In the presentation we are referring to the analysis of a few variables of three national databases (Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia) of a recently completed international survey study (MYPLACE project). Empirically, MYPLACE employs a combination of survey, interview and ethnographic research instruments to provide new, pan-European data that not only measure levels of participation but capture the meaning young people attach to it.

Flyvbjerg (2006) contrasts ‘random selection’ with ‘information oriented selection’ where the former delivers representativeness and generalizability and the latter allows small samples to be theoretically productive through the careful selection of contrasting cases or ‘critical cases’.