Youth Politics in Thatcherland

Abstract

One of the most commonly held views about young people and politics is that they are predominantly apathetic about this sphere of social life. Large-scale surveys such as the Department of Education and Science publication Young People in the 80’s (DES, 1983) gives credence to this perspective, with its finding that 75 per cent of respondents (aged 16–19) admitted to being politically apathetic, with only 2 per cent ever attending any political meetings or parties. While this apolitical model remains the dominant paradigm, an additional image of the interested minority revolves around the ‘rebellious’, ‘idealistic’ and ‘extreme’ nature of youth politics and organisation (Cohen, 1983).¹