Types of Youth Participation in Croatian Society

Young people are a part of the general population that is an indispensable resource for society’s survival and development. Research on young people in Croatia since the 1990s indicates their insufficient social participation. In recent years, research increasingly shows that young people are dissatisfied with the characteristics of modern Croatian society—especially apparent in their lack of trust in institutions—and have low levels of social participation. We intend to carry out this scientific research project in two contrasting social contexts: in Zagreb, as the urban centre of Croatian youth immigration processes, and on the Croatian islands as a peripheral context marked by the continuous emigration of youth. In addition to project lead dr. sc. Marko Mustapić, eleven scientists from the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, and one scientist each from the Croatian Institute of History, the University of Manchester (UK), and Wako University in Tokyo (Japan) will also participate in the project. In addition to these scientists, the president of the Pokret otoka association, an educator from the Croatian Debate Society, a secondary school teacher from Zagreb, and the curator of the Marco Polo Centre in Korčula will also participate. Beginning with the theoretical interpretations of the social participation of youth (Pilkington et al., 2018; Pitti et al., 2021), the general goal of the project is to research social participation in two contrasting Croatian contexts—Zagreb and the Croatian islands. We will place a special emphasis on forms of participation in which young people do not use conventional, institutionalised types of political and social activism, but rather participate on the basis of emotionality, resistance, rebellion, and social innovation (Perasović et al., 2023). Specifically, we will research how youth participation in Zagreb and on the islands arises and what forms it takes in interaction with other social groups. In these terms, the specific goals of the project are as follows: o Research the determinants of secondary school students’ social participation o Research young people’s experiences with social participation in the formal context o Research young people’s social participation in the informal context o Analyse existing examples of bottom-up youth social activism o Affirm the differences and similarities between the social participation of young people through a synthesis of ethnographically collected data o Research intergenerational differences in youth social participation o Research migration as a radical form of youth social participation in the second half of the 20th century Additionally, this scientific project also has a pragmatic purpose. Including outside associates in the project and connecting them with the young people involved will allow the cultural, educational, and ecological organisations partnering with the TYPeS project to work more efficiently and will encourage the development of democratic culture, dialogue, and youth social participation. The research will involve various methodological tools: a written survey based on samples of Year 3 and Year 4 students at secondary schools in Zagreb (N=300) and on the islands (N=300); semi-structured individual interviews in island towns (N=20) and in Zagreb (N=20) and one ethnography each describing a chosen formal organisation for youth on the islands and in Zagreb; one ethnography each describing an informal activist group on the islands and in Zagreb; in-depth interviews with key individuals in the ethnographic studies; semi-structured interviews with young people (15-29; N=20) and their older family members (60+; N=20) to affirm intergenerational differences; meta-ethnographic synthesis of data collected through the ethnographies on the islands and in Zagreb; an analysis of archival material available at the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb and the Korčula-Lastovo Archival Centre in Žrnovo. The planned outcome of the project includes 15 scientific publications, ten of which will be referenced in the Scopus and/or Wos databases. Of these, two will be co-authored with foreign project partners. In addition to these publications, one scientific monograph on the topic and the results of empirical research will also be published.In addition to the published works, at least 20 presentations will be held at international scientific conferences. One successful application in cooperation with foreign partners for an international grant is also planned (Horizon Europe, Erasmus, or HERA). In this context, there will also be participation with the home universities of the foreign project partners in the form of the mobility of one project partner employed at our institute for at least one month.The project will also result in a publicly accessible database with the collected data and accompanying documentation from the survey of young people, which other researchers will be able to use. PROJECT ASSOCIATES dr. sc. Benjamin Perasović Scientific advisor with tenure Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Hilary Pilkington Full professor University of Manchester dr. sc. Toshiya Ueno Full Professor Wako University, Tokyo dr. sc. Renata Franc Scientific advisor with tenure Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Rašeljka Krnić Senior research associate Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Ivan Hrstić Senior research associate Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Dražen Šimleša Research associate Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Josip Mihaljević Research associate Croatian Institute of History, Zagreb dr. sc. Dino Vukušić Senior research assistant Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Augustin Derado Senior research assistant Ivo Pilar Institute, Split Vanja Dergić Research assistant Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb Marija Antić Research assistant Ivo Pilar Institute, Zagreb dr. sc. Andrej Ivan Nuredinović Research assistant Marija Neralić Ivo Pilar Institute Maja Jurišić President and project manager of Pokret otoka (Island Movement) Pokret otoka, Stomorska (Šolta) mr. sc. Vicko Marelić Curator, head of the Marco Polo Centre – Korčula City Museum Korčula City Museum Gabrijela Martić Educator from the Croatian Debate Society Croatian Debate Society, Zagreb Nikola Švenda Teacher of sociology and philosophy Lucijan Vranjanin Gymnasium, Zagreb Antonija Roić Kristina Dobra