Youth, Citizenship, Sense of Belonging in a 'Brexitised' England

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At the Brexit referendum in 2016, a tight majority of the British population voted for Great Britain to leave the European Union (EU) while an equally tight minority would have liked to remain member of the EU. Therefore, this decision divides the British people with half on either side of the line. Brexit can be considered as a 'symptom' of a long-term process of political change that is characterised by the shaping of public opinion, political events, and the competition of political parties in Great Britain and other democracies in Europe and worldwide. Considering the changes and uncertainties Great Britain has been facing since the Brexit referendum, it is of particular interest to analyse students’ perspectives on societal participation, as they are being educated and prepared to participate in a democratic society at a time of extreme political uncertainty and change. By conducting a case study in England, the meaning of Brexit and other context related phenomena will be related to youth participation in societal processes in this study. Thus, it is taken into consideration that the subjects of this study are embedded in school education, which prepares them for their future participation in the labour market, political and cultural life. The proposed project will provide an in-depth analysis of the way in which young people perceive citizenship, possibilities of societal engagement and sense of belonging. As part of the research grant, 17 group interviews were conducted with 89 students aged 16-18. Theories on citizenship, citizenship education and sense of belonging provide the theoretical framework for this study. The overall goal will be to develop an empirically based theory of social participation that takes the diversity of young people and the circumstances offered by contextual and school factors into account. The study will provide a necessary foundation for future projects that involve comparative education research on youth participation.