Youth Alienation Research Articles

The Realistic Dilemmas and Solutions of Youth Ideological and Political Education in the Digital Age

As the backbone of society and the hope for the future, the ideological dynamics and values of young people are directly related to the future destiny of the country and the harmony and stability of society. In the context of the digital era, youth ideological and political education is facing the challenges of the loss of youth values in the flood of information, the alienation of youth from real people due to their addiction to virtual socialization, and the disconnection between the traditional education model and the digital era. In the face of the practical difficulties brought by the digital era, it is necessary to place the ideological and political education of youth in a broader social context and historical process, and respond to them by improving the information literacy of youth and cultivating critical thinking, optimizing the social ecology and leading the positive development of network culture, and integrating online and offline and revamping the mode of ideological and political education, in order to better satisfy the needs of the youth for growing up and becoming successful and to cultivate the all-round development of young people. The youth of all-round development will be fostered.

Ritual, Media, and Alienation: Three Cases of Constructing the Image of a School Shooter in Russian Media in the Context of the Ritual of Chiral Initiation

Mass school shootings in Russia have become a symbol of deep social and cultural dysfunctions, reflecting a crisis of identity and youth alienation. The paper emphasizes the importance of exploring how the media constructs the image of a school shooter, influencing public perception and the perception of the perpetrators themselves. The media’s role in intensifying the alienation and marginalization of shooters through the ritualization and narrativization of acts of violence requires in-depth analysis. The aim of the study is to analyze the phenomenon of school shootings through the lens of the ritual of chiral initiation and to identify the sociocultural factors contributing to the construction of the shooter’s image. The analysis shows that media coverage of school shootings follows a ritualized script that reinforces the perception of the shooter as an alienated and dangerous individual, cementing his marginal status. The “Non-Return” stage in the chiral initiation ritual illustrates the shooter’s irreversible break from society and self-identity. The study underscores the need for a comprehensive analysis of the media and cultural factors shaping public opinion about school shooters. The target audience of this study includes scholars in sociology, cultural studies, and anthropology, as well as professionals involved in media studies and public safety.

Regional youth policy tools to enhance youth civic and political participation of “risk group” (using the example of the Republic of Bashkortostan)

The relevance of the article is due to the trends of modern society, in which close attention is paid to the processes of formation of the civic and political identity of young people. The very interest in youth, as a subject of regional history, is associated with a special type of perception of time and progress, which is inherent in a constantly changing post-industrial society. The goal is to consider what tools can be used to enhance the participation of at-risk youth in shaping the public history of their region. Research results. Challenges associated with civic and political engagement among at-risk youth include alienation of youth from their communities and institutions, limitations in opportunities and resources, formal rather than substantive participation, and challenges to involvement in shaping the sociopolitical history of the region. The author clarified the instrumental nature of regional youth policy to enhance the civic and political participation of at-risk youth, which includes youth work, deliberative forums, volunteering, art, sports and media, technology and social networks. The theoretical significance of the article lies in expanding the understanding of the role of civic identity of urban youth in the formation of the socio-political history of the region, as well as the study of socio-political processes in the context of social and political philosophy. The practical significance of the study is that the results obtained can be used to develop specific activities to develop the civic identity of youth at risk.

학교 밖 청소년의 학업중단과 진로 선택에 관한 사례 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to look at the current status and problems of out-of-school youth, analyze the life situation of out-of-school youth and difficulties in choosing a career, and devise a plan that can be of practical help to them. Methods As for the research method, various literature, research papers, and government policy-related data were collected and reviewed in order to examine the current status and problems of academic suspension of out-of-school youth, and in-depth interviews with research participants were conducted to determine the actual state of life after school suspension and actual career path. The contents of the selection method were analyzed in depth. Results The results of this study showed that the common psychological characteristics of adolescents who dropped out of school were that they had no clear goals and hopes due to helplessness at the time of dropping out of school, and they had no specific plans for what they would do or want to become after dropping out of school. As a result of the interview with the research participants, the representative factor of school dropout was a combination of academic factors and family factors. As for the family factors, economic difficulties due to parental divorce and lack of care in the family were found to be the causes. Complex factors include cases in which several factors, such as academic problems, friends problems, and family problems, work in combination. Conclusions In conclusion, it seems that out-of-school youth's life situation and career choice should first come up with a plan to resolve the sense of dropout and alienation of youth who cannot adapt to the institutional framework of public education. Second, there is a need for management and support measures for adolescents who are maladjusted to school, starting from family dissolution due to parental divorce and economic conditions. Third, legal and institutional management and support are needed for adolescents with poor academic performance or difficulties in adapting to school life. Fourth, counseling and support for the mental health and welfare of adolescents should be activated. Finally, it is necessary to expand institutional and policy support for out-of-school youth.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: A MIRAGE BY YOUTH ALIENATION

