. Cameron’s Conservatives and The Environment.” The Political Quarterly, 2009, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 233–243.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Castells, Manuel. Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age. Polity Press, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collin, Philippa. Young Citizens and Political Participation in a Digital Society: Addressing the Democratic Disconnect. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coryton, Laura. “Stop Taxing Periods. Period.” #EndTamponTax. Change.org. 2016. https://www.change.org/p/george-osborne-stop-taxing-periods-period.

  • Dalton, Russell. The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics, 2008a‚ 2nd edition. CQ Press‚ 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Moor, Joost. “Lifestyle Politics and the Concept of Political Participation.” Paper Prepared for the PARTIREP Workshop ‘Conceptualizing Political Participation,’ Mannheim, 25–26 September 2014. https://studylib.net/doc/6629079/joost-de-moor%97concept-lifestyle-politics.

  • Denham, John. Building Cohesive Communities. A Report of the Ministerial Group on Public Order and Community Cohesion. Home Office, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, James. Beyond Slacktivism: Political Participation on Social Media. Interest Groups. Advocacy and Democracy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehsan, Rakib. “What Matters? Non-Electoral Youth Political Participation in Austerity Britain.” Societies, vol. 8, no. 4, 2018, p. 101.  https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8040101.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, Joakim and Amnå, Erik. “Political Participation and Civic Engagement: Towards a New Typology.” Human Affairs, vol. 22, no. 3, 2012, pp. 283–300. https://doi.org/10.2478/s13374-012-0024-1.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, Tim. “Why Shop Ethically?” Ethical Consumer. 30 May 2018. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/why-shop-ethically.

  • Furlong, Andy and Cartmel, Fred. Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallant, Nicole. “The ‘Good,’ the ‘Bad’ and the ‘Useless’: Young People’s Political Action Repertoires in Quebec.” Young People Re-Generating Politics in Times of Crises, edited by Sarah Pickard and Judith Bessant. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017a, pp. 77–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallant, Nicole. “Comprendre les pratiques politiques en ligne des jeunes pour mieux les entendre. Quatre grands types de pratiques politiques, en ligne comme hors ligne.” ‘Rejoindre les jeunes par le numérique. Dépasser le dialogue de sourds.’ Observatoire Jeunesses et Société (OJS), Bulletin, vol. 4, no. 2, 2017b, pp. 14–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallant, Nicole, Latzko-Toth, Guillaume and Pastinelli, Madeleine. “Friends and Facebook Fights: Relations and Student Online Deliberative Action.” When Students Protest, edited by Judith Bessant, Analicia Mejia Mesinas and Sarah Pickard. Rowman and Littlefield, 2020. [forthcoming].

    Google Scholar 

  • George, Amika. “The Shame of Period Poverty Is Keeping British Girls Out of School. Let’s Break the Silence.” The Guardian, 19 December 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giddens, Anthony. Modernity and Self Identity. Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Polity Press, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giddens, Anthony. Beyond Left and Right: The Future of Radical Politics. Polity Press, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gitlin, Todd. Occupy Nation. The Roots, the Spirit and the Promise of Occupy Wall Street. It Books, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green Party of England and Wales. The Green Party for a Confident and Caring Britain. 2017 Green Party Manifesto, 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halupka, Max. “Clicktivism: A Systematic Heuristic.” Policy and Internet, vol. 6, no. 4, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/1944-2866.POI355.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Henn, Matt and Sloam, James. Youthquake. The Rise of Young Cosmopolitans in Britain. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henn, Matt, Weinstein, Mark and Wring, Dominic. “A Generation Apart? Youth and Political Participation in Britain.” British Journal of Politics and International relations, vol. 4, no. 2, 2002, pp. 167–192. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-856x.t01-1-00001.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Holzer, Boris and Sørensen, Mads. “Subpolitics and Subpoliticians.” Arbeitspapier 4 des SFB 536 Reflexive Modernisierung. München, July 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart Ronald. “The Silent Revolution in Europe: Intergenerational Change in Post-Industrial Societies.” American Political Science Review, vol. 65, no. 4, 1971, pp. 991–1017.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, Ronald. The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Styles Among Western Publics. Princeton University Press, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, Ronald. Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society. Princeton University Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, Ronald. Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and Political Change in 43 Societies. Princeton University Press, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, Ronald and Welzel, Christian. Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy: The Human Development Sequence. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson, Beth. “Should Young People Change, or Should Politics?” Intergenerational Foundation (IF) blog. 21 December 2016. http://www.if.org.uk/2016/12/21/should-young-people-change-or-should-politics.

