Coming Democratic Citizens - A Proposition

This paper sets out to investigate the delicate relationship between political learning and burgeoning political identity among young people in contemporary times. This is done within the context of political engagement among upper secondary students and their political learning.
Why after all study political identity among young people? Because political identities are changing as a consequence of societal and structural changes, and as a result of new technologies and ways of communicating. How are they changing? They are changing according to new state discourses as well as new participatory roles. Moreover, are such identities susceptible? Can democratic political identities be developed and nurtured? Further, is this desirable after all? These are the questions and topics laid out and dealt with (more or less adequately and successfully) in the realm of this paper. The aim is to gain knowledge of analyses of political engagement and action among young people, and to investigate into the political identity construction and possibilities for political learning through political participation. The underlying argument is that political learning relates to the development of political knowledge and skills, self-esteem and a broader set of interests and understandings. Political identity in this conception thus develops through empowerment processes and through the subjective acquisition of political roles offered by the state.
A political-developmental framework building on analyses is established in order to understand the forming of contemporary political identities, which includes examining the prerequisites of democratic citizenship and political engagement.
The conclusion sums up the discussion and argues that we need a broader sociological theory explaining political learning in order to understand the complex and vigorous links between on the one side burgeoning political knowledge and awareness, and on the other side new manifestations of democratic political identities.