Political Subjectivation of Young People between Protest and Education based on the Example of the Climate Movement Fridays for Future

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Kerstin Jergus; Dr. Melanie Schmidt
• Subject Area: General Education and History of Education ; Educational Research on Socialization, Welfare and Professionalism
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556125504

This project aims to conduct an educational science analysis of the political subjectivities of young people, which are to be elaborated through a qualitative-exploratory study of current protest movements. The current climate protests are examined as a exemplary case because they are currently considered almost the only movement in which young people are visibly and consistently politically engaged. The activities in the Fridays for Future movement (hereinafter: FFF) symbolize the transformation of political forms of articulation among youth and young adults, a group that has largely been excluded from political arenas. FFF differs from many other protest movements in its even more pronounced focus on science and education. Both aspects - political protest and educational enlightenment efforts - can be interpreted as contributions 'for future' and will be examined in the research project as practices of political subjectivation. Through a qualitative approach involving ethnographic field research and guideline-based interviews, as well as a discourse analytical evaluation strategy, the project seeks to investigate how the self-positioning, self-understanding, and political education of the youthful actors interplay in the political practice of FFF. The potential insights of the expected results can be specified in the following areas: - The project provides theoretical and empirical findings for basic research on the political subjectivities of young people in the context of social movements and political activism, thus enabling a comprehensive and deeper understanding of youthful political practice. It particularly addresses the relationship between political engagement and democratic practice in current youthful movements highlighted as a gap in the 16th KJB. - Additionally, the project explores how current protest practices as political subjectivations in connection with digital formats create unique forms of articulation by young people and how these are related to questions of digital education and knowledge dissemination. - The research findings also offer points of connection to debates in the field of political education and education for sustainable development, the theoretical scope and substantive significance of which in the field of youth research, as well as reflections with young people and educational actors based on the empirical findings at the end of the project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants