Overview

How do young people participate in democratic societies? This book introduces the concept of 'doing society' as a new theory of political action. Focused on Finnish youth, it innovatively blends cutting-edge empirical research with agenda-setting theoretical development. Redefining political action, the authors expand beyond traditional public-sphere, scaling from formal to informal and unconventional modes of engaging. The book captures diverse engagement from memes to social movements, from participatory budgeting to street parties and from sleek politicians to detached people in the margins. In doing so, it provides a holistic view of the ways in which young people participate (or do not participate) in society, and their role in cultural change.

Full Product Details

Author:   Eeva Luhtakallio (University of Helsinki) ,  Veikko Eranti (University of Helsinki) ,  Georg Boldt (University of Helsinki) ,  Maija Jokela (University of Helsinki and Ramboll Finland)
Publisher:   Bristol University Press
Imprint:   Bristol University Press
ISBN:  

9781529239331

ISBN 10:   1529239338
Pages:   224
Publication Date:   17 February 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Doing Society - Veikko Eranti and Eeva Luhtakallio 2. Institutional Participation: Youth Councils and Participatory Budgeting Fostering Better Citizens - Georg Boldt 3. Aspiring Politicians: From Amateur Engagements to Problem Solving - Veikko Eranti and Eeva Luhtakallio 4. Voicing Ideas: Participation Through E-democracy - Veikko Eranti and Georg Boldt 5. Imagining Alone: The Necessity of the Atomized Self among Stigmatized Youth - Taina Meriluoto and Lotta Junnilainen 6. Online Transgressions: Imageboards and Cultural Practices of Anonymous Citizenship - Tuukka Ylä-Anttila and Veikko Eranti 7. Street Party: Urban Individualism and the Culture of Commitment - Maija Jokela 8. Reluctant Rebels: The New Climate Movement and the Individual Activists - Maija Jokela, Jenni Kettunen and Eeva Luhtakallio 9. Conclusions: Cultures of Doing Society - Eeva Luhtakallio and Veikko Eranti Appendix: Mixed Distance Methods and Data - Tuukka Ylä- Anttila, Lotta Junnilainen and Taina Meriluoto

Reviews

“A pathbreaking study that charts remarkable changes in how young people are engaging in democratic political life. A must-read for its profoundly important lessons for scholarship and activism.” Kathleen Blee, University of Pittsburgh “An original contribution to understanding youth participation in doing society, through an extended individualism that is caught between the potentialities of new forms of coordination and ubiquitous risks of burnout.” Laura Centemeri, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Author Information

Eeva Luhtakallio is Professor of Sociology at the University of Helsinki. Veikko Eranti is Assistant Professor of Urban Sociology at the University of Helsinki.

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