“These Are the Very Small Things That Lead Us to That Goal”: Youth Climate Strike Organizers Talk about Activism Empowering and Taxing Experiences

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face, and the Fridays for Future wave of protests is unique both in its youth character and global reach. However, still not enough is known about how young activists experience their involvement and how the experience of climate activism connects to their personal development and psychological well-being. To gain an enhanced understanding of this issue, we conducted a qualitative study based on eight in-depth interviews with individuals deeply involved in the Youth Climate Strike in Poland. We analyzed the interviews using a rigorous multi-stage thematic analysis. Results showed that the empowering aspects of activism were associated with a heightened sense of agency, a sense of belonging to a community, a sense of duty and ethical integrity, of finding one's voice and learning new skills, and a sense of personal growth. Activists also indicated aggravating aspects of involvement, such as involving the struggle for balance between activism and other spheres of life, overwork, and conflicts within a peer group. In conclusion, in contrast to the pressing nature of the climate change conundrum, climate activism is often experienced by its young participants as a mostly empowering experience.

“Vamos fazer-nos ouvir”

“…No entanto, este estudo teve limitações decorrente do contexto pandémico, tendo sido possível, ainda assim, pô-lo em prática durante 12 sessões, o que impôs algumas limitações no aprofundamento das questões ambientais dos GIAA. Contudo, as análises dos resultados revelaram que o impacto desta experiência de participação e de ativismo das crianças teve aspetos empoderadores na sua consciencialização ambiental e na sua agência ambiental (Budziszewska & Głód, 2021;Reis, 2021).…”

Perubahan Iklim: Pengetahuan Pedagogi Isi Kandungan Guru Sains di Sekolah Menengah

“…Kajian yang dijalankan menunjukkan bahawa golongan muda tidak berminat untuk menangani masalah berkaitan perubahan iklim malah dilihat kurang pengetahuan dan motivasi berbanding golongan dewasa (Flora et al, 2014). Namun dalam satu kajian yang lain mendapati bahawa kepemimpinan melalui aktivisme pro-iklim telah mewujudkan sikap positif dalam diri murid terhadap tindakan iklim (Budziszewska & Głód, 2021;MacKay et al, 2020). Berdasarkan kajian-kajian tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahawa sikap dan tingkah laku seseorang dapat dibentuk dengan adanya pendekatan yang bersesuaian yang mampu menunjukkan keperluan sesuatu pembelajaran itu.…”

Visões de educadoras de educação ambiental para o desenvolvimento sustentável: Entre o empoderamento e a orientação de crianças e jovens

“…Não surpreende, assim, o realce dado pela investigação a projetos que fomentem a promoção da cidadania ambiental (Hadjichambis & Reis, 2020;Asah et al 2018;Monte & Reis, 2021), que promovam a construção do Revista Portuguesa de Educação, 36(1), e23004. http://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.22175 "eu ecológico" (Wilson, 1996), do sentido de comunidade (Mayer & Frantz, 2004;Adams & Savahl, 2015) e de competências de literacia ambiental (Gruenewald, 2003;Malone, 2007) desafiantes de conceções antropocêntricas da natureza (Almeida, 2005;Hwang, 2009), implicando as crianças e os jovens em experiências reais e na resolução de problemas reais (Breiting, et al, 2006;Maynard, 2007;Tapan, 2001;Uhrmacher, 1995) e promovendo a adoção de práticas sustentáveis na esfera privada e na esfera pública, com implicações locais e globais (Boeve- de-Pauw & Petegem, 2013;Mackey, 2012;Williams & Brown, 2012;Malone, 2008). Mais recentemente, a investigação tem-se focado nos movimentos de ativismo juvenil pela ação climática, pelo reconhecimento da agência juvenil na educação e na sociedade em favor da justiça intergeracional, social e ambiental (Biswas, 2021;Biswas & Mattheis, 2021;Budziszewska & Głód, 2021;Rios, Neilson & Menezes, 2021).…”