Young Citizens and Political Participation in a Digital Society

Philippa Collin is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Culture and Society, University of Western Sydney and a Research Program Leader of the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, Australia.

"This book gives a much needed insight into youth political identities and an overview of some of the organisations in Australia and the UK ... . written in an accessible, jargon-free way ensures this book will be of interest and use to a wide audience. ... book greatly added to my knowledge and made me reflect on my own practices as a youth worker and academic and would be of interest to an international audience of academics, practitioners and policy-makers." (Lisa Whittaker, Children's Geographies, Vol. 13, 2015) 'Young Citizens and Participation in a Digital Society is an important and very timely contribution to a question that lies at the heart of our democratic malaise. Collin draws upon a vast literature to unmask the illusions, the contradictions and the speculative commentaries that have dogged serious discourse on young people's political and civic participation.' - Eric Sidoti, University of Western Sydney, Australia 'This book challenges traditional institutions to respond to broader processes of social and cultural change that young people are experiencing, asking whether they can adapt and change; while also reiterating that young people's political need to achieve consensus may mean elite power is increasingly being left unquestioned.' - Ariadne Vromen, University of Sydney, Australia 'A litmus test for excellent research in the area of citizenship and youth should be the reflexivity, depth and breadth of its empirical and theoretical engagement with young people and the social interests, environments and policies which structure or inflect their lives. Collin's perceptive and critical book passes this test, offering valuable solutions to the disconnect between young people and institutional governance in the UK and Australia.' - Shakuntala Banaji, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK 'Collin has drawn upon research undertaken in the UK and Australia to bring to life how young people are turning to new social practices with digital media as a way of 'being political'. As a result she suggests that we need to think differently about how we conceptualise young people's engagement with citizenship and democracy. This is an excellent book and will, I am sure, actively engage students in areas such as the sociology of youth, cultural studies and politics.' - Professor Alan France, University of Auckland, New Zealand

• Introduction: Young People, Participation and Digital Media 1. Conceptualising Young Citizens 2. Cultivating Good Citizens: Youth Participation Policies in Context 3. Civic Organisations in Context 4. Youth Perspectives on Participation 5. Mediated Participation 6. Addressing the Democratic Disconnect: Promoting Pluralism and Engaging with the Politics of the Ordinary