  • Kyroglou, Georgios and Henn, Matt. “Political Consumerism as a Neoliberal Response to Youth Political Disengagement.” Societies, vol. 7, no. 4, 2017. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040034.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Leadbeater, Charles. “The Social Entrepreneur. How the Third Sector Benefits from an Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Twenty Years of Ideas, edited by Ralph Scott and David Goodhart. Demos, 2014, pp. 75–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lilla, Mark. The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics. Harper, 2017a.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lilla, Mark. “How the Modern Addiction to Identity Politics Has Fractured the Left.” New Statesman, 18 September 2017b.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loader, Brian, Vromen, Ariadne and Xenos, Michael, editors. The Networked Young Citizen: Social Media, Political Participation and Civic Engagement. Routledge, 2014a.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loader, Brian, Vromen, Ariadne and Xenos, Michael. “The Networked Young Citizen: Social Media, Political Participation and Civic Engagement.” Information, Communication and Society, vol. 17, no. 2, 2014b, pp. 143–150.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mannheim, Karl. “The Problem of Generations.” Essays on the Sociology of Knowledge. Collected Works, volume 5, edited by Paul Kecskemeti. Routledge, 1952, republished 2001, pp. 276–322 (original German version published in 1928).

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, Nathan (editor). Political (dis)engagement: The Changing Nature of the ‘Political.’ Policy Press, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, David and Akram, Sadiya. “Political Participation and Citizen Engagement: Beyond the Mainstream.” Policy Studies, vol. 36, no. 6, 2015, pp. 523–531.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, David, O’Toole, Therese and Jones, Su. 2007. Young People and Politics in the UK. Apathy or Alienation? Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Micheletti, Michele and Stolle, Dietlind. “Vegetarianism. A Lifestyle Politics?” Creative Participation. Responsibility-Taking in the Political World, edited by Michele Micheletti and Andrew McFarland, editors. Paradigm Publishers, 2010, pp. 125–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Micheletti, Michele. Political Virtue and Shopping. Individuals, Consumerism, and Collective Action. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Miliband, Ed. “Full Transcript, Ed Miliband, Speech on the Riots, Haverstock School, 15 August 2011.” New Statesman, 15 August 2011. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2011/08/society-young-heard-riots.

  • Morgner, Christian. “Anti-Social Behaviour and the London ‘Riots’: Social Meaning Making of the Anti-Social.” Anti-Social Behaviour in Britain, edited by Sarah Pickard. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, pp. 92–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morozov, Evgeny “The Brave New World of Slacktivism.” Foreign Policy, 19 May 2009. https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/05/19/the-brave-new-world-of-slacktivism.

  • Norris, Pippa. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris, Pippa. Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris, Pippa. “Young People and Political Activism: From the Politics of Loyalties to the Politics of Choice?” Council of Europe Symposium: ‘Young People and Democratic Institutions. From Disillusionment to Participation,’ Strasbourg, France, 27–28 November 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris, Pippa. “Political Activism: New Challenges, New Opportunities.” The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics, edited by Carles Boix and Susan Stokes. Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 628–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ofcom. Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report. Research Report. Ofcom, 25 April 2018. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/113222/Adults-Media-Use-and-Attitudes-Report-2018.pdf.

