Young Londoners, sustainability and everyday politics: the framing of environmental issues in a global city
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Sloam Sustainable Earth (2020) 3:14 https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-020-00036-z
RESEARCH
Open Access
Young Londoners, sustainability and everyday politics: the framing of environmental issues in a global city James Sloam
Abstract Background: Young people have become disillusioned with mainstream electoral politics in established democracies, and are increasingly likely to engage in democracy on a case-by-case basis in issues that hold meaning for their everyday lives. These issues are most likely to be local and involve interconnected economic, social and environmental concerns. Results: The following study contributes to the understanding of the everyday politics of young people within a single urban environment (London) regarding sustainability-related issues. It departs from many previous studies of sustainability by employing a youth-centred approach, focussing on the authentic voices of young Londoners. The article shows how narrative structures can provide an effective way of understanding everyday politics and the interconnectedness of key issues through the words of these young people. Conclusions: The analysis identifies young people’s relatively low prioritisation of most environmental issues – due to an overwhelming sense of economic precarity and a lack of opportunity to reflect upon the relevance of environmental issues for their everyday lives. The article emphasizes the importance of opening up spaces for deliberation and channels for youth engagement, to embed sustainability in global cities. Keywords: Young people, Sustainability., Politics., Environment., London., Global Cities.
Plain English summary Young people have become increasingly disillusioned with politics and political parties over a number of decades. They are now much more like to be interested in issues than join political parties, and are interested in a wide range of subjects – from housing, to crime, to the environment. This article looks at how young Londoners understand the role of environmental issues within the context of their everyday lives – the interconnection between issues such as housing and crime and perceived threats to the natural environment. The article finds that, whilst young people care about environmental issues, they tend to be consumed by dayCorrespondence: [email protected] Department of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway University, Egham, Surrey TW20 9BW, UK
to-day problems of just getting by. Nevertheless, young Londoners are quick to express their views and get involved in environmental questions, if they are given the opportunities to discuss them with their peers.
Introduction Young people have become increasingly disconnected from mainstream electoral politics in established democracies. Over the past four decades, we have witnessed a transition from formal political participation (voting and party membership) to issue-based participation through campaigns and social movements and citizen-to-citizen interactions [18]. Today’s young people tend to engage in democracy on a ca
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