Humanitarian Engagement in Adolescence: A Qualitative study of Humanitarian Engagement in Western Adolescence with a focus on Online Engagement
Author
Pedersen, Pernille
Term
4. term
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-07-31
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan globalisering og sociale medier former unges humanitære engagement, med særligt fokus på, hvordan vestlige teenagere forstår og praktiserer online deltagelse. Med udgangspunkt i debatten om, hvorvidt online handlinger som delinger, underskrifter og “likes” udgør meningsfuld aktivisme eller blot “clicktivism”, stilles forskningsspørgsmålet: Hvorfor engagerer vestlige unge sig i humanitært arbejde, og hvordan forstår de online engagement? Studiet er forankret i et socialkonstruktivistisk perspektiv og ser humanitært engagement som menings- og praksisser, der skabes gennem sociale interaktioner. Empirisk bygger projektet på kvalitative, semistrukturerede interviews med 15-17-årige elever på Dronninglund Efterskole i Danmark samt eksplorativ online-undersøgelse blandt unge brugere på Tumblr. Analysen søger at belyse, hvordan unge prioriterer humanitært arbejde i hverdagen, hvilke motiver der driver dem, og hvordan de vægter online former for engagement i forhold til mere traditionelle aktiviteter. Uddraget her præsenterer baggrund, metode og teoretisk ramme, men indeholder ikke empiriske resultater; afhandlingen sigter mod at nuancere forståelsen af unges humanitære deltagelse og den rolle, digitale platforme spiller i deres engagement.
This thesis explores how globalization and social media shape adolescents’ humanitarian engagement, with a particular focus on how Western teenagers understand and practice online participation. Framed by debates over whether online acts such as sharing, petitions, and “likes” constitute meaningful activism or mere “clicktivism,” the study asks: Why do Western adolescents engage in humanitarianism, and how do they understand online engagement? Adopting a social constructivist perspective that views humanitarianism as meanings and practices co-created through social interaction, the research uses qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 15–17-year-old students at Dronninglund Efterskole in Denmark, complemented by exploratory online research among adolescent users of Tumblr. The analysis examines how adolescents prioritize humanitarian action in everyday life, what motivates them, and how they weigh online forms of engagement against more traditional activities. This excerpt outlines the background, methodology, and theoretical framework but does not report empirical findings; the thesis aims to provide nuanced insight into adolescents’ humanitarian participation and the role digital platforms play in their engagement.
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