The objective of this research project is to find out how students participate in politics nowadays – meaning what political participation means to them, whether and how they get involved, what motivates them and what might also prevent them from actively participating in politics. By gathering more information about their ways of obtaining news and how especially students discuss and pursue politics and current affairs, it is possible to understand better how young people can be approached and how they envision successful participation.
Students have historically initiated and inspired national liberation movements, political parties, as well as labor organizations and cultural groups. In some countries, they have succeeded in influencing governments and changing policies, for example with regard to equal opportunities in education and better learning conditions. Therefore, the question that repeatedly leads to discussions is whether and to what ex-tent young people today are political and what influences their engagement with politics. Students in particular represent a relevant group in this context, partly for the reason that it is likely that many individuals who will later take on relevant roles in public life will emerge from this group. In addition, it can be assumed that trends and media developments that are also important for politics and political organizations arise early on in the student environment.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Research Objectives
1.2 Structure of Research
2 Interest of Students in Politics
2.1 Engagement of Students in Politics
2.2 Social Media and Politics
3 Research
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Interview Guideline
3.3 Pilot Test
4 Data Collection
4.1 Transcription
4.2 Coding Information
5 Analysis and Presentation of Results
5.1 Participation in Politics
5.2 Social Media and Politics
5.3 Reflection
6 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this research is to explore how students participate in politics today, how they interpret political involvement, and what motivates or hinders their active engagement. Furthermore, the study investigates the role of social media in shaping students' political participation and news consumption habits, aiming to understand whether digital platforms lower the barriers for political involvement among young adults.
- Political engagement and participation forms among students
- The influence of social media on political news consumption
- Motivations and barriers to active political involvement
- Students' perception of "politics" and political identity
- The role of digital platforms in facilitating political impact
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Engagement of Students in Politics
However, despite the students' political thinking and interest, it does not necessarily imply a direct political commitment. Meaning that although students are not apolitical, they are not very comfortable with the standard forms of engagement (Knopke et al., 2017, p. 7). Results of a study conducted in the United Kingdom, for example, show that young people are indeed interested in politics, although they feel that there are relatively few opportunities for them to engage effectively in formal political life (Henn & Foard, 2014, p. 360f.).
On the one hand, the reason for this is that students often perceive politics as something very abstract and intangible, and the subject is sometimes rather negatively associated for them, as they see the entire construct not representative for them (Henn & Foard, 2014, p. 366). On the other hand, this is also due to the fact that students tend to assess their possibilities rather poorly with regard to the question of politicization in the direction of engagement. Moreover, they do not experience themselves as a powerful community and reject radicalism (Knopke et al., 2017, p. 7). Another factor is that in the past, students wanted to describe themselves through involvement in a particular youth party, such as the Young Democrats or the Young Socialists, which distinguished themselves by addressing different political issues. But this differentiation as the basis of a political self-description is no longer comprehensible to current students. They do not consider it relevant to find the ideologically suitable organization for themselves and prefer a heterogeneous mix of political attitudes (Knopke et al., 2017, p. 25).
Therefore, there is no single orientation of students towards politics, and students are diverse in their political orientation and engage with a wide range of issues (Henn & Foard, 2014, p. 373). Their level of political engagement is also often linked to their background and circumstances. This means, for example, that students sometimes lack the time factor or the money factor to engage in politics to the extent they would like to (Knopke et al., 2017, p. 10).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides the background on student influence in politics and defines the research objectives regarding modern political participation and the impact of social media.
2 Interest of Students in Politics: Discusses the shifting perception of youth interest in politics, emphasizing the move toward non-traditional engagement forms and the influence of media.
3 Research: Outlines the qualitative research design, the methodology behind the semi-structured interviews, and the development of the interview guideline through a pilot test.
4 Data Collection: Details the process of conducting the interviews, transcribing the data, and applying inductive category formation according to Mayring.
5 Analysis and Presentation of Results: Presents and analyzes the collected data regarding student political identity, participation, and their critical consumption of news via social media.
6 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting that students are more politically engaged than they perceive and that social media serves as a tool for impact despite critical views on source credibility.
Keywords
Political Participation, Students, Social Media, Qualitative Research, Political Engagement, Digital News, News Consumption, Political Interest, Semi-structured Interviews, Youth Politics, Political Communication, Content Analysis, Digital Transformation, Political Awareness, Civic Engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The research examines how students currently engage with politics, how they define political participation, and how their interest and consumption habits are influenced by contemporary factors, particularly social media.
What are the central thematic fields covered in this study?
The core themes include students' political motivation, barriers to traditional party involvement, the role of digital media as a source for political news, and the evolution of political participation methods.
What is the primary goal of the research project?
The primary goal is to understand how young people perceive their role in politics and to investigate whether modern digital platforms have lowered the barriers for students to participate in political discourse.
Which scientific method is employed to reach these results?
The study utilizes a qualitative research approach, specifically conducting semi-structured interviews with five students, followed by an analysis using Mayring’s method of inductive category formation.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the literature review on youth interest, the development of the research design and interview guidelines, the data collection procedure, and a detailed analysis of the interview findings.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include political participation, students, social media, youth politics, qualitative research, and digital news consumption.
How does the study explain the perceived lack of student interest in politics?
The study suggests that students are not inherently apolitical; rather, they find standard political structures abstract and intangible, leading them to prefer non-standard, flexible forms of engagement.
What role does social media play according to the study's findings?
While students are critical of social media's credibility, they use these platforms to keep up to date, gain visibility for political causes, and exert pressure on political figures through a "chain reaction" of sharing and reposting.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2021, Students' interest in politics. How do students participate in politics nowadays?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1187783
