In this study, conceptual models of young adult citizenship participation eight years post high school using Putnam's (1993) theory of social capital are tested. This study uses a longitudinal database. Specifically, the models posit that accumulation of more social capital resources during adolescence will be associated with more positive future life expectations related to educational, occupational, and family life outcomes. Subsequently, these more positive future life expectations and social capital resources will be associated with a higher degree of citizenship participation (as measured by voting behavior, community integration and volunteerism) as young adults. Measures from the 1990, 1992 and 2000 waves of the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88) dataset were used. The models were examined using structural equation modeling procedures. Findings indicate that school and community social capital had mixed results regarding their effects on the final outcome variables. Teacher interactions were not found to have a statistically significant direct effect on any of the three citizenship participation outcome variables. But this result should be viewed with caution due to possible measurement problems with the construct of teacher interactions. Peer interactions did have a statistically significant, direct, effect on community integration and volunteerism, but it did not have a direct effect on voting behavior. Participation in extracurricular school activities did have a small, direct, effect on all three outcome variables. Participation in community sports activities had a positive direct effect on community integration, a small negative effect on voting behavior, and no statistically significant effect on volunteerism. Finally, participation in other types of community activities had the largest direct effects on all three citizenship participation outcome variables. The adolescent social capital variables of teacher interactions, peer interactions, and participation in other types of community activities for tenth graders did have positive, direct effects on future life expectations for twelfth graders. Extracurricular activities participation and community sports participation were not found to have an effect on future life expectations. Future life expectations were found to have a very small, but statistically significant, positive, direct effect on all three citizenship participation variables. These findings indicate that some adolescent social capital resources can have positive direct effects on the long term, young adult, educational outcome of citizenship participation. But it varies by type of social capital resource and by the particular aspect of citizenship behavior being measured. / Ph. D.

Since the 1970s all of the available literature suggested that the UK, in common with Europe, North America and Scandinavia, had seen significant growth of single issue self-help/mutual aid groups related to health and social care issues. Yet in the UK there appeared to be no real body of academic interest nor any sustained national policy initiatives. The aim of the study was therefore to enhance an understanding of the relationship of these self-help/mutual aid groups to UK social policy. The study was constructed in two parts. Part One, a historical study critically appraised the way in which the state appeared to have viewed and responded to various manifestations of self help/mutual aid, both pre- and post- the welfare state. Part Two, a case-study of two UK grassroots self-help/mutual aid groups explored members' viewpoints, their reasons for joining, benefits derived and the impact they felt it has had on their lives and their relations with professionals and wider `political' forums. The result of the study suggests a fundamental reframing of the relationship between self-help/mutual aid and the state is required at both a conceptual and practical level by UK policy makers and academics. This would acknowledge: that contemporary self-help/mutual aid groups are part of the broader tradition of voluntary action in the third sector, self-help/mutual aid's unique contribution in terms of social relations, process and knowledge; its difference from philanthropy/formal voluntary sector and therefore distinct characteristics and relations with the-state; and contemporary health and social care groups' potential dual identity with communities of interest and geographic communities and their relationship to and distinction from the contemporary service user and carer movements. 116, findings have implications for policy related to participation (citizen and health), social capital and citizenship.

Several authors have challenged Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as inoperable and technocratic for the issues surrounding water resources known as contemporary water resource politics. As a result, new methods and analytical frameworks have been suggested for IWRM that have been qualified as interdisciplinary water research. Interdisciplinary water research is proposed to be context-based and focused on politics and management. Thus, principles underlying IWRM, such as public participation are gaining more attention because those principles enable sustainable water resource decisions to achieve socio-economic and ecological equity. This exploratory case study examines public participation in IWRM by looking at two villages in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Participatory activities used to incorporate villages into water resource decisions are evaluated at different levels of government up to an international river basin organization known as the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The study uses a critical Third World political ecology perspective to elucidate water resource politics surrounding low levels of participation found among IWRM institutions in Lao PDR. Findings also reveal public participation in water resource decisions is politically complex. The participation of villages in water resource development decisions was related to issues surrounding national policies such as poverty alleviation, land allocations, resettlement, and swidden agriculture. Meanwhile, other types of participation were found in which villages could maintain control over their water interests. The study concludes more research is required surrounding water resource politics to better identify more effective and genuine participation of people whose livelihoods are dependent on water resources.

Several authors have challenged Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as inoperable and technocratic for the issues surrounding water resources known as contemporary water resource politics. As a result, new methods and analytical frameworks have been suggested for IWRM that have been qualified as interdisciplinary water research. Interdisciplinary water research is proposed to be context-based and focused on politics and management. Thus, principles underlying IWRM, such as public participation are gaining more attention because those principles enable sustainable water resource decisions to achieve socio-economic and ecological equity. This exploratory case study examines public participation in IWRM by looking at two villages in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Participatory activities used to incorporate villages into water resource decisions are evaluated at different levels of government up to an international river basin organization known as the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The study uses a critical Third World political ecology perspective to elucidate water resource politics surrounding low levels of participation found among IWRM institutions in Lao PDR. Findings also reveal public participation in water resource decisions is politically complex. The participation of villages in water resource development decisions was related to issues surrounding national policies such as poverty alleviation, land allocations, resettlement, and swidden agriculture. Meanwhile, other types of participation were found in which villages could maintain control over their water interests. The study concludes more research is required surrounding water resource politics to better identify more effective and genuine participation of people whose livelihoods are dependent on water resources.

