Education, working life and political participation: Opportunities for an inclusive transformation

Objective

Digitalisation, automation and demographic and socio-ecological change are currently fundamentally changing the world of work, creating considerable uncertainty for many employees. The project examines the extent to which these transformation processes are shaping political attitudes and behaviour. Particular attention is paid to the specific ways in which occupationally and socially disadvantaged groups are affected and to the role of education, skills and further education as possible protective factors.

Background

Increasing political polarisation and the spread of anti-democratic attitudes can be observed in many democracies. Initial studies indicate that economic and work-related insecurities can shape political attitudes and behaviour. Against this background, it can be assumed that the current changes in the world of work, which are associated with increasingly uncertain career prospects for many employees, have an impact on political attitudes and political behaviour. This could apply in particular to low-skilled workers, people with a migration background, older employees and women with children, who are disproportionately affected by the transformation processes. So far, however, little is known about the specific role of transformation experiences in working life in this context and how their effects develop over time. This is where the BEPoCiT project comes in and investigates the extent to which transformation experiences in working life contribute to shaping political attitudes and political behaviour, which groups of employees are particularly affected and to what extent education, skills and further education can potentially mitigate negative consequences.

Approach and methods

The project uses longitudinal data to analyse developments and differences between different groups of employees over time. Statistical methods are used to analyse possible causal relationships in a differentiated manner. By linking information at individual, company and regional level, the project enables a comprehensive analysis of the political consequences of transformation experiences in working life.