Dorothy Manevich (APRW)

This Week's Speaker

Dorothy Manevich, "Social Compatibility and Political Participation"

Abstract

As activists go through a campaign, they are constantly making decisions about the scope of their participation. They choose how often to engage, who to engage with, and which activities to engage in. In canonical models of political participation, these decisions are driven by resources, interest and organizational networks. In this paper, I argue that activists also consider social risk when making decisions about how to participate. Contrary to existing literature, I show that a more risky social context does not necessarily lead to less participation. It can also lead to more selective participation as activists seek to limit negative experiences and protect their relationships and social standing. I present results from an original survey experiment and two rounds of interviews with Democratic activists in Ohio that show activists have a tendency toward activity and audience switching in response to anticipated negative social experiences.

The American Politics Research Workshop (Gov 3004) meets all academic year, Tuesdays, 12:00 - 2:00 PM, in CGIS K354. This workshop presents an opportunity for graduate students and Harvard faculty to present and receive feedback on their current research. The workshop highlights key theoretical and empirical findings from Harvard affiliates on topics related to American politics.

All interested Harvard affiliates are invited to attend.