Sociology of grass roots politics

Democracy implies participation. The, Sociology of Grass Roots Politics gives a 'systematic exposition of the importance of
grass roots participation for the maintenance and development of democracy, and ,highlights the problems posed for democracy
by political apathy. This is achieved by combining a rigorous sociological analysis of the membership of political parties with an
original and challenging theoretical perspective. As a study of party membership, the book is a major contribution to a field
of study in which there is little published British work.
The empirical evidence of the book is based on a survey of225 party members and electors in Liverpool. Such factors as the social
'backgrounds of party members, their social and political attitudes, their readership of newspapers, their political and voluntary
association activities are described and related to each other through the application of an .innovatory methodological approach. The :findings are related to an extensive body of British, European and American research studies.
The theoretical perspective is that of the theory of mass society, a theory with a long and rich intellectual history, but one that
has been paid scant attention in.British political sociology. Refined to take into account recent theoretical developments' in
sociology and politics, the theory is stated in concise and lucid terms. Its relevance is made apparent not only for a sociological
understanding of grass roots politics, but also to practical issues of contemporary politics. The theoretical argument of the
book, supported by the evidence of the survey in addition to its contribution to theoretical political sociology, has implications for wider questions of . democratic theory.
For its substantive findings, theoretical discussion and methodological approach the book is of interest to both sociologists and
political scientists. It provides food for thought for all those who are concerned with politics and the problems of democracy.