Youth mobilization and the peace movement: a comparative analysis of resistance struggles in Czechoslovakia, China and Bangladesh

The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, the Tiananmen Square protests in China, and the Quota Movement in Bangladesh are three historically significant nonviolent movements that have had a profound and lasting impact on modern history, each characterized by the active participation of young people. This study aims to compare and contrast the dynamics of these three movements. This study explores secondary sources, including books, newspapers, archives, scholarly research articles, and journal publications, and analyzes them using an explanatory narrative approach. The findings indicate that although all three were driven by collective aspirations for democracy and social reform, the outcomes varied significantly. The similarities and differences lie in factors such as the role of youth leadership, the scale and nature of the youth demonstrators, the influence of social media, government responses, and broader implications. Thus, a key contribution of this study is that it highlights young people as the initiators, organizers, and symbols of resistance. The study seeks to understand the conditions that lead to the success or failure of youth-led nonviolent actions. Although there is a substantial body of literature on this topic, comprehensive comparative analyses of these movements remain scarce, underscoring the importance of this study.

Children, Youth and Environments 15(2), 2005 Children and Young People Build Participatory Democracy in Latin American Cities Yves Cabannes Graduate School of Design Harvard University Citation: Cabannes, Yves. (2005). “Children and Young People Build Participatory Democracy in Latin American Cities.” Children, Youth and Environments 15(2): 185-210. Comment on This Article Abstract This paper presents case studies from four cities in Latin America—Cotatachi in Ecuador, Barra Mansa and Icapui in Brazil, and Ciudad Guyana in Venezuela—all of which involved initiatives to foster the active participation of children and young people in the governance of their cities. It describes the larger context in each case, the methods used to involve young people, the process as it evolved over time, the challenges experienced, and the impact of the initiatives. All four projects included the adoption of participatory budgeting as an approach to participation by young people. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons drawn from these cases. Keywords: Children, youth, local governance, participatory budgeting, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela© 2005 Children, Youth and Environments Children and Young People Build Participatory Democracy in Latin American Cities 186 Introduction This paper presents four case studies from Latin America, all of them focused on efforts over a period of several years, starting in the late 1990s, to assert the right of children and young people to an active role in their cities. The cities in question are Cotacachi (Ecuador), Barra Mansa and Icapui (Brazil) and Ciudad Guyana (Venezuela). These cities vary considerably in terms of their size and other characteristics, but they shared in common the willingness to foster the active participation of young people. The case studies all focus on “Urban Consultations,” the cornerstone of interventions supported by the Urban Management Program (UMP) for Latin America and the Caribbean.1 These UMP consultations aimed to facilitate dialogue between urban administrations and other sectors of the community—in this case, children and young people—with an interest in resolving the community’s most pressing problems, and in strengthening the capacity of local participants to support these improvements. The experiences described in these four case studies all attempted, to a greater or lesser degree, to extend or adapt the phenomenon of participatory budgeting to include young people. Since 1989, participatory budgeting has become an important tool and area of innovation for the promotion of citizenship, democracy and local development in many Brazilian municipalities, and increasingly also in other South American countries and in Europe. The common thread in these participatory budgeting experiences is the involvement of local residents in decisions about the allocation of some part of the municipal budget. Every experience is unique, however, and there are variations with regard to the level of influence exercised by local citizens, the percentage of the total municipal budget involved, the extent of citizen involvement in the control and management of work after the budget has been approved, and the degree of formality or flexibility in the process.2 While these variations are evident in these four case studies involving young people, what they share is perhaps more important. All of them indicate the need, and provide the opportunity, to identify and address the priorities of young people, to provide a space within which they can function as citizens, and to consider the ways in which power can be shared at the local level with these young citizens. Cotacachi, Ecuador: A Municipality “Built on Childhood and Youth” Context The cantón of Santa Ana of Cotacachi, in the north of Ecuador, is geographically, ethnically and culturally diverse. Its three zones, the urban area, the sub-tropical zone and the Andean zone, range from 1600 to 4939 meters above sea level. The population of 37,250 consists of mestizos, blacks and indigenous people, the latter representing around 60 percent. Children and young people between six and 24 years make up 40 percent of the population. Livelihoods revolve around agricultural production, handicrafts, tourism and some Children and Young People Build Participatory Democracy in Latin American Cities 187 hotel industry. Limited access to land and the continuous division of family holdings has meant a sharp increase in rural impoverishment, resulting in considerable outmigration . The population growth rate...

