Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intergenerational Relationships in Youth Activist Networks

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Families, Intergenerationality, and Peer Group Relations

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 5))

Abstract

Youth political and civic engagement has been subject of significant scrutiny and debate. However, these conversations have not often explicitly considered the roles of adults within youth political spaces. This essay makes visible the range of visions for adults’ roles in youth politics embedded within youth engagement approaches: from teachers and primary socializers, to listeners awaiting youth perspectives, to partners and allies. It then focuses specifically on intergenerational collaboration within youth activist networks, showing how such collaboration benefits both youth and adults. Adults provide youth with institutional infrastructures, financial resources, historical continuity, and access to authorities, and they play a particularly important role in supporting the activism of more marginalized young people who otherwise have less access to these resources. Youth also impact and educate adults with new ideas and energy. However, while intergenerational collaboration has clear benefits, it is also is a challenge in the context of age- stratified societies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alonso, G., Anderson, N. S., Su, C., & Theoharis, J. (2009). Our schools suck: Students talk back to a segregated nation on the failures of urban education. New York: NYU Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andolina, M. W., Jenkins, K., Zukin, C., & Keeter, S. (2003). Habits from home, lessons from school: Influences on youth civic engagement. PS: Political Science & Politics, 36(2), 275–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bessant, J. (2004). Mixed messages: Youth participation and democratic practice. Australian Journal of Political Science, 39(2), 387–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billig, S., Root, S., & Jesse, D. (2005). The impact of participation in service-learning on high school students’ civic engagement. College Park: CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchet-Cohen, N., & Rainbow, B. (2006). Partnership between children and adults? The experience of the international children’s conference on the environment. Childhood, 13(1), 113–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloemraad, I., & Trost, C. (2008). It’s a family affair: Intergenerational mobilization in the spring 2006 protests. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(4), 507–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braungart, R. G., & Braungart, M. M. (1986). Life-course and generational politics. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 205–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bystydzienski, J. M., & Schacht, S. P. (Eds.). (2001). Forging radical alliances across difference: Coalition politics for the new millennium. New York: Rowman and Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camino, L. (2005). Pitfalls and promising practices of youth–adult partnerships: An evaluator’s reflections. Journal of Community Psychology, 33, 75–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Checkoway, B. N. (1996). Adults as allies. Detroit: WK Kellogg Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chovanec, D., & Benitez, A. (2008). The penguin revolution in Chile: Exploring intergenerational learning in social movements. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education, 3(1), 39–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clay, A. (2012). The hip-hop generation fights back: Youth, activism and post-civil rights politics. New York: NYU Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, E. R., & Luna, Z. T. (2010). Making coalitions work: Solidarity across difference within US feminism. Feminist Studies, 36(1), 71–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delli Carpini, M. (2000). Gen.com: Youth, civic engagement, and the new information environment. Political Communication, 17(4), 341–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edell, D., Brown, L. M., & Tolman, D. (2013). Embodying sexualisation: When theory meets practice in intergenerational feminist activism. Feminist Theory, 14(3), 275–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan, C., & Faison, N. (2001). Youth civic development: Implications of research for social policy and programs. Ann Arbor: Society for Research in Child Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1980). The history of sexuality, volume 1: An introduction. New York: Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franklin, S. M. (2014). After the rebellion: Black youth, social movement activism, and the post-civil rights generation. New York: NYU Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ginwright, S. A. (2010). Black youth rising: Activism and radical healing in urban America. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginwright, S., & James, T. (2002). From assets to agents of change: Social justice, organizing, and youth development. New Directions for Youth Development, 96, 27–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ginwright, S., Noguera, P., & Cammarota, J. (Eds.). (2006). Beyond resistance!: Youth activism and community change. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H. (2007). Allies within and without: How adolescent activists conceptualize ageism and navigate adult power in youth social movements. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 36(6), 631–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H. (2008). Gendered paths to teenage political participation. Gender & Society, 22(1), 31–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H. (2010). We fight to win: Inequality and the politics of youth activism. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H., & Taft, J. (2011). Rethinking youth political socialization: Teenage activists talk back. Youth & Society, 43(4), 1499–1527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, A., & Fitzgerald, R. (2010). Progressing children’s participation: Exploring the potential of a dialogical turn. Childhood, 17(3), 343–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henn, M., Weinstein, M., & Wring, D. (2002). A generation apart? Youth and political participation in Britain. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4, 167–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kallio, K. P., & Hakli, J. (2011). Tracing children’s politics. Political Geography, 30, 99–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, T. (2004). Taking back the streets: Women, youth and direct democracy. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, E. H., Levine, P., & Elrod, B. (2006). Federal policies on civic education and service. College Park: CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirshner, B. (2007). Introduction: Youth activism as a context for learning and development. The American Behavioral Scientist, 51(3), 367–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, S. A. (2013). Uncivil youth: Race, activism, and affirmative governmentality. Durham: Duke University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, P., & Gibson, C. (2003). The civic mission of schools. New York: Carnegie Corporation of New York and CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, P., & Lopez, M. H. (2004). Themes emphasized in social studies and civics classes: New evidence. College Park: CIRCLE, The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebel, M. (2004). A will of their own: Cross-cultural perspectives on working children. London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebel, M. (2007). Paternalism, participation, and children’s protagonism. Children, Youth and Environments, 17(2), 56–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebel, M., Overwien, B., & Recknagel, A. (Eds.). (2001). Working children’s protagonism: Social movements and empowerment in Latin America, Africa, and India. Frankfurt: IKO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linimon, A., & Joslyn, M. R. (2002). Trickle up political socialization: The impact of Kids Voting USA on voter turnout in Kansas. State Politics and Policy Quarterly, 2(1), 24–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, S., Pittman, K., Ferber, T., & McMahon, A. (2007). Building effective youth councils: A practical guide to engaging youth in policy making. Washington, DC: The Forum for Youth Investment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, H. (2001). Citizenship, youth councils and young people’s participation. Journal of Youth Studies, 4(3), 299–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAdam, D. (1982). Political process and the development of Black insurgency, 1930–1970. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAdam, D. (1986). Recruitment to high-risk activism: The case of Freedom Summer. The American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 64–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Metz, E., McLellan, J., & Youniss, J. (2003). Types of voluntary service and adolescents’ civic development. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18(2), 188–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Association of Secretaries of State. (1999). The new millennium project: Part I: American youth attitudes on politics, citizenship, government, and voting. Lexington: National Association of Secretaries of State.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, D. (2000). Service learning and political socialization. PS: Political Science & Politics, 33(3), 638–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perna, L. W. (2010). Understanding the working college student: New research and its implications for policy and practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petrie, M. (2004). A research note on the determinants of protest participation: Examining socialization and biographical availability. Sociological Spectrum, 24(5), 553–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piven, F. F., & Cloward, R. A. (1979). Poor people’s movements: Why they succeed, how they fail. New York: Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schussman, A., & Soule, S. A. (2005). Process and protest: Accounting for individual protest participation. Social Forces, 84(2), 1083–1108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, J. C. (1990). Domination and the arts of resistance: Hidden transcripts. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shier, H. (2012). What does equality mean for children in relation to adults? Paper presented at the addressing inequalities: The heart of the post-2015 development agenda and the future we want for all conference. http://www.harryshier.net/docs/Shier-What_Does_Equality_Mean_for_Children.pdf

