Political disengagement is socially produced in conversation, not just held in beliefs

Evidence

The illustrations I use to make this article’s theoretical point come from a study that examined how political disengagement was socially produced in interaction, and was not just a by-product of inner'' beliefs or outer” structural conditions. I spent over two years from 1989^1991 as a participant-observer in a range of groups in U.S. civil society: two recreational groups, both at a country-western dance club and fraternal organization; and a network of volunteer groups, including, with most intensive scrutiny, and anti-drugs groups and a PTAstyle organization; and two activist groups ^ an anti-toxics group and a disarmament group. I picked these groups because advocates of democracy have long looked to groups that work on small, local issues as potential schools for wider political concern; I wanted to know what happened within these groups that evoked, or curtailed, public concern for the greater good. Of course, I did not expect these groups to devote much time to publicly-minded political discussion (which I de¢ne not as a topic but as a style of talking that implies connection to the wider world), but I was interested in whether and how political conversation ever happened, and whether groups seemed actively to avoid political conversation. — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 30

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘publicly-minded political discussion’ as a style implying connection to the wider world, not merely a topic — an analytic tool central to the whole study.
• XREF: The claims that small local groups might be ‘schools for wider political concern’ intersect directly with the reader’s research on positive shared projects as solidarity schools. — connects to: Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 97; Future-oriented discourse evades present political participation; Activists switch to depoliticized language when speaking in public. — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 118 (+9 more)

Related

• Political concern exists but is silenced by informal etiquette in group contexts. (similarity 0.88)
• Citizens express political ideas privately yet avoid public political engagement (similarity 0.88)
• Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief (similarity 0.87)
• People voice political opinions privately but suppress them in group settings. (similarity 0.86)
• Public speaking contexts actively shrink citizens’ circles of concern (similarity 0.85)
• Volunteers welcomed structured political discussion despite avoiding it informally. (similarity 0.83)
• Civic understanding grows in face-to-face talk rather than inside individuals. (similarity 0.83)
• Volunteer groups suppress political talk even though members privately care (similarity 0.83)
• Avoiding political talk is cultural convention, not natural human urge. (similarity 0.83)
• Public-spiritedness diminishes as expression moves from backstage to frontstage. (similarity 0.83)
• Activists switch to depoliticized language when speaking in public. (similarity 0.83)
• Activists suppress their systemic political analyses when speaking publicly. (similarity 0.83)
• Believing public talk is powerless makes volunteers feel powerless. (similarity 0.83)
• Volunteers themselves restrict political talk to preserve their civic faith (similarity 0.82)
• Volunteers collectively redirected each other’s political criticisms into private moods rather than public problems. (similarity 0.82)

Broader Connections

• Political expression is switched on and off by group context rather than individual belief #corroborates (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 97
• Everyday political avoidance is active communicative work, not mere apathy #expands (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 1
• Activists switch to depoliticized language when speaking in public. #exemplifies (0.80) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 118
• Citizens jointly create contexts for political conversation through civic practices #expands (0.78) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 186
• Framing talk as fact-exchange makes political conversation feel intimidating and pointless. #qualifies (0.75) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1013
• Discussing prejudiced views with likeminded peers intensifies rather than moderates them. #exemplifies (0.75)
• Future-oriented discourse evades present political participation #complicates (0.72)