ABSTRACT
This chapter considers remix as a form of participation at a time when the infrastructures and skills associated with participatory culture are inspiring new kinds of civic engagement and political participation. Participatory practices, such as appropriation and remix, have moved from the periphery to become increasingly central to the ways that American politics operate. All cultures are participatory, but different cultures invite or facilitate different degrees of participation. The Media, Activism, and Participatory Politics group at the University of Southern California has developed ethnographic case studies of groups, organizations, and networks that have been particularly effective at getting youth involved in the political process. The practices of participatory politics have proven most effective when they offer clear templates for what a desired contribution might look like while also remaining open-ended enough for many different groups and individuals to insert their own voice in the process.
