Work

Youth activism in Poland: Perceptions, participation and diverging perspectives from young people and activists

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Recent years have seen a growing scholarly interest in youth activism (YA), a phenomenon often viewed as a positive development in response to declining civic and political engagement among young people. However, most of the research focuses on the activists themselves and gives less attention to how YA is perceived by the broader youth population. This article explores the shared and divergent perspectives of young activists and their peers who remain on the sidelines. The article focuses on Poland, a country in which YA is gaining traction. The research involved discussion groups with secondary school students and interviews with prominent young activists in Poland. The study found that activists and non‐activist students shared similar views on key issues like education reform, climate change, human rights and abortion rights. However, they differed in how they defined activism and what forms of activism they deemed acceptable. Activists tended to use a narrower definition, reserving the term for those deeply committed to social or political causes. In contrast, students embraced broader definitions, identifying even small acts of volunteering or awareness‐raising as activism. This difference is important, since how we define YA can shape our understanding and evaluation of youth participation. Additionally, while activists often supported radical tactics, students expressed disapproval of methods they saw as disruptive, like blocking traffic or defacing public spaces. These findings highlight how negative perceptions of YA can potentially discourage wider youth participation.

Source: British Educational Research Journal

DOI: 10.1002/berj.70072

Authors: Martyna Elerian, Miri Yemini, Katarzyna Jasikowska

Institutions: Jagiellonian University, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Youth, Politics, and Society

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,120