Rodzinne i przyjacielskie sieci społeczne, czyli o mobilizujących i demobilizujących kontekstach aktywności obywatelskiej

Abstract

The answers of scholars concerning the determining factors in social, political and civic activity of individuals are based on different models which explain the reasons why some people are active while others remain passive. The article focuses on the mobilizing model, which analyzes the relationships between individuals and their social environment. The article, therefore, aims to answer the question: do familial and friendship‑oriented social networks affect the engagement of their participants in social and civic activity, and what is the significance of that activity depending on different conditions? The results of a study conducted in Silesia over the past few years allow to conclude that networks which include people who are or used to be active in the public sphere have significant mobilizing potential in comparison to networks which do not include such socially and politically active individuals. The two types of networks referenced above create two different environments for civic socialization, which result in the emergence of significant differences in social attitudes among their members.