There’s more pressure than ever for youth to become activists, but the media is wrongfully focusing on the individual efforts of activists, according to Carleton anthropology professor Jacqueline Kennelly’s new book.
Citizen Youth: Culture, Activism, and Agency in a Neoliberal Era looks at a new generation of activism and how youth are becoming involved, Kennelly said.
Beneath Kenelly’s name plaque on her office door is a flyer advertising the book launch of Citizen Youth, which was released Oct. 25 at Octopus Books.
Both the state and the media have this idea of a “good youth citizen,” Kennelly said. A “good youth citizen,” according to the media, is a young person who engages in community work, which makes the person feel better about his or herself and enhances their resumé, she said.
Citizen Youth is the final product of Kennelly’s research into youth activism. She interviewed young activists living in Canada’s three biggest cities: Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
The book uncovers the challenges young activists face today, Kennelly said. One of the main challenges is living in a country where the state pressures youth to be more individualized, she said.
Although Kennelly doesn’t condemn young people for becoming activists for personal gain, she said they may be missing the point of democracy.
Kennelly cited the current Occupy movement as a good representation of democracy.
“It’s bringing people together quite literally,” Kennelly said. “They are living out in tents.”
The Occupy movement focuses on the actual process of democracy rather than protesting for one final result, Kennelly said.
“It is more about generating conversations and critical questions about poverty and inequality,” Kennelly said.
The movement is creating dialogue and engagement through a “ripple effect” in cities like Ottawa, she added.
In talking to youth activists for her book, Kennelly said she found the main way youth became involved in activism was through friends or partners who were already involved in activist movements.
“Educate yourself about what’s going on in the world,” Kennelly said.