  • Sitaraman, G., & Warren, P. (Eds.). (2003). Invisible citizens: Youth politics after September 11. Lincoln: iUniverse.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strama, M. (1998). Overcoming cynicism: Youth participation and electoral politics. National Civic Review, 87(1), 71–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taft, J. K. (2011). Rebel girls: Youth activism and social change across the Americas. New York: NYU Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taft, J. K. (2014). “Adults talk too much”: Intergenerational dialogue and power in the Peruvian movement of working children. Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568214555148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taft, J. K., & Gordon, H. (2013). Youth activists, youth councils, and constrained democracy. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 8(1), 87–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taines, C. (2012). Intervening in alienation: The outcomes for urban youth of participating in school activism. American Educational Research Journal, 49(1), 53–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, R., Holland, J., McGrellis, S., Bell, R., Henderson, S., & Sharpe, S. (2004). Inventing adulthoods: A biographical approach to understanding youth citizenship. The Sociological Review, 52(2), 218–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2007). World youth report 2007: Young people’s transition to adulthood: Progress and challenges. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, Roderick J., and Omar Guessous. 2006. “Sociopolitical development: The missing link in research and policy on adolescents.” 59–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, H. (2002). Supporting young people in Europe: Principles, policy and practice. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyn, J., & White, R. (1997). Rethinking youth. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyness, M. (2013). Children’s participation and intergenerational dialogue: Bringing adults back into the analysis. Childhood, 20(4), 429–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates, M., & Youniss, J. (1998). Community service and political identity development in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 495–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Youniss, J., Bales, S., Diversi, M., Christmas-Best, V., McLaughlin, M., & Silbereisen, R. (2002). Youth civic engagement in the twenty-first century. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12(1), 121–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeller, L. H. (1993). Youth community service: An overview. National Civic Review, 82(1), 36–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Latin American and Latino Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Jessica K. Taft

  2. Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Denver, 2199 S University Blvd, Denver, CO, 80208, USA

    Hava Rachel Gordon

Authors
  1. Jessica K. Taft
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hava Rachel Gordon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jessica K. Taft or Hava Rachel Gordon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom

    Samantha Punch

  2. The School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Robert M. Vanderbeck

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Taft, J.K., Gordon, H.R. (2018). Intergenerational Relationships in Youth Activist Networks. In: Punch, S., Vanderbeck, R. (eds) Families, Intergenerationality, and Peer Group Relations. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 5. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-026-1_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation