Brusselse jongeren in het verenigingsleven.

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the social participation among Brussels youth (=pupils enrolled in Flemish secondary education in Brussels).
Following topics are examined:
– An examination of the overall participation level (where possible with an analysis of the differences with pupils from Flanders)
– An examination of the profile of the participating youngster – An examination of the types of participation that succeed in engaging young people in Brussels
– A test of the contact hypothesis: Are immigrant young people more tolerant towards other cultures if they participate in ethnic heterogeneous social organisations.

Methods: this study uses the JOP-Brussels data. However, in order to compare with the overall youth in Flanders, the authors also use the JOP-monitor 2 data.

Results:
– Overall participation: o 11,5% of the Brussels youth has never participated in a social organisation.
o 65,4% of the Brussels youth participates (active or passive) at the time of the survey in a social organisation.
o Sport organisations are the most popular among Brussels youth. o Overall, young people in Brussels participate less in social organisations compared to the Flemish youth.
– The social profile of the participating youngster:
o Autochthonous young people participate more compared to immigrant young people.
o Muslim immigrant young people participate less compared to autochthonous young people and non-Muslim young people.
o Overall, young people living in Brussels and going to school in Brussels participate less in social organisations.
– Factors leading towards social participation:
o Among autochthonous youth: General educational track, high-educated parents
o Among Muslims: high-educated parents, gender (boys participate more)
o Among non-Muslim immigrants: General educational track – Types of social organisations:
o Social organisations about sports and hobby’s attain young people from different social backgrounds.
o Social organisations about youth (e.i. scouts) attain in particular autochthonous young people
– Contact hypothesis: the effect of the engagement in social organisations on social tolerance depends on the type of organisations. Only the participation in social organisations about peace and poverty (11.11.11) relates to high social tolerance.

Conclusion: Young people in Brussels participate less in social organisations compared to young People from Flanders. Muslim youth participate the least. Social background en educational track seems to be less important among Muslim youth to explain the social participation. However, among non-Muslim youth, educational track and the job status of the parents is a strong predictor of social participation. Organisations aimed at sports, hobbies and social topics like poverty and peace obtain the highest democratic reach. Finally, the engagement in social organisations about poverty and peace seems to have an effect on social tolerance; young people in these social organisations score less on ethnocentrism.