Political participation: theory, methodology, and measurement with the help of the Guttman One-Dimension Continuity Scale

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of theory, methodology, and measuring of political participation. The author comparatively scrutinized theoretical problems of genesis, functions, role, and prognosis for the future of this phenomenon in the sociological theory in order to reveal distinguishing characteristics in the existing approaches. Thorough analysis and summarizing of various conceptions relative to political participation, as well as empirical research are offered for the study of transitional society. The definition of political participation, its structure, motivation, main forms and factors, models of stratification in modern conceptions have been comparatively analyzed and systematized as a methodological basis of empirical research. The author elaborated and tested an original approach to the assessment of political participation based on the Guttman one-dimensional continuity scale. Using this approach, the author has calculated the index of political participation (IPP) and constructed four-dimensional model of the political participation stratification in accordance with survey data.