New research about youth activism in Poland

A new article in the British Educational Research Journal was published. “Youth activism in Poland: Perceptions, participation and diverging perspectives from young people and activists” by Dr. Martyna Elerian, Prof. Miri Yemini, and Prof. Katarzyna Jasikowska explores an often-overlooked aspect of youth activism: how non-activist young people perceive it. While much research focuses on activists themselves, this study compares the perspectives of young Polish activists with their peers who remain on the sidelines, revealing that although both groups share concerns about education reform, climate change, and human rights, they differ significantly in how they define activism and what protest methods they find acceptable.

The findings highlight an important disconnect: activists tend to reserve the term “activism” for deeply committed engagement, while non-activist students embrace broader definitions that include volunteering and awareness-raising. More critically, while activists often support radical tactics, non-activist students express disapproval of disruptive methods like blocking traffic or defacing public spaces. This negative perception of certain activist tactics may actually discourage wider youth participation, even among those who support the underlying causes.