Consumptive behavior is characterized by an individual's tendency to spend money on shopping, both offline and online, without considering the priority scale. In this case, financial literacy has a role to play in avoiding consumer behavior and encouraging wiser use of social media. The objectives of this research: 1) The influence of financial literacy on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. 2) The Influence of Social Media on Teenage Consumer Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. 3) The Simultaneous Influence of Financial Literacy and Social Media on Teenage Consumptive Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. The research method is quantitative. The sample consisted of 200 teenagers. Data collection techniques used questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The research results show: 1) The influence of financial literacy on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05. 2) The influence of social media on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05. 3) Simultaneous Influence of Financial Literacy and Social Media on Adolescent Consumptive Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05.

Purpose – This paper aims to: (1) examine the effect of social media advertisement and influencers on Compulsive buying, (2) investigate the role of materialism as a mediator and narcissism as a moderator on the relationship between social media advertisement and influencers on Compulsive Buying. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on 300 responses. Data of the responses was used for statistical analysis and hypothesis testing. The study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test all hypotheses. Findings – The study revealed insignificant relationships between social media advertisements and influencers, and compulsive buying. The findings provided evidence that materialism mediates the relationship between social media advertisements and compulsive buying. In contrast, materialism does not mediate the relationship between social media influencers and compulsive buying. The study failed to reveal a moderating role of narcissism on the relationship between materialism and compulsive buying. Research implications – Recommendations for marketing managers, scholars, and policymakers have been given adopting the marketing orientation that puts the consumers’ satisfaction of needs and wants first, based on the researchers’ faith that compulsive buying is not a virtue for consumers by all means. Originality/value – This paper investigates one of the most pressing issues regarding consumer behaviour in social media, consumer traits, and compulsive buying.

While social media receive considerable scholarly attention, studies reveal mixed outcomes in relation to its influence on tourists’ destination choices. There is nonetheless a persistent perception that social media has a fundamental influence on destination choice. However, those studies that do find a social media influence are in contexts where tourists are predisposed to be influenced (the contexts were selected due to social media presence or influence). These studies also have limitations in terms of social media types, tourists and destinations. This research responds to the challenges and explores social media influence across diverse destination choice contexts. Through face-to-face interviews conducted with 39 Australian tourist decision-makers, the findings reveal that social media influence is only apparent when specific context-conditions are co-present. Instead, most destination choice contexts are likely to result in low levels of social media influence. The findings advance theory by identifying three contextual dimensions for social media influence: level of social media engagement; destination novelty or familiarity; and complexity of the planning decision. This research importantly demonstrates the need to illuminate context when conceptualising social media influence on tourists’ destination choices. Practically, destinations should utilise social media to demonstrate ease of visit planning.

In Russia, the social policy of the state is aimed at actively involving young people in the implementation of economic and social reforms. Young people are mobile, mobile, socially active and socio-demographic representatives of the population. The active participation of young people in the spheres of activity of society (agricultural and industrial sectors) leads to the realization of the resource potential of the country, its social and cultural development. Rural youth is the main vector of strategic stable development of rural areas in the field of agricultural specialization. Therefore, today it is relevant to study the processes and phenomena of youth, the problems of their economic situation and social development and their readiness for working life.

One of the major challenges for edu-communication research is to analyze the influence of social media on young and adolescent users. This article examines the evaluation of gender inequalities - real and symbolic - in the consumption of social networks such as YouTube and Instagram among young people. Within the framework of a Research & Development & innovation (R&D + i) project, it presents a discursive-theoretical analysis of how young users of social media perceive the presence and representation of gender on social media and whether such digital representations can be associated with an empowering gender perspective. This study presents results from 14 focus groups (N = 83), composed of students aged 12 to 18, drawn from three Spanish Autonomous Communities (Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country). The results show that gender issues arise in participants' conversations, especially among female participants, who perceive the importance of physical appearance on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Female participants feel more pressure in terms of appearance and dress compared to male participants. Among male participants there are more expressions of self-affirmation and more mentions related to fun and social prestige. Both male and female participants express concern about the impact of that pressure on younger girls. The influence of social media on self-image is more evident among female participants, who make frequent mention of the importance of self-esteem in relation to beauty standards and exposure to idealized body images. Notably, there were no comments by male participants that acknowledge any influence of social media on their self-image. The findings are in line with existing research and taken as a whole gives rise to concern as to the gender disparities observed in the use of social media, which do not constitute a picture of female empowerment. This research underlines the importance of promoting a respectful and equitable environment in relation to gender equality within digital spaces. Thus, this study provides support for the need to develop and implement edu-communicative initiatives to foster critical thinking around the influence of social media in this context and the evaluation of the impact of such initiatives in future research.

