New Books in Sociology Joe Greenwood-Hau," Capital, Privilege and Political Participation" (Liverpool UP, 2025)
Nov 26, 2025
Joe Greenwood-Hau, a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, delves into how economic, social, and cultural capital influences political participation. He shares insights from his research, discussing how privilege shapes who gets involved in politics and who doesn't. Greenwood-Hau categorizes political participation into various acts, linking them to different types of capital. He explores public perceptions of privilege and the discomfort many feel in acknowledging it, while advocating for broader structural changes to enhance political engagement.
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Political Upbringing Sparked The Research
- Joe Greenwood-Hau grew up in a political household and worked in campaigning organizations, which sparked his research question about who participates in politics.
- He noticed campaigns only attracted certain types of volunteers and wanted space to investigate why that happened.
A Broad, Workable Definition Of Participation
- Greenwood-Hau defines political participation broadly across six categories: individualized acts, contacting acts, collective acts, charitable acts, volunteering/donating, and voting.
- He uses this workable typology to study many forms of political engagement beyond just voting.
Capital Reproduces Structural Privilege
- Greenwood-Hau links unearned structural privilege to stocks of economic, social and cultural capital that both reflect and reproduce position in society.
- Capitals act as mechanisms that sustain advantage across generations and shape political participation opportunities.
