Suchergebnisse

Political activity is a telling behavior about a generation, influencing how policy makers in the U.S. do their jobs and how budgets are set. A generation without any political activity risks missing out on benefits from activity, while an active generation may help shape the institutions and traditions in a political culture. There are significant challenges to measuring individual political activity, and the question isn't simply "how politically active are you?" A tool traditionally used to address this challenge is a seven- point scale based on the correlation between an individual's party identification and political activism. This measurement allows polltakers to label themselves as strong or weak for either major party, independent leaning Republican/Democrat or truly independent. For a deeper look, scholars can gauge political activism by examining a number of sub-levels of activism, rather than relying simply on a seven-point scale. Social identity has become an important way to measure levels of partisanship and interest amongst the citizenry.

AbstractThe authors examine the characteristics and factors shaping political activism in Serbia. Their analysis is based on a national representative sample (N = 2,211). Their research findings show that in general, Serbian citizens are more inclined to pursue certain unconventional or newer forms of political activism such as ethical and political consumption and petition-signing than older forms of political participation. Certain traditional political activities are still practised, such as membership of political parties and making direct contact with politicians, while newer ones like occupation of public spaces and protest activities are relatively rare. The analyses demonstrate that participation in both traditional and newer forms of politics becomes more likely as resources available to individuals increase, both economic and educational. Traditional forms of political participation tend to be increasingly preferred as people become older, while the unconventional forms are more popular among the younger generation.

In this autobiographical essay, Josef Ehmer reflects on his academic career. As a starting point, Ehmer describes his family background as well as the socio-political milieu and the (political) influences of his upbringing and schooling in the context of Austrian contemporary history. Subsequently, the author recalls his years of study and describes the Institute for Economic and Social History in Vienna as a "social place." Shaped and supported by dedicated mentors, such as Michael Mitterauer, Ehmer reflects on his path into "science as a vocation" and its various stages, especially his professorships in Salzburg and Vienna. Additionally, this essay elaborates on how Ehmer developed his stable research focuses: the social history of the 18th to 20th centuries in a European comparative perspective, specifically the history of the family, workers and craftsmen, migrations, aging, and popu-lation history and historical demography.