Alienation is increasingly causing challenges in many parts of the world including in Nigeria where it has grown to be one of the most serious social issues bedevilling the lives of a few Nigerian youths, causing frustration and dejection, and dependency on family members and friends, who also have their own issues to take care of. Comprehensive published literature was undertaken by the author to identify journal articles and books dealing with alienation, youth and human development to establish a relationship between youth alienation and development. Findings affirmed that youth alienation has manifested itself through youth involvement in violence, terrorism, homicide, banditry, jungle justice and demonstrations/protests. It was also discovered that youth alienation has been triggered by structural challenges such as unemployment, poverty/hunger, corruption, poor political representation, among others. The consequences of youth alienation are pretty high for both individual Nigerians and the nation. While youth alienation stunts individual personal development and interferes with their potential, it affects society through numerous illicit activities engaged in by the youth which tend to slow the tempo of development and divert the attention of government from real businesses. This paper concludes that youth alienation is a menace in Nigeria that constitutes an actual threat and a danger to social, economic and political development. It is recommended that youth empowerment, extended political participation, favourable policies, among others, should be promoted by governments and private individuals to facilitate inclusion and human development.

“老鼠之城”发展的最终结局－－论鼠群青年异化、行为退缩与自然消亡

“老鼠之城”发展的最终结局－－论鼠群青年异化、行为退缩与自然消亡

Promoting civic and political engagement among marginalized urban youth in three cities: Strategies and challenges

Over the past decade and more, there has been a significant emphasis in western societies on policy processes to engage youth in civic and political life. Concerns about the extent to which marginalized urban young people in particular have become disengaged from civic and political life has been a common, and contested, theme in youth policy. Currently, there is a dearth of literature exploring how policy provisions have been translated into practice on the ground. In this paper, we draw on semi-structured interviews with 66 policymakers, public officials, and youth work practitioners in London, Belfast, and Dublin to explore the strategies used to engage urban youth and to identify the key challenges associated with these efforts. The strategies used in youth engagement efforts include youth work, deliberative forums, volunteerism, arts, sports and media, non-formal education and technology and social media. Challenges associated with youth civic and political engagement include youth alienation from their communities and institutions, capacity and resource limitations, ritual rather than real engagement and challenges of inclusion.

International Youth Alienation and Disengagement: Are “Care-Less” Institutions to Blame?

The majority of voters in South Africa still do not take democratic elections for granted, but the decline in voting participation is a cause for concern in South Africa, as in other parts of the world. In addition, widespread student protests at higher education institutions during 2015 and 2016, including those at African and South African institutions, were alarming. The reasons for student discontent are diverse, and the authors propose in this article that the voter disengagement and student protests are symptoms of much more sinister underpinnings largely connected to neo-liberal changes in South Africa higher education. This article discusses these trends of voter disengagement and increased student unrest and proposes that the economically and individually focused neo-liberal trends in higher education are related to these. This article proposes the relevance of the ethics of care framework for universities to mitigate these changes in higher education. Specifically, for student affairs and services in universities, the adoption of ethics of care, not only as a practice but also as a framework for student development, is discussed. The authors propose that the ethics of care can be conceptualized as an antidote to the “care-less-ness” embedded in neo-liberal influences on higher education and can enable universities to re-claim their role in developing students who are caring and living a care-filled life. A care-filled life, which involves caring for others and for community while being cared-for, and giving and receiving care, is likely to generate engaged and participative citizens.

