The Children, Young People and their Communities (CYPC) program of Research
for Educational Impact (REDI) - Deakin University’s Strategic Research Centre in
Education - proudly presents:
Dr Maria Grasso
University of Sheffield
Party membership, attitudes to political parties and
social movement involvement
Date & Time : Wednesday 14 December, 10:00am to 11:30am
Location: Burwood Corporate Centre, Deakin University
Abstract: Recentlytherehavebeenseveralattemptsbywell-knownscholarstobridgetheliteratureon
protestpoliticswiththatoncleavagepoliticsandelectoralparticipationandto“bringcapitalismbackin”to
socialmovementstudies.Politicalparties,andparticularlythoseontheLeft,canbeseenasthenatural
alliesofsocialmovements.However,insomecontexts,theycouldalsobecomeenemies.Inthispaper,we
buildontheseinsightsbyexaminingtheindividual-leveldynamicslinkingpartymembershipwithsocial
movementactivismofdifferentkinds.Weexaminetheextenttowhichactivistsaredifferentiatedbytheir
partyaffiliationsandideologicalvalue-sets,theextenttowhichtheyparticipateinordertopressurefor
changethroughestablishedpoliticalchannels,aswellasexaminingtheothertypesofassociational
organisationsthatpartymemberactiviststendtogetinvolvedinandtowhatextent.Moreover,we
examinethepoliticalparticipationofpartymembersandtheextenttowhichtheyaremorelikelytoprefer
institutionaltoextrainstitutionalmeansofinvolvement.Finally,weexaminethewaysinwhichactivist
partymembersrelatetootherpoliticalinstitutions,theirpoliticaltrustandpoliticalefficacy.Weapply
randominterceptmodelsandcontrolforkeysocio-demographiccharacteristicstoexaminetherelative
importanceofdifferenttypesoffactorsforpartymembers’viewsandlevelsofinvolvement.Wealsocontrol
forkeyfeaturesofthepoliticalsystemthatvarybetweencountriesaswellasanalysingtheextenttowhich
thesefeaturesmediatetheindividualleveleffects.
Routledge.
DrMariaGrassojoinedtheDepartmentofPoliticsattheUniversityofSheffieldasa
LecturerinPoliticsandQuantitativeMethodsinSeptember2011.Shereceivedher
doctoratefromNuffieldCollegeandtheUniversityofOxfordinJune2011.DrGrasso's
researchfocusesonpoliticalbehaviourandsocialchange,theimportanceofpolitical
generationsandformativeexperiencesindiversehistoricalcontexts,andtheshiftfrom
traditionalmeansofpoliticalparticipationrelatingtoparties,electoralpoliticsandleft-right
conflict,tomorediffuseandirregularformsofinvolvementsuchasdemonstrations,issue
campaignsandconsumerboycotts.Heracademicworkdealsprimarilywithquantitative
researchandstatisticalanalysisofcross-nationalsurveysonpoliticalattitudesand
behaviour.
Dr Grasso is the Deputy Editor for Western Europe of Mobilization. Her new book,
Generations,PoliticalParticipationandSocialChangeinWesternEuropeisavailablethrough
The seminar will be followed by a morning tea. Please RSVP to [email protected]