  • O’Toole, Therese. “Beyond Crisis Narratives. Changing Modes of Repertoires of Political Participation Among Young People.” Politics, Citizenship and Rights, edited by Kirsi Pauliina Kallio, Sarah Mills and Tracey Skelton. Springer, 2015, pp. 225–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palfrey, John and Gasser, Urs. Born Digital. Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. Basic Books, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, Victoria. “How 3,000 Teenagers Are Trying to Combat London’s Knife Crime.” BBC News, 12 August 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickard, Sarah. “London’s Burning: Youth Riots in London.” New Standpoints, No. 51, éditions Nathan, January–February 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickard, Sarah and Bessant, Judith. “Introduction.” Young People Re-Generating Politics in Times of Crises, edited by Sarah Pickard and Judith Bessant. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017, pp. 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickard, Sarah and Bessant, Judith. “France’s #Nuit Debout Social Movement: Young People Rising Up and Moral Emotions.” Special Issue: Youth and Social and Political Action in a Time of Austerity. Societies, vol. 8, no. 5, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8040100.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pontes, Ana Isabel, Henn, Matt and Griffiths, Mark. “Towards a Conceptualization of Young People’s Political Engagement: A Qualitative Focus Group Study.” Societies, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, p. 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8010017.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Prensky, Marc. “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.” On the Horizon, vol. 9, no. 5, 2001, pp. 1–6.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, Robert. “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital.” Journal of Democracy, vol. 6, no. 1 (January), 1995a, pp. 65–78.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, Robert. “Bowling Alone, Revisited.” The Responsive Community, Spring, vol. 5, no. 2, 1995b, pp. 18–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, Robert. Bowling Alone. The Collapse And Revival of American Community. Simon & Schuster, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sani, Michael. “Britain’s Young People are Politically Engaged, but in Non-traditional Ways.” inews. 1 January 2017. https://inews.co.uk/opinion/britains-youth-are-politically-engaged-just-in-different-ways.

  • Sloam, James. “Introduction: Youth, Citizenship and Politics.” Parliamentary Affairs, vol. 65, no. 1, 2012, pp. 4–12.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sloam, James. “The ‘Outraged Young’: How Young Europeans Are Reshaping the Political Landscape.” Political Insight, vol. 4, no. 1, 2013, pp. 4–7.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Stolle, Dietlind and Micheletti, Michele. Political Consumerism: Global Responsibility in Action. Cambridge University Press, 2013, reprint 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stolle, Dietlind, Hooghe, Marc and Micheletti, Michele. “Politics in the Supermarket: Political Consumerism as a Form of Political Participation.” International Political Science Review, vol. 26, no. 3, 2005, pp. 245–269.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Stolle, Dietlind and Hooghe, Marc. “Shifting Inequalities. Patterns of Exclusion and Inclusion in Emerging Forms of Political Participation.” European Societies, vol. 13, no. 1, 2011, pp. 119–142.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Soriano, Manuel. “Internet as a Driver of Political Change: Cyber-Pessimists and Cyber-Optimists.” Journal of the Spanish Institute of Strategic Studies, 2013, pp. 332–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Twenge, Jean. iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—And Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—And What That Means for the Rest of Us. Atria Books, 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Deth, Jan. “Studying Political Participation: Towards a Theory of Everything?” Paper Presented at the Joint Session of Workshops of the European Consortium for Political Research, Grenoble, France, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vromen, Ariadne. Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement. The Challenge from Online Campaigning and Advocacy Organisations. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, Chris. The Civic Organisation and the Digital Citizen. Oxford University Press, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Welton, Michael. “Anthony Giddens and the Emergence of Life Politics.” Counterpunch, 18 March 2016.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France

    Sarah Pickard

Authors
  1. Sarah Pickard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Pickard .

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pickard, S. (2019). Young People and DIO Politics: Do-It-Ourselves Political Participation. In: Politics, Protest and Young People. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57788-7_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57788-7_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-57787-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-57788-7

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)