Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Measuring Active Citizenship through the Development of a Composite Indicator

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article defines Active Citizenship within a European context as a broad range of value based participation. It develops a framework for measuring this phenomenon which combines the four dimensions of Protest and Social Change, Community Life, Representative Democracy and Democratic values. The European Social Survey 2002 is used to populate the framework as this survey provided the best data coverage available and covered 19 European Countries. In total 61 indicators were selected. A composite indicator (CI), The Active Citizenship Composite Indicator (ACCI), is built using the framework provided and using experts’ weights. In addition, the robustness of the results is tested using sensitivity analysis. The limitations to the ACCI are explained in terms of the limitation of the data availability in particular concerning the new forms of participation and less organised forms of participation. Nevertheless, ACCI proved to be statistically robust and reliable and proved to be a useful tool for monitoring levels of citizenship in Europe. The results of ACCI exhibit interesting and quite distinct regional patterns. The results showed that the Nordic countries, and in particular Sweden, have the highest rate of Active Citizenship, followed by Central Europe and Anglo-Saxon countries. Mediterranean countries are next followed by Eastern European countries that close the ranking.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Developed by the CRELL research network “Active Citizenship for Democracy” as part of this project.

References

  • Alred, G., Byram, M., & Fleming, M. (2006). Education for Intercultural Citizenship. Cromwell Press Ltd: Clevedon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anheier, H. (2004). Civil society: Measurement, evaluation and policy. London: Civicus.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber, B. (2003). Strong democracy: Participatory politics for a new age. California press: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, S., Field, J., & Schuler, T. (2000). Social capital: Critical perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buk-Berge, E. (2006). Missed opportunities: The IEA’s study of civic education and civic education in post-communist countries. Comparative Education, 42(4), 533–548. doi:10.1080/03050060600988429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bess, K., Fisher, A., Sonn, C., & Bishop, B. (2002). Psychological sense of community: Theory, research and applications. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottomley, P. A., Doyle, J. R., & Green, R. H. (2000). Testing the reliability of weight elicitation methods: Direct rating versus point allocation. JMR, Journal of Marketing Research, 37(4), 508–513. doi:10.1509/jmkr.37.4.508.18794.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherchye, L., Moesen, W., Rogge, N., Van Puyenbroeck, T., Saisana, M., Saltelli, A., Liska, R., & Tarantola, S. (2006). Creating composite indicators with DEA and robustness analysis: The case of the technology achievement index. Journal of the Operational Research Society.

  • Conner, P., & Becker, B. (1994). Personal values and measurement––what do we know and why don’t we know more? Journal of Managerial Enquiry, 3(1), 67–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of Europe. (1950). Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Rome. http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/Treaties/html/005.htm.

  • Council of Europe. (2005). Concerted development of social cohesion indicators: Methodological guide. Strasbourg: Council of Europe publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Weerd, M., Gemmeke, M., Rigter, J., & van Rij, C. (2005). Indicators for monitoring Active Citizenship and citizenship education. Amsterdam: Regioplan Beleidsonderzoek.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denters, B., Gabriel, O., & Torcal, M. (2007). Political confidence in representative democracies. Socio-cultural vs. political explanations. In J. van Deth, R. Montero & A. Westholm (Eds.), Citizenship and involvement in European democracies: A comparative analysis (pp. 66–87). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eakin, H., & Luers, A. L. (2006). Assessing the vulnerability of social-environmental systems. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 31, 365–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Education Council. (2001). Report from the Education Council to the European Council. The concrete future objectives of education and training systems, Brussels, 14 February 2001. Brussels: European Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (1998). Education and Active Citizenship in the European Union Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg (under the authorship of the European Commission; available in all official languages).

  • European Commission. (2007). European Commission Staff Working Document: Progress Towards the Lisbon Objectives in Education and Training indicators and benchmarks. Luxembourg: Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Council. (1997). Treaty of Amsterdam. http://www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/en/treaties/index.htm.

  • European Council. (2000). Presidency Conclusions, Lisbon European Council 23 and 24 March 2000. Brussels: European Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haddad, L., & Maluccio, J. (2003). Trust, membership in groups, and household welfare: Evidence from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 51(3), 573–601. doi:10.1086/374986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holford, J., & van der Veen, R. (Eds.). (2003). Lifelong learning, governance and active citizenship in Europe—final report. Brussels: European Commission Project HPSE-CT-1999-00012.

  • Hoskins, B. (2006). Draft framework on indicators for Active Citizenship. Ispra: CRELL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins, B., Jesinghaus, J., Mascherini, M., Munda, G., Nardo, M., Saisana, M., Van Nijlen, D., Vidoni, D., & Villalba, E. (2006). Measuring Active Citizenship in Europe. Ispra: European Commission Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen EUR 22530 EN.