Risk factors for the emergence of moral alienation of students in the educational environment of a modern university

The problem of alienation of youth from traditional cultural and moral values is one of the urgent in the modern information world. For a comprehensive solution to this problem in the educational process of the university, it is necessary to determine the risk factors emergence for the moral alienation of students. The article reveals the content of the main risk groups: 1) external risks caused by the general cultural tendencies of the modern world (the sociocultural crisis of the information civilization associated with the loss of a stable worldview by a person); 2) information risks arising from the use of information technology (massive impact of rapidly growing volumes of heterogeneous information; attractiveness of the virtual world); 3) organizational and pedagogical risks caused by negative phenomena in the educational space (low level of professional competence; irrational organization of the educational process); 4) psychological risks associated with factors of causing psychological damage to students in the process of interpersonal relations (professional burnout of a teacher; authoritarian management style; psychological violence, low self-esteem of a student). The results of the study allow us to identify the main areas of pedagogical activity on the prevention of moral alienation of students at a university.

Youth Participation in Urban Mission and Ministry

"The God of Scripture consistently called faithful youngsters to participate in his redemptive mission on earth. The mission of God is not only carried out by young men and women but also intentionally aims at reaching out to them. Drawing on biblical examples, this article advocates a youth-focused approach to urban ministry whereby young people are both actors and recipients of all activities. Youth participation is beneficial for society because their alienation is a cause of social and political disruption, of gang formation and criminal behavior in many contexts. Youth participation is beneficial for the church because, as reported in Roger Duddley’s 10-year study published in 2000, youth alienation pushes them away out of the church, while their active involvement enhances their retention. The article argues that a youth urban ministry is more likely to succeed if it integrates best practices such as meeting the social and spiritual needs of urban youth, the integration of postmodern values, a focus on social justice, and allowing the youth to belong without restriction."

Kwazakhele after twenty years of democracy: the contradictory development of political pluralism and political alienation

The article explores political participation and democratic consolidation in South Africa 20 years after the end of apartheid. It does so through the lens of the residents of Kwazakhele, a black township in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Two surveys conducted in the month following the May 2014 elections provide the basis for analysing the political attitudes and expectations of older residents and comparing them with those of younger residents of the 'born free' generation. The findings are that while there is a high level of participation by older residents, there is a significant alienation of youth. At the same time, the consolidation of democracy is evidenced by the growth of political tolerance and political pluralism, shown by the presence and (limited) support for opposition parties. The findings include analysis of how the voting patterns in Kwazakhele contributed to the defeat of the ANC in the 2016 local elections in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

Gays, Cross-Dressers, and Emos

Gays, Cross-Dressers, and Emos

Demographic trends and age structural change in Arab countries: selected indicators

This statistical file is based on the Population and Development Report 6: Development Policy Implications of Age–Structural Transitions in Arab countries, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (Beirut, ESCWA, 2014) in the light of the growing demographic challenges facing the Arab countries, resulting from age–structural transitions that affect the process of development, in both the short- and long-terms. The report assumes that the Arab countries are undergoing a shift from high to low rates of mortality and fertility; as a result, some countries have entered a demographic ‘window of opportunity’, and several others will soon enter this stage. The ‘window of opportunity’ is a period when the working-age population (aged 15–64 years) grows faster than either the population of children (aged 0–14 years) or older persons (aged 65+ years), shifting the balance of the population from high levels of dependency to high levels of potential workers. This shift in age structure in turn creates the potential for Arab countries to benefit from a ‘demographic dividend’, namely ‘increased economic productivity, savings, and human capital development’ (ESCWA 2014, 3). The report, however, affirms that the ‘demographic dividend’ is not an automatic benefit. It necessitates the adoption of reforms that enable Arab governments to make use of the time-limited demographic opportunity. Otherwise, challenges such as ‘youth unemployment and alienation will persist, while new problems of old-age poverty will be exacerbated in the future’ (viii). In view of the above, this statistical file presents selected demographic figures that might be useful for following up on the age–structural changes in Arab countries and to assess government policies that would serve the needs of different age groups.

