Even politically engaged volunteer groups avoid discussing the substance of public issues

Evidence

Vote B for Substance Free did try a political route, trying to increase taxes for more prisons, police, and some social services, so it might seem strange that I call it a ‘‘volunteer group.’’ But the group never discussed the issue as a group, so when I asked members, in the group interview, why they were involved in this issue, members chuckled and said, ‘‘We’ve never really talked about that,’’ and thanked me afterward, saying that they were glad someone gave them the chance to sit down and finally talk about it. The League of Women Voters similarly avoided publicly minded debate; for example, even in their pre-election meetings, they discussed politicians’ strategies, but never discussed the merits of the politicians’ political programs. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 213

Categorization

• SEED: Article angle: ‘When Grassroots Democracy Doesn’t Talk’ — why groups formed to act on issues systematically never discuss the issues themselves, and what that does to democratic citizenship.
• XREF: connects to: Volunteer-style charity work forfeits the power to define public issues — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 137; Volunteers silence political problems to keep the empowering feeling alive — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 182; Volunteers themselves restrict political talk to preserve their civic faith — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 192 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Skilled, organized volunteers fall silent precisely when divisive topics arise in meetings. #corroborates (0.95) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 96
• Volunteer groups suppress political talk even though members privately care #corroborates (0.90) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 192
• Volunteer groups lack respect for open-ended discussion of unresolved issues #corroborates (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 221
• Volunteer groups suppress politically troubling topics to protect group cheer #corroborates (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 96
• Volunteers welcomed structured political discussion despite avoiding it informally. #contradicts (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 100
• Civic volunteers suppress political worry publicly despite private obsession with it #corroborates (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 285
• Volunteers suppress principled political talk because it seems unseemly #exemplifies (0.80) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 276
• Volunteers suppress political talk because it would sink their feeling of empowerment #expands (0.80)
• Avoiding political talk is cultural convention, not natural human urge. #expands (0.75) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 101
• Activists avoid family planning because it is politically charged #exemplifies (0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2891