Youth Activists in the Age of Postmodern Globalization: Notes from an Ongoing Project. Chapin Hall Working Paper

Concerns about declining political participation in the United States have once again raised the question of how young people get involved in politics. This project focuses on engaged youths and explores the personal trajectories, people and institutions that encouraged them to become engaged with their communities. The report also discusses how they define themselves, their activism, their concerns, their style of politics, and their political ideals. In-depth interviews were conducted with young people in Chicago, who were identified by directors of community organizations as the most engaged youths in their civic engagement projects. Most youth interviewed have a parent who respects them and listens to their ideas, and are involved in community and school organizations that provide opportunities for engagement. The young people have a keen sense of themselves as youths, even as other social identities such as race, nationality and gender play a role in their sense of self. Combating the negative stereotypes of youth, in particular the stereotypes of Latinos and African Americans, is central to their political activism, since they feel that such stereotypes can silence their political voices. Even though the youth are aware of the world around them, their politics are grounded in local issues, particularly education. They seek equal opportunities for themselves and their communities. They strive to be informed and their political style is one that respects others' points of view. They hope for a more inclusive, less corrupt government that uses its resources to help others, and a society that includes the voices of youth in meaningful ways. [A version of this paper will also appear in a special issue of "Children, Youth and Environmentalists, Pushing the Boundaries: Critical International Perspectives on Child and Youth Participation," Volume 17, Number 2. Edited by Roger Hart and Caitlin Cahill.]