  • Howard, M. (2003). The weakness of civil society in post-communist Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell, J., & Pearce, J. (2002). Civil society and development: A critical exploration. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irish Taskforce on Active Citizenship. (2007). The concept of Active Citizenship. Dublin: Secretariat of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivančič, A., Novak, D., Chioncel, N., & Jansen, T. (2003). Active Citizenship and Governance in the Central and Eastern European Context Report on critical review of the national literature and policy analysis. Netherlands: University of Nijmegen (Reviewing Education and Training for Governance and Active Citizenship in Europe—A Central and Eastern European Perspective (RE-ETGACE).

  • Kahneman, D., Slovic, P., & Tversky, A. (Eds.). (1982). Judgments under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Cambridge University Press.

  • Kim, J., & Mueller, C. W. (1978a). Introduction to factor analysis: what it is and how to do it. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J., & Mueller, C. W. (1978b). Factor analysis: statistical methods and practical issues. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manor, J., Robinson, M., & White, G. (1999). ‘Civil society and governance’: A concept paper. University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies.

  • Marshall, T. (1950). Citizenship and social class and other essays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mascherini, M., & Hoskins, B. (2008). ‘Retrieving expert opinion on weights for the Active Citizenship Composite Indicator’, European Commission – Institute for the protection and security of the citizen – EUR JRC46303 EN.

  • Melyn, W., & Moesen, W. W. (1991). Towards a synthetic indicator of macroeconomic performance: unequal weighting when limited information is available. Public Economic research Paper 17, CES, KU Leuven.

  • Moldan, B., & Billharz, S. (1997). Sustainability indicators: Report of the Project on Indicators of Sustainable Development. SCOPE 58. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montero, J., Westholm, A., & Van Deth, J. (2007). Conclusion: the realization of democratic citizenship in Europe. In J. Van Deth, J. Montero & A. Westholm (Eds.), Citizenship and involvement in European democracies: A comparative analysis (pp. 415–438). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munda, G. (1995). Multicriteria evaluation in a fuzzy environment. Physica-Verlag, Contributions to Economics Series, Heidelberg.

  • Mutz, D. (2006). Hearing the other side deliberative versus participatory democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nardo, M., Saisana, M., Saltelli, A., Tarantola, S., Hoffman, A., & Giovannini, E. (2005). Handbook on constructing composite indicators: Methodology and user guide. OECD Statistics Working Papers 2005/3, OECD Statistics Directorate.

  • Ogris, G., & Westphal, S. (2006). Active Citizenship Indicators on the Political Domain. Vienna: SORA Institute for Social Research and Analysis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Preston, J., & Green, A. (2003). The macro-social benefits of education, training and skills in comparative perspective. London: Centre for the Wider Benefits of Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. (1993). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1969). The role of values in public opinion research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 12, 547–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saisana, M., Saltelli, A., & Tarantola, S. (2005). Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis techniques as tools for the quality assessment of composite indicators. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A (General), 168(2), 307–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saisana, M., & Tarantola, S. (2002). State-of-the-art report on current methodologies and practices for composite indicator development. EUR 20408 EN, European Commission-JRC: Italy.

  • Saltelli, A. (2002). Making best use of model valuations to compute sensitivity indices. Computer Physics Communications, 145, 280–297. doi:10.1016/S0010-4655(02)00280-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saltelli, A., Chan, K., & Scott, M. (2000). Sensitivity analysis, probability and statistics series. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarndal, C. E., Swenson, B., & Wretman, J. (1992). Model assisted survey sampling. Springer-Verlag, ISBN 0-387-40620-4.

  • Seaver, D. A. (1978). Assessing probabilities with multiple individuals: Group interaction versus mathematical aggregation. Tech. Report SSRI-78-3, Social Science Research Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

  • Sobol’, I. M. (1967). On the distribution of points in a cube and the approximate evaluation of integrals. USSR Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Physics, 7, 86–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, J. (1986). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Nierop, P. (2006). Study on active citizenship education. Brussels: GHK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verba, S., & Nie, H. (1972). Participation in America: Political democracy and social equality. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westholm, A., Montero, J., & Van Deth, J. (2007). Introduction: citizenship, involvement, and democracy in Europe. In J. Van Deth, J. Montero & A. Westholm (Eds.), Citizenship and involvement in European democracies: A comparative analysis (pp. 1–32). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Commission – Joint Research Centre, Via E. Fermi 2749, Ispra, VA, Italy

    Bryony L. Hoskins & Massimiliano Mascherini

Authors
  1. Bryony L. Hoskins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Massimiliano Mascherini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bryony L. Hoskins.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoskins, B.L., Mascherini, M. Measuring Active Citizenship through the Development of a Composite Indicator. Soc Indic Res 90, 459–488 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9271-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9271-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation