What difference does it make? Exploring the transformative potential of everyday climate crisis activism by children and youth

Abstract

Given the enormity of the climate crisis, the transformative potential of ‘everyday’ activism is often questioned. In this theoretical discussion, I explore the real-world significance of everyday activism by children and youth. First, I emphasize the need for top-down policy change as well as bottom-up cultural shifts. Next, I describe the significance of young people’s everyday activism through the lens of countercultures, while highlighting agency-limiting practices common in present-day formal educational settings. Lastly, I call for participatory and arts-based approaches in facilitating youths’ everyday climate crisis activism, noting its potential micro-level benefits and its relationship to macro-level social change.