Japan: the paradox of harmony

A well-rounded, well-informed critique of the Pacific island nation of Japan, its society, economy, demography, and politics Following a crushing defeat in World War II, Japan rose like a phoenix from the literal ashes to become a model of modernity and success, for decades Asia's premier economic giant. Yet it remains a nation hobbled by rigid gender roles, protectionist policies, and a defensive, inflexible corporate system that has helped bring about political and economic stagnation. The unique social cohesion that enabled Japan to cope with adversity and develop swiftly has also encouraged isolationism, given rise to an arrogant and inflexible bureaucracy, and prevented the country from addressing difficult issues. Its culture of hard work-in fact, overwork-is legendary, but a declining population and restrictions on opportunity threaten the nation's future. Keiko Hirata and Mark Warschauer have combined thoroughly researched deep analysis with engaging anecdotal material in this enlightening portrait of modern-day Japan, creating an honest and accessible critique that addresses issues from the economy and politics to immigration, education, and the increasing alienation of Japanese youth.

Hitchin’ a Ride in the 1970s: Canadian Youth Culture and the Romance with Mobility

Today, a “gap year” is regarded as an excellent opportunity for a young person to travel for his or her personal growth. However, in the 1970s, civil society saw dropping out of school or work and drifting around as the sign of youth alienation and crazy hippie ideas. In 1969, the Trudeau government struck a task force to investigate why thousands of middle-class young people were observed hitchhiking along the Trans-Canada Highway. This article looks at the federal government’s reaction to the “transient youth” subculture through the lens of what hitchhiking meant to restless teenagers and twenty-somethings. In the early 1970s, Canadian thumb-travellers subverted hegemonic class and gender expectations by putting a new twist on the rituals associated with traditional Canadian tourism. By self-consciously adorning themselves with backpacks, beads, Canada flags, and long bushy hair or by flipping a peace sign to oncoming traffic, they performed rituals of a romantic subculture. Then, as now, their road stories highlight more than the monotonous and carnivalesque moments of alternative travel; they can be read as key biographical moments when understandings of landscapes, national identity, and citizenship were formed.

Grassroots Memorials. The Politics of Memorializing Traumatic Death. Edited by Peter Jan Margry and Cristina Sanchez-Carretero (New York: Berghahn Books, 2011. x plus 374 pp.)

We are living in a time of “memorial mania,” in popular culture as much as in academic publishing. This is not to say that all traumatic deaths are seen as warranting attention, let alone public displays of grief. On April 20, 1999, for instance, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a forty-five minute shooting spree at Columbine High School, killing twelve students, one teacher, and then themselves. The day after the massacre, makeshift shrines began being set up near the campus, many of which contained strong Christian messages. This would not have been remarkable if not for the intervention of Greg Zanis, who erected fifteen six-foot tall crosses on a hill adjacent to the school: that is, crosses for all those killed, including the shooters. The furore was immediate. Some people attached messages of reconciliation: “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do,” read one. Others attacked the two crosses, posting signs reading “Murderers burn in hell.” Similar scenes were replayed when local people sought to include the perpetrators of shootings at Virginia Tech University (April 16, 2007) and Northern Illinois University (February 14, 2008) in their commemorative sites, illustrating the profoundly disruptive nature of shrines that strayed beyond the norm. The messages left at these shrines also exposed the conflict between Christian forgiveness and secular retribution. Furthermore, unlike the shrines following 9/11, these school shrines were resolutely non-political: gun control, mental illness, and youth alienation were hardly ever mentioned.