This thesis explores the ways in which discourses of citizenship are circulated and incorporated into the practice of non-formal educational filmmaking initiatives for young people in London. I utilise an ethnographic approach focusing on young participants, adult facilitators and funders to demonstrate how youth filmmaking facilitates an exploration of abstract conceptions of citizenship with the on-the-ground reality of young peoples’ “practice” as citizens. To provide context for this material, I present both a theoretical overview of the heady yet labile term “citizenship” and a historical narrative of youth filmmaking, particularly in its relationship to wider political economies of funding and youth policy. Although discourses of citizenship in youth filmmaking have changed subtly over time, the youth filmmaking programmes considered here marshal three central conceptions of citizenship; “engagement,” “empowerment” and “belonging.” To explore each of these notions, I draw on case studies to show how these citizenship discourses become operationalised. First, I consider the Reelhood project for young Muslims, which aimed at encouraging “political engagement.” I demonstrate how young people challenge notions of “disengagement” and operate as “justice-oriented” citizens, in contradistinction to the premise of the funding source itself. Second, I use the example of the This is My Story project, amongst other films that dealt with youth violence, to explore discourses of “empowerment.” Using the metaphor of the “shot/reverse shot” sequence, I demonstrate how youth filmmaking projects situate themselves as an alternative to the representation of young people in mainstream press. Finally, I describe the River Lea project in which the sensory and technological processes of filmmaking became a means for young people to “focus in” and attune their sensory and perceptive faculties to the experience of “place-making.” Each of these case studies exhibits how the creative, social and technical processes of filmmaking provide a challenge to or re-interpretation of citizenship discourse.

Across Scotland, there is a lack of research in care homes. This thesis explores this topic by examining links between inclusion, participation in general and participation in research and whether those who work and live in the care home environment experience social citizenship. Using a national survey and interviews with residents, staff, relatives and experts in care home research, this thesis investigated whether participation generally was linked to participation in research for residents, staff and visitors in a care home setting. The thesis further explored how social citizenship functions in a care home environment and whether there is a link between participation and citizenship. The findings suggest there is a lack of general participation which is connected with the leadership style and management within the care homes. There is misunderstanding about research and legislation amongst the care home staff, residents, visitors, as well as the junior research staff which inhibited staff and resident participation. Furthermore, citizenship is not experienced universally by residents or staff due to disempowerment, and exclusion occurs amongst residents due to age, frailty and dementia. By facilitating good leadership, communication and relationship-building such issues may be overcome. In addition, the analysis suggests a link is evident between inclusion, participation and citizenship. Where choice is provided and residents have their social position maintained, as well as have a degree of responsibility for shaping events, this leads to participation and inclusivity as described in Bartlett and O’Connor’s (2010) definition of social citizenship. Furthermore, if inclusion is adapted for cognition and frailty, then participation leads to the experience of social citizenship, encouraging a culture which can welcome research. The explicit emphasis on inclusion and participation in research has enabled this under-researched area of participation and experience of social citizenship in care homes to be more fully explored.

Sebbene la presenza dei figli degli migranti stia assumendo sempre maggior rilievo anche in Italia la ricerca ha posto poca attenzione alle loro scelte di consumo mediale e all’appropriazione dei media come risorse sociali ed ambientali. La tesi si focalizza sul caso delle giovani donne di origine araba per indagare il ruolo giocato dal consumo di notizie nella cornice più complessa dei processi di negoziazione di identità. Un focus è riservato alle tre dimensioni di appartenenze, partecipazione e trasmissione culturale tra generazioni – in relazione alle madri e ai coetanei. Un’indagine, a livello più “macro”, indaga le possibili implicazioni per il dialogo interculturale. Attraverso la raccolta di quarantotto storie di vita un primo livello di analisi diacronico indaga presenza e intensità del consumo di news nelle fasi della vita per comprendere se possa rappresentare un rito di passaggio all’età adulta, mentre una seconda pista cerca di comprendere come esso si leghi alla questione del sentirsi “cittadini”, in termini di riconoscimento, appartenenza e per scoprire se il consumo di news possa diventare una risorsa per essere soggetti attivi nella sfera pubblica. Tutte le giovani donne di origine araba vivono a Milano, hanno tra i diciotto e i trentadue anni e differiscono per le variabili di 1) nascita o arrivo in Italia dopo i 6 anni; 2) attivismo e 3) religiosità (musulmane, copte ortodosse, atee). / Although the presence of migrants’ sons and daughters is gaining more and more importance also in Italy, the research have not given special attention to their choices concerning media consumption and to the appropriation of the media as social and environmental resources. This thesis is focused on the case of young women of Arab origin in order to investigate the intersections between news consumption and the negotiation of the social identity. A first focus is on three dimensions: participation, belonging and cultural transmission – in comparison with mothers and peers. A second “macro” level of the research investigates the implications as regard to intercultural dialogue. Through the collection of forty-eight life histories, a first level of diachronic analysis investigates the presence and the intensity of news consumption in different stages in order to understand if it could be a rite of passage to the adulthood, while a second track tries to understand how this is connected to the feeling of being “citizens”, in terms of identification, belonging and to investigate if news consumption may be a resource to be active citizens in the public sphere. All young women of Arab origin live in Milan, they are between eighteen and thirty-two years old, and differ in variables 1) they were born or arrived in Italy since they were 6 years old, 2) activism and 3) religion (Muslims, Coptic Orthodox or atheists).