Is Online Participation Distinct from Offline Participation? A Latent Class Analysis of Participation Types and Their Stratification
Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The increased availability of the Internet has led to the emergence of new forms of political participation. Opinions differ, however, on whether this has led to a reinforcement of stratification patterns or to the political mobilization of new groups in society. To address this question, the authors conducted a latent class analysis of a U.S. representative sample that indicates that online activism is indeed a distinctive type of political participation. Analysis of the sociodemographic stratification of the identified participation types confirms the mobilization thesis regarding age and gender but finds that traditional socioeconomic status inequalities are reinforced in online political participation.
Source: Political Research Quarterly
Authors: Jennifer Oser, Marc Hooghe, Sofie Marien
Institutions: Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, KU Leuven
Language: English
Topic: Social Media and Politics
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2079445663