Youth Activism and Citizenship in Singapore

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• Youth Activism and Citizenship in Singapore

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• Three Strands

Why Youth Activism? Questions Theorising
Activism Paradigms Storying Activism Methods
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Activism
Root Word Action. Webster Taking Direct
Action to Achieve a Political or Social End
DEFINITION Actions pursued for the collective
good (beyond primary groups), with clear goals
of social change whose outcomes are to benefit
others.
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Why Youth Activism?
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Youth activism as a Social Concern
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Youth Activism as a Sociological Puzzle
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Activism as a Social Concern

• Youth Apathy?
• Political Disengagement?
• The Demise of the Public Actor?

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Activism as a Sociological Puzzle

• Economic Rationalism?
• Psychological Altruism?
• True Believers?

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3 Related Puzzles

• 1 What motivates young people to social action?
• 2 What are the conditions that sustain such
  activism?
• 3 How do young people perceive their activism?

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Theorising Activism Paradigms
Vs
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The Self-Interested Actor
The rational choice paradigm is characterized by
the assumption that individuals are motivated by
the pursuit of rational goals. Social actors are
viewed as rational maximizers of interest or
utility. The paradigm has its roots in economic
models of market exchange. Eg. Mancur Olson
(1965) Doug McAdams (1982)
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Beyond Self-Interest
Rational choice theorists perceive individuals as
interest-oriented and hence behaving to maximize
their private interests. The social context of
behaviour is under-theorized and results in a
mechanical view of subjectivity. A narrow
perspective on activism analyses it in terms of
self-interested calculation and the pursuit of
power. A broader sociological analysis would
consider the role of social environment, ideology
and identity.
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The Social Context of Activism
An interpretive approach considers the framework
of meaning that activist draw upon in their
motivation and perception of activism. This is
done by considering at the individual level, the
formation of beliefs and identities, and at the
collective level, considering discursive
formations and cultural symbols.
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Grounded Theory
Hebert Blumer (1954) Sensitizing Concepts
It gives the user a general sense of reference
and guidance in approaching empirical instances.
Whereas definitive concepts provided
prescriptions of what to see, sensitizing
concepts merely suggest directions along which to
look
Affinity
Identity
Justice
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Grounded Theory
While the analysis of structural concerns
provide a useful starting point, I aim to go
beyond structures, to understand young peoples
own interpretations of their social context.
Such an approach places young peoples
meaning-making at the center. I aim to document
the subjectivity the many ways activism is
rendered the many rationales, values, and
beliefs related to activism, along with the
consequences how such practices and identity
work relates to the construction of the activist
self.
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Storying Activism Methods
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The Biographical Method
Studying life histories is a way to understand
the webs of meaning and memory that are real to
the individual. Through spoken or written
account, the individual narrates, perceives and
construes his life history. To the realist, it
offers great descriptive potential. To the
discerning sociologist, it offers an insight into
the individuals inner world of meaning and
representation.
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Narratives as Data
Both personal narratives and sociological theory
can be read as texts what kinds of stories do
they tell? What are the images, themes,
metaphors, silences, characters represented in
the narrative?
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Sampling

• Purposive Sampling
• Case-Oriented vs Variable-Oriented Approach
• Finding Fertile Cases (Ragin, 1998)

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Significance of Study
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1
Theoretical Contribution
What are the motivations for activism? What goes
into the construction of an activist identity?
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2
Policy Relevance
What facilitates the transition to active
citizenship? How is civic consciousness acquired?
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3
Empirical Significance
What are the stories of youth activists? What do
their voices represent?