Youth Political Participation in Greece: A Multiple Methods Perspective

The overarching aim of this edited volume is to investigate different modes, patterns and determinants of youth political participation in Greece, since the economic crisis, by incorporating a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods. The chapters examine different forms of youth political participation, from institutionalized (such as voting, or membership in political parties) to non-institutionalized (such as signing petitions, protesting through demonstrations or occupations, and political consumerism). Moreover, the chapters shed light on diverse aspects of youth political participation, such as the interlinkages between occupational precarity and political behaviour, the spatial portrait of youth political engagement in rural, suburban and urban Greek contexts, the engendered aspects of political involvement, the pivotal role of protest events in youth political socialization and in mobilization in contentious political actions, the different impacts of priming inequality on youth’s political beliefs, depending on different modes of thinking, as well as the key features of youth-related and youth-led (non-state) organisations operating in Greece. The aforementioned aspects are examined at the micro, meso or/and macro level through distinct methodological approaches including panel survey, experimental survey, biographical interviews, in-depth interviews and action organization analysis, carried out in the context of the EURYKA (European Commission) project. 

“This volume shines a light on the vitality of Greek young people's political participation, including in institutional and protest politics. Using a variety of methods, and offering important comparisons between Greek youth and young people in eight other European nations, this book offers a remarkably vivid empirical portrait of the challenges and resilience of Greek youth. This is a critical work for scholars interested in the variety of young people’s political experiences in Europe today.”

—Jennifer Earl, Professor of Sociology & (by courtesy) Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona, USA

“This book provides the first comprehensive account on the changing nature of youth political participation in Greece, with the use of an extensive material and a multi methods perspective. It comes at exactly the right time, when talk about youth political participation in Greece is everywhere, with scarce until now evidence regarding itsmodes, patterns and direction.”

—Manina Kakepaki, Principal Researcher, Institute of Political Research, National Centre for Social Research, Greece

“This book is a must read for any academic, practitioner or organization interested in Greek youth’s political engagement. It provides with a comprehensive overview of the forms, patters, and recent changes in youth participation in the aftermath of the Great Recession. In doing so it uses an exemplary diverse array of methodologies and examines the circumstances in which young people relate to politics at the micro, meso and macro levels. I highly recommend it!”

— Gema García Albacete, Associate Professor at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and research fellow at the IC3JM, Spain

Stefania Kalogeraki is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Crete, Greece.

Maria Kousis is Professor of Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of Crete, Greece.