1st Edition
Societal Pessimism A Study of its Conceptualization, Causes, Correlates and Consequences
By Eefje Steenvoorden
Copyright 2016
224 Pages
by
Netherlands Institute for Social Research
This book uses empirical and theoretical enquiry to investigate the origins and prevalence of societal pessimism. Pessimism about the future of society has infiltrated Western political and public debates. However, there has been little scientific enquiry into these attitudes. Part I reveals how people describe their concerns in their own words. Part II explores differences in societal pessimism,... Read more
CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1 A study of a neglected phenomenon 1.2 The individual concern about the state of society: three main questions 1.3 Scientific and societal relevance 1.4 Methods, data and cases 1.5 Overview of the book CHAPTER 2 A theoretical disentangling of the concern about society CHAPTER 3 The empirical validity of societal unease and societal pessimism CHAPTER 4 Expressions of societal unease and societal pessimism CHAPTER 5 Continent of pessimism or continent of realism? The impact of the political and economic context on societal pessimism in Europe 2006-2021 CHAPTER6 When our country was still our country. Explaining support for Populist Radical Right parties with societal pessimism CHAPTER 7 One of a kind, or all of a kind? Groups of participants and their distinctive outlook on society CHAPTER 8 Explaining identity complexity. Sociotropic uncertainty and political-geographic identification in Europe CHAPTER 9 Conclusions and discussion.
Biography
Eefje Steenvoorden