Background: Currently, diabetes mellitus is starting to be suffered by many people at a young age. close to 22.3% of people with diabetes mellitus in Indonesia aged 15-24 years. Diabetes mellitus risk food behavior is one of the risk factors that must be avoided. However, there are still many young people, including univeristy students who still apply this behavior. The level of knowledge and social media is considered to have an influence on the eating behavior of students. So it is necessary to know the relationship between knowledge level and the influence of social media with the behavior of consuming food at risk of diabetes mellitus, so that diabetes mellitus prevention efforts are carried out effectively.Methods: This research is a analytical study with a cross-sectional study design. The sample in this study were 435 students at Diponegoro University. The sampling technique used in this study was accidental sampling. This study used an online questionnaire to determine the variables studied.Result: The results of this study indicate 53.3% of respondents have a high level of knowledge, 64.4% of respondents have a high influence of social media, and 56.1% have a risky food consumption behavior of diabetes mellitus. This study indicate a correlation between the level of knowledge (p=0.000) and the influence of social media (p=0.045) to the behavior of consuming food at risk of diabetes mellitus in Diponegoro University students.Conclusion: Based on the result, there is a relationship between the level of knowledge and the influence of social media with the behavior of consuming food at risk of diabetes mellitus in Diponegoro University students.

Prominent studies revealed that building the right relationship with the right social media influencer is one of the biggest challenges in influencer marketing. This study mainly aimed at exploring how Sri Lankan beauty and personal care brands opt social media influencers for their influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram. To fulfill the purpose of the study, the study adopted qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews to collect responses. The respondents were the personnel responsible for supervising influencer marketing campaigns of beauty and personal care brands in Sri Lanka. The study adopted thematic analysis to perform the analysis of the study and revealed that Sri Lankan beauty and personal care brands opt social media (Instagram) influencers based on top four “REAL” qualities, namely: Relatedness, Engagement, Authenticity and Loyalty. Moreover, researchers discovered the main reasons for choosing social media influencers by Sri Lankan beauty and personal care brands. In addition, study found that the same brands were not much interested in checking the demographic details when selecting social media influencers.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between social media marketing (SMM) and commercial performance (CP) of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the beauty sector of Cameroon. Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical design, adopting quantitative and hypothetico-deductive approaches were used. Place and Duration: Beauty salons in four major towns of Cameroon (Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam and Limbe) from May to June 2025. Methodology: A convenience sampling method was used to select beauty SMEs, who responded to a self-administered questionnaire, designed to collect data on their use of social media platforms and influencers for marketing, and commercial performance of their businesses. Results: Some 185 beauty business owners including 140(75.7%) female and 45(24.5%) males participated in the study. About 63% and 19.5% of participants agreed or strongly agreed to using social media platforms, meanwhile 58.4% and 12.4% agreed or strongly agreed with engaging social influencers for marketing. There were significant associations between commercial performance and the usage of social media platforms (mean scores = 4.05±0.57; t = 97.07; P = 0.000), and engagement with social media influencers (mean score = 3.80±0.66; t = 78.84; P = 0.000) respectively. Social media platforms predictors of improved commercial performance were found to be daily promotional posting which alone explained 22.4% of variance in CP (F=89.29; P<0.001). When associated with competitive advantage, customer community building, and social media analytics, the variance increased to 30.70 (F=36.695; P < 0.001). Equally, social media influencers predictors were found to be: influencer-driven community building accounting alone for 18.43% of variance in CP (F=67.56; P<0.001), and together with website traffic growth, explained 19.88% of variance in CP (F = 37.336; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Both social media platform use and social media influencer engagement are significant and complementary drivers of commercial success. We therefore recommend to the beauty sector SMEs to develop a comprehensive social media marketing strategy, including daily posting of promotional information, and building customer communities with the support of social media influencers, to boost their commercial performances.

