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Published on: May 31, 2019
Political engagement as an element of social recovery: a qualitative study
Sara M Bergstresser1, Isaac S Brown, Amy Colesante
1Department of Anthropology, Boston University, 232 Bay State Rd., Boston, MA 02215, USA. smbergst@gmail.com
Objective:
Taking a qualitative approach, this study sought to describe consumer attitudes toward political participation and the association between political engagement and social recovery.
Methods:
This study used data from seven focus groups of self-identified consumers of mental health services in the New York City area (N=52). Attitudes and behaviors related to voting and other forms of political engagement were identified and classified according to grounded theory, with a focus on the relationship between political engagement and broader social functioning, participation, and recovery.
Results:
Participants described the symbolic meaning of voting and political participation in terms of connection to social inclusion versus exclusion. Participants described political participation as a component of empowerment for minority groups in general, including persons who use mental health services and those from racial-ethnic minority groups.
Conclusions:
Qualitative studies of the symbolic meanings of political participation are an important component of understanding the broad yet interconnected dimensions of social recovery.
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