Challenges for European democracies have increased in recent years. This concerns not only a mistrust in institutions among parts of the population, which fuels populist movements, but also an increasing social stratification of political engagement: A variety of inequalities—socioeconomic; gender-specific; disability- and age-related; spatial; and ethnic—are reflected in political inequalities. The fact that social groups can represent their interests with varying degrees of effectiveness ultimately conflicts with the principle of equality, which is central to democracies.
The transnational research project “Involve – for trustful, participatory and inclusive public policies”, funded by the European Union for four years since the beginning of 2023, aims to develop strategies to promote the political participation of socially excluded citizens or those at risk of exclusion. The project focuses on social services, which welfare states use to respond to people's needs. On the one hand, it is those who are particularly dependent on these government measures who participate the least in politics. On the other hand, the project assumes that the way in which social services are provided influences trust in democratic institutions and satisfaction with and participation in democracy.
Based on new theoretical concepts and empirical research, Involve aims to contribute to making social services more inclusive, trust-building, and participatory. The project consortium consists of partners in nine European countries, the research covers different areas of social services.
Involve’s research in Germany is carried of by a team at SOFI and focuses on services in the areas of education and work for socially disadvantaged young adults. The research is being conducted in cooperation with two educational institutions that offer activation assistance for young people (SGB II) on behalf of Jobcenters and local authorities. They are located in a small town in Hesse and a large city in Lower Saxony. Our research shall contribute to the following questions: What experiences do young adults have with these measures? How do these measures change their aspirations and choices, as well as their ability and willingness to participate actively in democratic processes? How could the perspectives and knowledge of service users be incorporated more strongly into the formulation and design of policy approaches that affect them as a group?
More information on the overall project, including the project partners from other countries, can be found on the project website: https://involve-democracy.eu/.