The phenomenon of hijrah encountered its momentum because the leading enthusiasts for hijrah came from among young people. This study aims to examine the main determinants of motivation to hijrah. The two arguments tested in this study are the influence of social media and the influence of the social environment. The data collection method used in this study was a closed questionnaire consisting of questions related to the motivation to hijrah. A literature review supports the study results to strengthen the analysis results. The research respondents were Banyumas residents who were selected through purposive sampling. The questionnaire consists of 4 answer options, specifically Strongly Agree (SS) is given a score of 4, Agree (S) is given a score of 3, Disagree (TS) is given a score of 2, and Strongly Disagree is given a score of 1. The primary determinant of hijrah is determined through the index results by calculating a predetermined formula. The results showed that the social media influence factor index was higher than the social environment influence factor index. The social media influence index is 19.03, while the social environment influence factor is 12.43. Based on the index number, it can be concluded that the influence of social media is the primary determinant of a person's motivation to hijrah. The study's results stated that the primary determinant of motivation to hijrah was the influence of social media (Hypothesis accepted).

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool influencing consumer behaviour in online environments. While existing studies examine general consumer patterns, limited research has focused on specific professional groups such as IT professionals, who are digitally literate and highly active online. This conceptual study explores the influence of social media on the online buying behaviour of IT professionals. Integrating the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Consumer Online Brand-Related Activities (COBRA), the study identifies key variables including social media engagement, electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), influencer credibility, digital literacy, and trust. The conceptual framework proposes that social media engagement, influencer credibility, and e-WOM positively influence online purchase intention, with trust acting as a mediator and digital literacy as a moderator. The study provides theoretical insights into how IT professionals process online information and make purchasing decisions. The findings have practical implications for marketers aiming to design credible, informative, and targeted social media campaigns to enhance purchase intention among this tech-savvy segment.

PurposeSocial media influencers (SMIs) are becoming a powerful force within the marketing and branding landscape, with several leading brands opting to use SMI endorsements for their products and brands. Extant SMI literature has primarily focused on the influence mechanism exerted by SMIs on their followers. Less is known about how followers view their favorite SMIs. This study aims to explore the SMI–follower relationship from the follower’s perspective and examine the underlying attachment mechanism.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the attributes that individuals consider following an SMI and ensure that it is consistent with the literature review. This was followed by a survey-based quantitative study where a structural equation modeling technique was used to test the hypotheses using 508 SMI followers.FindingsFollowers find the SMI as a source to fulfill their intrinsic needs, that is, need to escape or self- improvement. The findings of this study suggest that followers attribute glamor, fun and connectedness to the SMIs driven by their need for self-improvement and fun with their need to escape. Finally, these attributions influence the overall perceived image of the SMI in followers' minds.Originality/valueThis study uses qualitative and quantitative approaches to picture SMIs as human brands from a follower's need fulfillment perspective.

This research investigates the influence of E-WOM usefulness and social media on revisit intention for tourists through destination image at Jatim Park 2 in Batu City. This type of research adopts a quantitative approach with a population of 150 tourists. The sampling technique used is the non-probability sampling method. The data collection technique employs a questionnaire. The data analysis techniques utilized are descriptive analysis and multiple linear analysis. The research findings indicate that the direct influence of E-WOM usefulness on destination image is significant, social media on destination image is significant, E-WOM usefulness on revisit intention is significant, destination image on revisit intention is significant, while the direct influence of social media on revisit intention is not significant. The indirect influence of E-WOM usefulness on destination image through revisit intention yields a result of 0.307. This implies that the direct influence of E-WOM usefulness on revisit intention (0.289) is smaller than the indirect influence (0.307). Thus, indirectly, E-WOM usefulness significantly affects revisit intention through destination image, indicating partial mediation. As for the indirect influence of social media on destination image through revisit intention, the result is 0.072. However, due to the insignificant direct influence of social media on revisit intention, full mediation occurs.

In the modern world, political literacy of young people is becoming one of the most important factors determining their active participation in socio-political life. The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that young people, representing a significant part of the population, often face problems of low political awareness, which affects their activity and influence on the processes taking place in the country. The purpose of this study is to analyze the main problems that affect the formation of political literacy of young people. The main findings show that a low level of political literacy negatively affects the degree of involvement of young people in political processes, which requires the development of effective educational programs and initiatives aimed at raising their awareness. Prospects for further research include the need for a thorough study of the influence of mass media on the formation of political literacy of young people, as well as the development of new approaches to educational strategies that could contribute to more active participation of young people in political life. The authors propose various forms of work with young people to improve the level of political literacy of young people (holding debates and election simulations, involving young people in volunteer initiatives and projects aimed at solving social problems).