Catholic sociability and political practice among young party activists in Propuesta Republicana (PRO)

Abstract

Introduction: This article explores the political socialization and recruitment of young activist in the Argentine party 'Propuesta Republicana' (PRO). It examines the affinities between activists' experiences in volunteering within catholic institutions of Buenos Aires' upper-middle and upper classes and the ways they comprehend and perform party activism in 'PRO'. Matherial and Methods: Our findings are based on fieldwork conducted between 2013 and 2015 in the City of Buenos Aires using qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews, direct observation in party events, and documents and web pages content analysis. Results: The article shows how catholic sociability affects their political engagement and shapes a common ground of action repertoires and interpretative frames used by activists and young party leaders for political action, recruitment and political training of party youth organization members. Discussion: By examining the case of Mauricio Macri's party young activists, this article demonstrates the importance of studying political party's social embeddedness for understanding the practices of its members.