Intersectionality in youth climate activism as educational practice: political, pragmatic, and pedagogical dimensions

Frontiers in Education, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 9

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Youth climate movements have increasingly adopted an intersectional approach to activism, highlighting how diverse social categories (inter alia, race, gender, class, sexuality) intersect with power structures and systems of oppression. This article explores the educational value practices intersectionality as they unfold in activists’ everyday lives, both within movement its relationship other movements. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic data from young activists belonging School Strike for Climate chapters Portugal’s two largest cities (Porto Lisbon), we account private public activist events—such meetings, school occupations, protest actions—and connections causes, including feminist, anti-fascist, pro-housing, LGBTQI+ rights. We show that youth collective action translates into: (i) a political commitment anchor struggle systemic injustices affect minoritized groups non-normative identities, (ii) pragmatic strategy uphold relevance reach mobilization. Simultaneously, our reveal framework activism into informal experiences are significant socialization learning, challenging conventional pedagogical processes hegemonic education systems. contributes expanding traditional notions education, emphasizing importance localized spheres promote opportunities participatory aimed at co-constructing just, democratic, inclusive futures.

Language: Английский

---

Rewriting the climate story with young climate justice activists

Geographical Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: July 3, 2024

Abstract Amidst intensifying climate breakdown and inadequate change education, young people are increasingly taking part in a global movement for justice. Young justice activists disseminating stories of injustice possibility intended to inform activate their peers, parents, politicians, powerholders, the public sweeping systems‐level change. Using in‐depth interviews with 16 youth aged 15 17 from United States, this study explored youths’ into activism, defined as counterstories motivating initial sustained engagement movement. reflexive thematic analysis, two interrelated categories were generated: redefining problem challenging dominant solutionism. First, spoke questioning dominant, depoliticised discourses that regard primarily scientific or environmental adults currently “solving” prevent future harms. Youths’ emphasised is an issue present‐day injustices perpetuated by action today’s adult leaders. Second, powerful role spurring societal transformation towards justice—an inherently political radical project requiring systems through collective action. The research draws upon contributes recent scholarship children’s geographies critical while responding urgent calls reimagining pedagogies people’s well‐being agency at centre. By examining employed activists, highlights storylines educators may mobilise learners’ imaginations spur active transformation.

Language: Английский

---

Editorial: Storytelling towards solidarity: Creative, hopeful, and inclusive climate change education

Geographical Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 26, 2025

Language: Английский

---

Everyday Activism Performances and Liminal Political Positionings of Early Youth in Bulgaria: Learning to Be Environmental Subjects

Youth, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 5(1), P. 25 - 25

Published: March 2, 2025

Research on climate activism has predominantly focused affluent regions of the Global North, often emphasizing public participation and protest while overlooking experiences youth in other contexts. This study addresses this gap by exploring everyday environmental eco-literacy among young people Bulgaria, a post-communist society. It challenges prevailing top-down political frameworks that marginalize diverse forms participation. argues people’s awareness, shaped their lived experiences, reflects engagement with consumerism change is expressed through various modes participation, including victim, voter, rejecter, interpreter agency. Drawing ethnographic data from interviews, mapping activities, short essays, research examines how identities are enacted mundane ways reflect levels eco-literacy, focusing cohort socioeconomic backgrounds both urban rural The findings reveal performances shed light liminal positions navigate daily lives. contributes to education studies offering insights into rooted subjectivities, transcend traditional educational provide deeper understanding they learn become subjects under-represented

Language: Английский

---

Youth Climate Action and Education

Oxford University Press eBooks, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 20, 2025

Abstract Young people have a limited voice in formal climate (education) policy spaces, so they transformed schools into political sites through civil disobedience that called for just action. By emptying schools, youth asserted their rights to participation and protest claimed various life, health, an adequate standard of living the face impacts—all which are protected under United Nations Convention on Rights Child arguably within mandate education uphold protect. While many would agree school is site amelioration children’s rights, reality much more complex. Considering ways mainstream systems both curtail contain terms sense-making around crisis, dominant educational response strikes reveals persistent epistemic injustice. At same time, young people’s activism perturbs restrictions injustices presents alternative politics, offering possibilities provocations reorienting justice. Such reorientation, as this chapter will explore, involves not only shifts treatment change actions by leaders but also foundations modern schooling toward expanded hermeneutical space.

