Enhancing agency through information: A phenomenographic exploration of young people's political information experiences

Lauren Smith,David Mcmenemy

doi:10.1002/pra2.2016.14505301053

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of research into young people's experiences of political information. We used a phenomenographic approach to identify variations in experiences of political information. The research explores how young people use information and technology to mediate political information to develop knowledge to become informed citizens. It focuses on how processes of discovery, production, retrieval, manipulation, dissemination, use, and evaluation of information are utilised in different ways by young people through a range of information behaviour techniques. 23 interviews and 3 focus groups were conducted with pupils aged 14-15 at a secondary school in England. The interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcripts and notes taken during the data collection sessions formed the data for analysis. Phenomenographic analysis was carried out, utilising manual coding and NVivo software. A phenomenographic outcome space represents the six qualitatively different ways in which the participants experienced political information, and identifies a range of political information sources, including social media and online news sources, which inform young people's political knowledge and attitudes. The outcome space illustrates the differences in ways young people experience political information and suggests potential for development to more complex ways of understanding the information they encounter. This represents a contribution to understanding the variation in information experiences and is of theoretical and practical value.

Highlights

This paper addresses one of the questions from a larger doctoral research project: In what qualitatively different ways do young people conceive of the sources of information which influence their political opinions and worldviews? Access to and good use of information is crucial to meaningful engagement in political processes and other forms of democratic engagement
It should be emphasised that the categories of description within an outcome space do not represent the experience of specific and identifiable individuals, but are formations of characteristics identified in the analysis of the data from the participant group as a whole, and describe one way of experiencing political information
The phenomenographic analysis of the focus group and interview transcripts identified six qualitatively different ways in which political information is experienced by young people

Summary

Introduction

This paper addresses one of the questions from a larger doctoral research project: In what qualitatively different ways do young people conceive of the sources of information which influence their political opinions and worldviews? Access to and good use of information is crucial to meaningful engagement in political processes and other forms of democratic engagement. Little is known about the differing needs of citizens relating to political information rather than information in general, and even less is known about the needs of young people, whose experiences of political information at a formative age may influence their later engagement with political processes. Through identifying the different ways in which young people conceive of and experience political information sources, this study addresses that gap in knowledge. Manning and Edwards (2013), for example, argue that a normative conception of political participation has resulted in the perception of young people as politically apathetic, when they are engaged in non-normative forms of participation, suggesting that “the discourse of youth apathy holds the institutions of this narrow regulatory model of politics as its focus, as ‘real politics’. If young people lack knowledge and interest in electoral politics, they are deemed to be lacking knowledge and interest in politics.”

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