New Books in Critical Theory Joe Greenwood-Hau," Capital, Privilege and Political Participation" (Liverpool UP, 2025)
Nov 26, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Joe Greenwood-Hau, a Lecturer at the John Smith Centre, University of Glasgow, delves into his book on how economic, social, and cultural capital influence political participation. He defines participation beyond voting, highlighting various engagement types. Joe uncovers patterns showing that privilege shapes activism and explains the contradictions in how individuals perceive inequality. He emphasizes practical steps like civic education to enhance engagement and advocates for structural changes to bridge participation gaps.
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Personal Path To The Research
- Joe Greenwood-Hau frames his research from personal experience of political campaigning and curiosity about who volunteers.
- He pursued graduate study to test why some social groups participate and others don't.
Broad Definition Of Participation
- Greenwood-Hau uses a broad, workable definition of political participation across six activity types.
- He includes individualized acts, contacting, collective acts, charity/volunteering, donating and voting.
Privilege Reproduced By Capitals
- The book links unearned structural privilege to stocks of economic, social and cultural capital.
- These capitals both reflect privilege and help reproduce it across generations.