Language: Английский

---

Activism as education in and through the youth climate justice movement

British Educational Research Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 9, 2024

Abstract Young people worldwide are increasingly participating in a global movement for climate justice, yet to date, little research has examined how youth justice activists conceive of and experience activism as education. The present study used in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 16 US (aged 15–17) address the question: How do explain educative power their activism? results reflective thematic analysis bring light youths' dual roles ‘learners movement’ ‘climate educators’. As learners, described gaining awareness directly from movement, well learning variety skills (e.g., organising, communication, conflict resolution) through activist engagement. Simultaneously, role educators range activities intended raise among adult audiences, including educational workshops trainings, school visits, teach‐ins, curriculum development, talk shows interviews, creating digital resources, social media outreach public protest strikes, marches demonstrations). Beyond spreading knowledge in/justice, were also action change processes—noting that about governmental institutions political processes enabled them exercise democratic citizenship equip embolden other young same via advocacy trainings). findings have implications curricula not only attend scientific technological dimensions crisis, but enable learners' justice‐driven participation.

Language: Английский

---

What role for geography in justice-focused climate change education?

Geography, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 109(3), P. 145 - 152

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

---

Started from the bottom, now we're here – a young researchers’ wish list for the Bioeconomy Youth Vision

EFB Bioeconomy Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 100072 - 100072

Published: Oct. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

---

“It Can't Just Be the Younger People”: Exploring Young Activists' Perspectives on Intergenerational Tensions and Solidarities for Climate Justice

Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(6)

Published: Oct. 25, 2024

ABSTRACT Youth activism for climate justice is inherently intergenerational. Fundamentally, young activists demand urgent action by today's adult power‐holders the security and well‐being of their own future generations. Despite intergenerationality being core to movement, few studies with have explored views experiences intergenerational relations tensions how advance solidarities justice. Addressing these critical topics, present study used in‐depth interviews (ages 15–17) in movement across US. Themes generated through reflexive thematic analysis centre on: (1) youths' adoption “next generation” “last identities, respectively emphasising heightened risks faced generations, closing window opportunity prevent catastrophic breakdown; (2) hostile benevolent adultism; (3) need adults listen to, take seriously, centre, amplify, and—most importantly—respond demands. They urge adults, particularly those powerful positions, use age‐based privilege, political enfranchisement, material resources, professional status, decision‐making authority uplift people's voices tangibly solidarity‐driven partnerships action. Implications youth‐centred research policy are discussed.

Language: Английский

---

How do childhood and children's rights mean what they mean? Innovating the debate around the social semantics of childhood and children's rights through an interdisciplinary approach

Children & Society, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 38(6), P. 2022 - 2035

Published: May 23, 2024

Abstract This article discusses children's rights as social semantics, approaching them a form of self‐description paradoxical relationship that has emerged from the late twentieth century within several systems, between generational order and position holders human rights. Charles Taylor's theory on evolution semantics value is combined with wide interdisciplinary array contributions Childhood Studies, Social Work, Pedagogy, Studies Constitutionalism to propose an innovative ontology Although UNCRC been object critical scrutiny since early 1990s, authors are not aware any previous attempt approach in illuminate dynamic coupling discourses childhood fundamental process, reproduction institution, codified western modernity. The argue while describing coexistence intergenerational rights, maintains its unity cultural because another semantic distinction, personal continue generate meaning. It hoped scholarly debate will benefit contribution this enrich around

Language: Английский

---