Emotional factors as determinants of political participation: A qualitative study of youth in Antalya, Turkey

The aim of this study is to analyze the emotional factors affecting the different forms of political participation of Turkish youth. The Turkish youth included in this study are aged between eighteen and thirty-five, they reside in three central municipalities of Antalya (Konyaaltı, Muratpaşa and Kepez), and they are either a party member or not. Qualitative research methods, especially in-depth interviews, are used in the study to evaluate the impact of emotional factors on the forms of political participation. Political participation forms are examined in two categories as conventional political participation and non-conventional/alternative political participation. Antalya and its three central municipalities were selected by convenient sampling method to control for contextual factors. In-depth and group interviews were used to collect data. Thirty-five people, eighteen of whom are party members and seventeen of whom are not members of political parties, participated in the study. The findings of the study show that positive emotional factors are effective in party members' preference for conventional political participation methods such as attending party rallies, taking roles in youth wings and participating in civil society activities. On the other hand, the non-members' preferences on conventional and unconventional modes are affected by the level of feeling of positive and negative emotional factors. Other factors that are focused apart from emotional factors are the number and effectiveness of peer relationships, alienation, problem-focused motivations, socio-economic status, and perception of civic duty.