(pm) PIDOP is a multinational research project funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme. The project is examining the processes which influence democratic ownership and participation in eight European states – Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Sweden.

The project is drawing on the disciplines of Psychology, Politics, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Policy and Education to examine macro-level contextual factors (including historical, political, electoral, economic and policy factors), proximal social factors (including familial, educational and media factors) and psychological factors (including motivational, cognitive, attitudinal and identity factors) which facilitate and/or inhibit civic and political engagement and participation.

A distinctive focus of the project is the psychology of the individual citizen and the psychological processes through which macro-level contextual factors and proximal social factors exert their effects upon citizens’ civic and political engagement and participation.

Young people, women, minorities and migrants are being examined as four specific groups at risk of political disengagement. The research is exploring the differences as well as the overlap between civic and political engagement, and both direct and representative participation.

As part of the project, a multi-level process model of civic and political engagement and participation is being constructed to explain how and why different forms and interpretations of democratic ownership and participation develop or are hampered among citizens living in different European countries and contexts.

Particular attention is being paid to relevant phenomena at regional, national and EU levels. Stakeholders at all three levels are involved in the work to ensure that the research addresses issues which are of concern to them and to ensure that the policy implications and recommendations which emerge from the research are relevant to their needs.

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