31 de março de 2011: Brites, M. J. Identities and emotions towards civic participation. Civic Cultures Conference, Communication and Media Department. Lund University, Suécia.

1. IDENTITIES AND
EMOTIONS TOWARDS
CIVIC PARTICIPATION
CIVIC CULTURES CONFERENCE | 31ST OF MARCH 2011 | LUND UNIVERSITY
Maria José Brites
FCT, CIMJ and ULP

2. Towards engagement?
 People subjective views on the political are related to their experience as
members and participants - as agents - and has deep connections with
practices and emotions (Dahlgren, 2009: 119).
 “Motivation without affect would be hard to comprehend” (Dahlgren, 2009:
83 and 84).
 “Political participation is to a large extent driven by affective motives. Political
activists enjoy meetings, speeches, intriguing and campaigning.” (Coleman,
2004).
 “The theorists who want to eliminate passions from politics and argue that
democratic politics should be understood only in terms of reason,
moderation and consensus are showing their lack of understanding of the
dynamics of the political” (Mouffe, 2005: 29).

3. Towards engagement?
 Identities (knowledge, values and trust; and spaces and practices) (Dahlgren, 2009: 119).
 Feeling of belonging, that can reflect gradations of proximity (Menezes, 2005: 18).
 “Sense of being an empowered political agent” (Dahlgren , 2009: 120),
 Civic participation: “feeling of a ‘we’” (Dahlgren, 2009: 121), mobilized against a “they”.
 Self well-being and satisfaction with democracy (Menezes and Ferreira, 2008: 22).
Within Digital Inclusion and Participation Project . Comparing the trajectories of digital
media use by majority and disadvantaged groups in Portugal and the USA:
debate on gradations of the digital uses (UTAustin|Portugal/CD/016/2008).
Among young producers of blogs, personal WebPages and MySpace: What linkages
can we find with civic participation? What are their backgrounds? Is there a unity or a
generation gap between young citizens and their parents? (Ponte, forthcoming 2011: 8).

4. Methodological considerations
 35 interviews with young people (PhD project on
Youth, participation and News).
 All of them have at least a certain degree of participation.
 Some of them are deeply committed to traditional or non
traditional ways of participation.
 What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
 Who are the interviewees that produce blogs, have
personal pages or accounts in MySpace?
 What linkages can we find in relation to family and peer
discussions and conversations regarding to participation?

5. What makes them participate either in the political
or in news media?
 Political
 More emotions: boys and girls are different.
 Reason: among boys/traditional participation.
 Difficulties: parents, I don’t like it, laziness
 News
 No gender differences: type of news production.
 … But gender differences in discourses, in relation to their role in the
production of news.

6. What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
Girls Boys
 Civic Opportunity:
 “… help other people, I want to
help other people. I work at
McDonalds, I can be fired if I give
food to someone… a person
asked for food and I gave it... my
boss was there.” (girl, 18, low
income area)
 Civic Opportunity :
 “Our possibility of participate and to
give something to the other… its a
way to make me feel happy.” (boy,
17, political party)

7. What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
Girls Boys
 Learn How to Participate, How to
Be Active and How to Be part of:
“I wanted to learn how to participate,
to like politics… […] I wanted to be
part of the group [...]. have a sense
of belonging.” (girl, 16, School
Parliament Program)
 Chance to Have a Voice: “I wanted
to have the chance to have a voice
and to know the opinion of other
people.” (girl, 16, school newspaper)
 Peer Influence, Mostly at School:
“I knew that Steve would be the
leader of the list… I would be in the
middle of the list… but in the end it
was worthy.” (Girl, 16, School
Parliament Program)
 Personal Interest and Ability: “I
only participate if I have an interest.”
(boy, 21, School Parliament
Program)
 “Since I have knowledge, at class,
[…] I can talk and people will listen to
me.” (boy, 16, School Parliament
Program)

8. What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
Girls Boys
 Future: is This Rational?: “One of
the projects of student union was to
create a school newspaper… Steve
knew that I want to be a journalist…
then he invited me and I accepted.”
(girl, 16, School Parliament Program)
 Future: is This Rational?:“ I want to
be a designer… so I can learn with
graffiti, it means a huge motivation.”
(boy, 16, writer)
 Rational: “If It is political, I like it. I
want to participate.” (boy, 15, youth
political party)
 “Everyone has its role. […] I think
that If I keep my mind open I can
make a profit of that.” (boy, 17,
School Parliament Program)
 Difficulties: “I am like my father
regarding politics. He has told me:
you can have an interest in politics,
but you shouldn’t join a political
party.” (boy, 21. School Parliament
Program)

9. What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
Girls Boys
 School Journalism: “Now in
school we barely have time or
desire to discuss our ideas. The
newspaper gave each one of us
the opportunity to talk about
everything. For example, I write
something and, if someone
doesn't agree, can write back
and give his opinion. We can
know each other better.” (girl, 14,
low income area)
 School Journalism: “There is
always a space for me, for a
column of my own. In the first
edition of the newspaper, I made
an article about the school in
relation to society and country.”
(boy, 17, from a rich area and
School Parliament Program)

10. What makes them participate either in the political or in
news media?
Girls Boys
 Facebook: “I usually post some
news on Facebook and I also read
news on Facebook. Its a source of
information.” (girl, 18, political party)
 News outside school and self
Internet: “I make some news to the
youth political party blog. Its not a
personal blog, its a political one […]
but we are free to write.” (girl, 15,
political party)
 Facebook: “Being proactive and put
news on Facebook. Some days ago,
I did it [gay marriage] . For tree hours
I answered on comments. There was
an online debate with my friends on
Facebook. And we also scheduled a
meeting at a coffee shop to discuss
more!” (Boy, 18, youth political party)
 News outside school and self
Internet: “It is a column panel [where
he writes the weekly article], where
young people from the main political
parties write. I write several times
[…]. It is a short column. This forces
me to keep updated with the news
and read the news.” (boy, 18, youth
political party)

11. Who are the interviewees that produce blogs, have personal
pages or accounts in MySpace?
 Nine interviewees: MySpace, personal webpage
or blog.
 Regarding internet participation: for instance,
MySpace it’s a place to show their cultural work,
mostly for business proposals. The other investments
in media production are more related to the need to
demonstrate their ideas, either personal either
political.
 Parents 4 year-9 year school grade: one boy
political blog; one boy non political blog, one girl non
political blog; one MySpace (have less different types
of participation either gradations of participation).
 Parents with medium or higher education: political
blogs.

12. Who are the interviewees that produce blogs, have
personal pages or accounts in MySpace?
 “In my first blog I used to share my music, but I knew that no
one wanted to access to the blog. Now I have another one to
speak about preoccupying situations.” (boy, 18, youth political
party)
 “My blog was prepared at school. We had to learn how to
make a blog. I wrote about environmental issues, I used
videos, games…” (boy, 17, low income area)
 “Music, I like what I produce. I follow my blog [its a MySpace
webpage], to know who follow me. And, after that, I ask
people If they liked my music.” (boy, 17, MC)

13. What linkages can we find in relation to family and
peer discussions and conversations regarding to
participation?
 Family and peer discussions are among the most positive factors of
participation, although family discussions and contexts are also among the
most important motives of dissuasion.
 Family talk:
 Sharing household opinions (politics)
 No gender differences regarding family and parents conversations; but girls
referred more to these type of conversations with both parents.
 Differences in talking habits with one of the parents:
A – Mother in talking about politics: single families (living with mother).
B – Talking about dangers, looking to news to advice about dangerous
habits.
C – Fathers: more knowledgeable about politics and news (sons and
daughters).
 Peer talk:
 difficulties in family, competition, groups with strong leaders.

14. Parents
 A – “Me and my mother, we have really big discussions about news [...] we
talk about politics and ideology […]. And she keeps me update!” (Boy, 17, from
a rich area and School Parliament Program)
“I've talked more before than I talk now about the news with my mother. Usually
we talk to achieve a common opinion.” (boy, 15, low income area)
 B - “I watch news with my mother and my brother. We comment on that, my
mother talks about dangers. She says: you should notice this!. A few days
ago, we spoke about swimming pools dangers, she said: Don't jump like that.
My mother alert me and my brother.” (girl, 15, low income)
 C- “My mother watch television and make zapping; my father watch the news at
night and sometimes calls me. At breakfast time, my dad calls my attention
to a subject, and I say: Really?! And afterwards I will go to the internet to
search on the subject, so that I can better talk to him.” (girl, 15, youth
political party)
“I sit on the sofa watching the news, my mother is in the kitchen, my father
comes late, my brother also watch news. We discuss, sometimes we're not
looking at television, but we are aware of what's going on there.” (boy, 16,
writer)

15. Friends
 “My opinion is important at school and within my friends group, at
home it’s more difficult…” (girl, 16, school newspapers)
 “My opinion… In family matters clearly, and at political party and
within other groups. Collective discussion it’s the most important
and there must be a minimum of consensus. In my school... In
general I don't know, but at students union, for sure.” (girl, 17, youth
political party)
 “If I want to discuss civic and political issues, I can’t talk to
someone that know nothing about it. I have to check my friends
list to decide who’s the best one to talk with. I have more common
things with these friends.” (boy, 17, from a rich area and School
Parliament Program)

16. Final notes
 Early results show that emotional aspects are important
regarding the promise of participation and that residual
rational aspects referred by the interviewees are much more
related to conventional ideas of participation.
 Regarding internet participation, for instance in MySpace, this
is a place to show their cultural work, mostly for business
proposals. The other investments in media production are
more related to the need to demonstrate their ideas, either
personal either political.
 Family and peer discussions are among the most positive
factors of participation, although family discussions and
contexts are also among the most important motives of
dissuasion.

17. References
 Coleman, Stephen (2004). "WHOSE CONVERSATION? Engaging the Public in Authentic Polylogue." The
Political Quarterly.
 Dahlgren, Peter (2009). Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication, and Democracy. Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press.
 Ferreira, Pedro D. and Menezes, Isabel (27 de Novembro de 2008). Bem-estar e participação cívica e política.
OS TEMPOS DA VIDA E AS PERCEPÇÕES DE BEM-ESTAR EM 23 PAÍSES EUROPEUS/X SEMINÁRIO de
Apresentação de Resultados do European Social Survey 2006. Lisboa.
 Menezes, Isabel (2005). Evolução da Cidadania em Portugal. 3.º Encontro de Investigação e Formação
"Educação para a Cidadania e Culturas de Formação”, Lisboa.
 Mouffe, Chantal (2005). On the Political (Thinking in Action). Londres e Nova Iorque, Routledge.
 Ponte, C. (forthcoming 2011). "Uma geração digital? A influência familiar na experiência mediática de
adolescentes." Sociologia - Problemas e práticas. Lisboa: CIESb.
 Zoonen, Liesbet van (2004). "Imagining the Fan Democracy." European Journal of Communication 19(1): 39-52.
 Zoonen, Liesbet van, Muller, Floris, et al. (2007). "Dr. Phil Meets the Candidates: How Family Life and Personal
Experience Produce Political Discussions." Critical Studies in Media Communication 24 (4): 322-338.

18. Maria José Brites
britesmariajose@gmail.com
FCT/CIMJ and ULP
http://digital_inclusion.up.pt/index_files/Page420.htm
Thank you!