All political systems have their quota of dissidents, cynics and the apathetic who, rather than trying to change the structures of oppression, opt to withdraw from them. The phenomena associated with such withdrawal include political migration, secession, second economy activity, counterculture movements and departicipation from political activity and voting. ‘Disengagement’ boldly claims to provide a single unifying concept to embrace them all. Following an assessment of its use within different paradigms, common problems of defining the boundaries of disengagement are considered. Finally a tentative typology is offered.
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