‘They’re out to line their own pockets!’: can the teaching of political literacy counter the democratic deficit?; the experience of Modern Studies in Scotland

Nearly a decade into the new millennium, the teaching of political literacy as a strand of education for citizenship has taken on a new urgency throughout much of the world. In most developed countries there is now a feeling that young people need to develop a healthy respect for democratic procedures and consequent methods of participating to shape modern society and an understanding that real political literacy means moving beyond the strictures of traditional civics courses. The introduction into places as far apart as Scotland and Hong Kong of aspects of political education in primary schools (Cheung & Leung 1998; Maitles 2005) has itself reflected a worry (almost a moral panic) in government circles about youth alienation, albeit with some debate as to whether schools should be the places where this is developed. This paper examines the attitudes of young people towards politics, explains some peculiarities of education in Scotland and reports on research into the knowledge, interest, cynicism/trust and values/attitudes of approximately 1600 pupils – 50% of whom study Modern Studies whilst the others study history or geography. The paper explores whether those pupils studying Modern Studies have a stronger basis in some elements of political literacy than those who do not study it. The results suggest that Modern Studies students have more knowledge, greater interest and are less cynical but, that in terms of values, there is no discernible difference.

The Media Spectacle of Columbine

Although youth violence and “delinquency” have frequently generated fear of alienated youth in American life, especially since the 1950s, the media coverage of the Columbine shootings reconstructed youth alienation in novel ways, generating a new fear and reality of “alien” youth. Analysis of both print and television media shows that following Columbine, school shooters have come to stand for an entire constellation of threats and troubles now ostensibly emanating from the very lifeworlds of formerly harmless White suburban youth. These lifeworlds have been typically framed in terms of alienation: as new forms of adolescent estrangement from parents, schools, and the major institutions and dominant culture of American life.

Toward a critical pedagogy of engagement for alienated youth: insights from Freire and school‐based research

Although alienation is widely recognized as a barrier to educational success for many students, prevailing explanations tend to focus on psychological traits and individual deficits, rather than the oppressive economic and social structures bearing down on young people. This paper addresses the issues of youth alienation and student engagement from a critical/sociological perspective. Informed by Paulo Freire's philosophy and praxis, I argue that any meaningful response to the phenomenon requires a critique of the dehumanizing forces that operate within and outside schools and the development of a renewed project for a critical pedagogy that is more attuned to the influences of globalization and popular culture on young people's lives. The practical possibilities, limitations and potential development of such a pedagogy is discussed with reference to a cluster of Australian high schools serving low socioeconomic communities.

Theorizing “Big Events” as a potential risk environment for drug use, drug-related harm and HIV epidemic outbreaks

Political-economic transitions in the Soviet Union, Indonesia, and China, but not the Philippines, were followed by HIV epidemics among drug users. Wars also may sometimes increase HIV risk. Based on similarities in some of the causal pathways through which wars and transitions can affect HIV risk, we use the term “Big Events” to include both. We first critique several prior epidemiological models of Big Events as inadequately incorporating social agency and as somewhat imprecise and over-generalizing in their sociology. We then suggest a model using the following concepts: first, event-specific HIV transmission probabilities are functions of (a) the probability that partners are infection-discordant; (b) the infection-susceptibility of the uninfected partner; (c) the infectivity of the infected—as well as (d) the behaviours engaged in. These probabilities depend on the distributions of HIV and other variables in populations. Sexual or injection events incorporate risk behaviours and are embedded in sexual and injection partnership patterns and community networks, which in turn are shaped by the content of normative regulation in communities. Wars and transitions can change socio-economic variables that can sometimes precipitate increases in the numbers of people who engage in high-risk drug and sexual networks and behaviours and in the riskiness of what they do. These variables that Big Events affect may include population displacement; economic difficulties and policies; police corruption, repressiveness, and failure to preserve order; health services; migration; social movements; gender roles; and inter-communal violence—which, in turn, affect normative regulation, youth alienation, networks and behaviours. As part of these pathways, autonomous action by neighbourhood residents, teenagers, drug users and sex workers to maintain their economic welfare, health or happiness may affect many of these variables or otherwise mediate whether HIV epidemics follow transitions. We thus posit that research on whether and how these interacting causal pathways and autonomous actions are followed by drug-related harm and/or HIV or other epidemics can help us understand how to intervene to prevent or mitigate such harms.