Routledge Framing Civic Engagement, Political Participation and Active Citizenship in Europe

This book evaluates the role that civic engagement, political participation and active citizenship can play in promoting the establishment of a European polity. The chapters included here examine how the practice of active citizenship is managed and constructed in the context of a European drive to increase civic engagement and political participation in three member states (Portugal, Italy and the UK) and one accession country (Turkey). Looking at both processes and policies promoting active citizenship at the European and national levels, this book uncovers current discourses as well as political priorities and values that surround the activities of non- governmental organizations (NGOs). Of particular interest are debates about the nature and level of civic and political participation and engagement of marginal groups (women, youths, migrants and minorities) as they are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion. The book focuses on the interaction between institutions and civil society actors, addressing a number of questions related to their reciprocal role in influencing, shaping, criticising or disregarding certain political priorities. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Civil Society. About the Author Cristiano Bee is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Surrey (UK) where he holds the Jean Monnet Module ‘Current trends in European Integration Studies: Beyond the Eurocrisis’. From 2015, he will be a Marie Curie Fellow at the Institute of European Studies of Bilgi University (Turkey). His research focuses on the analysis of institutional communication models, active citizenship practices and public sphere development. Roberta Guerrina is a Reader in Politics at the University of Surrey. She is a European policy analyst with a particular interest in European social policy, citizenship policy and gender equality. She has published in the area of women’s human rights, work-life balance, identity politics and the idea of Europe. She is author of Mothering the Union (Manchester University Press) and Europe: History, Ideas and Ideologies (Arnold).