Carles Feixa

Global citizenship and the ‘New, New’ social movements Iberian connections

The past two decades have witnessed the rise of a new global cycle of collective action not only organized through the Internet and made visible during mass pro-test events, but also locally shaped by diverse organizations, networks, platforms and groups. Focusing on specific cases in two Iberian cities — Barcelona and Lisbon — we argue that this protest cycle has given rise to new kinds of movements referred to here as ‘new, new’ social movements. We analyze particular aspects of each case, but also discuss their European and global dimensions. The article will also highlight the role of youth, discussing the characteristics associated with the participation of young people in the ‘new, new’ movements. After a short introduction to the research on this topic, focusing on the emergence of the ‘anti-corporate globalization movement’ and related theoretical implications, we provide a description of four protest events in Barcelona and Lisbon. Next, we analyze the local contexts that anchor these events. Finally, we discuss the main characteristics of the ‘new, new’ social movements, examining the links between Barcelona and Lisbon and the wider international context that shapes them and paying particular attention to contemporary networking dynamics.

O conceito de geração nas teorias sobre juventude

Desde Augusto Comte e Karl Mannheim (mas tambem desde Jose Ortega y Gasset e Antonio Gramsci), o conceito de geracao tem sido um tema relevante nas ciencias humanas e sociais. Como metafora para a construcao social do tempo, tem sido uma das categorias mais influentes nao so no debate teorico, mas tambem no impacto publico das pesquisas sobre juventude. Mesmo que o uso e abuso do conceito esteja enraizado no contexto europeu no periodo entre a Grande Guerra e a Segunda Guerra Mundial, tem sido relevante nos debates ideologicos e politicos de outras regioes. Este artigo representa uma tentativa de repensar o conceito de geracao a partir de uma perspectiva historica, destacando-se sua relevância para os debates contemporâneos sobre juventude.

El concepto de generación en las teorías sobre la juventud

Desde Auguste Compte y Karl Mannheim —pero tambien desde Jose Ortega y Gasset y Antonio Gramsci—, el concepto de generacion ha sido un tema relevante en las ciencias sociales y las humanidades. Como metafora de la construccion social del tiempo ha sido una de las categorias mas influyentes, no solo en el debate teorico sino tambien en la esfera publica de la investigacion sobre juventud. Aunque los usos y abusos que ha tenido el concepto estan bien enraizados en el contexto europeo durante el periodo entre las dos guerra mundiales, ha tenido importancia en los debates ideologicos y politicos de otras regiones. Este articulo es un intento de retomar el concepto de generacion desde una perspectiva historica, subrayando su importancia en los debates contemporaneos sobre juventud

Young people and youth policies in Spain in times of austerity: between juggling and the trapeze

The aim of this article is to present and discuss the situation regarding young people and youth policy in Spain via the parameters of the magic triangle linking policy, research and action: (1) the situation of young people in Spain today – some indicators are highlighted regarding the main challenges and opportunities for young people, with references to the so-called ‘Ni-Nis’ (neither studying nor working) and the movement of the ‘outraged’ youth that occupied the streets of Spains major cities in May 2011; (2) the current approaches adopted by public youth policies in Spain and limitations and difficulties encountered by the government in attempting to meet the demands of young people; (3) social work with young people and professionals involved in youth policies. In the last section, we conclude with some open questions and proposals for the immediate future.

DE LA GENERACIÓN X A LA GENERACIÓN @. TRAZOS TRANSICIONALES E IDENTIDADES JUVENILES EN AMÉRICA LATINA

Resumen es: En este articulo se discute la existencia de una generacion @ en America Latina. A partir de cinco casos de jovenes latinoamericanos -indios, migran-tes,...En este articulo se discute la existencia de una generacion @ en America Latina. A partir de cinco casos de jovenes latinoamericanos indios, migrantes, pinguinos, generacion 2.0 y trendsetters , problematizamos la nocion misma de generacion en los contextos sociopoliticos y culturales de la region. Identificamos algunos rasgos transicionales de la llamada generacion X a la generacion @ a partir de las identidades juveniles latinoamericanas que evocan empalmes o palimpsestos en las propias subjetividades de los actores que desde la politica, el consumo, la desigual incorporacion tecnologica, la migracion y la neorruralidad dibujan las peculiaridades generacionales latinoamericanas.

Introduction: Youth Studies in Latin America—On Social Actors, Public Policies and New Citizenships

Youth Studies in Latin America is a field that combines different traditions and approaches developed throughout almost a century. These traditions can be roughly grouped as political and social commentary and analysis, the development of ‘expert’ knowledge to inform the design of social policies or interventions on the situation of vulnerable and disadvantaged youth and critical/cultural studies in search of new social arrangements, where new politics of recognition, dialogue, democracy and citizenship can take place. We present this text as a wider context for the articles that comprise this special issue on youth studies with contributions from Argentina, Chile, Colombia and México.

Youth, Space and Time

This book engages with the experience of space and time in youth cultures across the world. Putting together contemporary case studies on young cosmopolitans, young glocals and young protesters in cities on five continents, it analyzes new agoras in global cities.

Being Heard or Being Seen

Any contemporary analysis of the themes around active citizenship should be placed within the social and political context of increasing globalization and transnationalism.

The “indignant” pilgrim: Cultural narratives of crisis and renewal in the 15M movement in Spain

ABSTRACT On Saturday July 23, 2011, Guillermo, a young student from Lleida (Catalonia, Spain), who had been camping out since the beginning of the 15M movement, arrived in Madrid after walking over 450 kilometers, in one of the six columns that had crossed the Iberian Peninsula during the previous weeks. The “Popular Indignant March” had been conceived as an original way of rounding off the occupations of hundreds of squares throughout Spain, their objective being Puerta del Sol in Madrid, the first square to be occupied. On the way, which was from the urban periphery toward the center, passing by the rural Spanish plateau, the populations claims and complaints were to be gathered and taken to the agora of the participatory democracy. The experience of having groups of people walking from different origins with a common destination evokes the classical anthropological experience of the religious pilgrimage. Spains best example is the Camino de Santiago, which has attracted thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe since the Middle Ages. When we ask Guillermo about this parallelism, he denies any spiritual content, although his account of Camino de Sol is like the fulfillment of a civic promise, the ritualization of a festive and revindicative appropriation of the territory, the colonization of a terra incognita that they had taken over two months before, on 15M, when the hashtag #spanishrevolution became a trending topic within the social networks. The article relates this experience to the narratives of the 15M movement and to the situation of young people in Spain in times of crisis.

Jóvenes y confianza política en un contexto de desestabilización social e institucional. Un estudio comparativo en países de la cuenca del Mediterráneo

In recent years and in the North and South of the Mediterranean have emerged several youth protest movements against political and economic institutions, whi...