Dr. Félix Krawatzek and Prof. Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse

Attitudes, Political Engagement, and Transnational Linkages of Young People in Eastern Europe

Dr. Félix Krawatzek and Prof. Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse

Attitudes, Political Engagement, and Transnational Linkages of Young People in Eastern Europe

Outside the Belarusian Embassy in St Petersburg, young people take part in a protest to express solidarity with Belarusian opposition activists. IMAGO / ITAR-TASS

Project description

Based on a number of online surveys conducted across Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Latvia), this project taps into the attitudes, behaviour, and transnational linkages of a young generation that has not yet been empirically studied. These surveys allow us to detect larger patterns in the way young people perceive the political and social worlds they inhabit, how they identify with their countries’ pasts, and what aspirations they have for their own futures. In the official discourse of many countries in the region, youth plays an important role as a resource and a projection screen. Young people have been shown to be loyal to the regime and to identify with conservative values, but they have also been at the forefront of the mobilisation against autocratic structures. In Russia, but also in Belarus, Poland and Ukraine, the young generation can be understood as positioned between these two poles. The project looks at a range of issues, including the level of political interest, knowledge, and public engagement of young people, their sources of information, personal networks, expectations, trust, and values.

Methodology

  • Preparing and carrying out surveys among young people
  • Analysing the survey data generated by this project and third parties

Key questions

  • What political views, social values and expectations are typical of the young generation in Eastern Europe?
  • What factors influence the attitudes of young people in Eastern Europe?
  • What role do their international contacts play, for example?

Project coordination

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Director
Einstein Professor for the Comparative Study of Democracy and Authoritarianism at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin