Digital Activism

The aim of this international & interdisciplinary research team of early career researchers and PhD students from the Czech Republic & Hungary is to study the civic engagement of children and youth (under 18-year olds) and the skills needed for digital activism through the following: 

1) analysis of online public discourse on and representations of civic activities of youth involved in the #ClimateStrike minors-led movement with the use of content & discourse analysis methods exploring norms related to youth civic participation;

2) digital ethnography and participatory action research used within media literacy research to comprehend minors’ views on civic engagement and the digital skills needed to participate. By fusing these two we will create an innovative theoretical & methodological framework to research children’s civic engagement in global issues. With an increased EU interest in the digital transformation of societies, we will offer a framework for liaising with scholars, activists and policymakers.

This project has been funded by Charles University through the Primus Research Programme.

The project builds upon eight work packages (WP), with each WP having its own timeline, planning and aims:

WP 1: literature review and planning
WP 2: divided into two phases, qualitative analysis of online contributions based on coding (2.1) and quantitative content analysis (2.2). WP 2.1: qualitative coding of mainstream media content online related to children-led civic engagement in climate change issues in Czechia and Hungary. We will map various digital environments and online content. WP 2.2 Quantitative content analysis measuring the prevalence of previously identified frames and discursive positions, the presence of actors and themes in the media content.
WP 3: Multimodal analysis of civically active youth’s own online activity. Through digital ethnography we will explore the discursive features of their activism and self-presentation within the diverse forms of online communication used by youth on their social media sites (Instagram/Facebook).
WP 4: Data analysis.
WP 5: In the participatory action research phase we will co-research with children their peers’ attitude towards online civic activism and what they see as essential skills to become civic actors. The phase will end with a discussion on their findings and recommendations on minors’ civic engagement and digital literacy skills needed to participate.
WP 6: Data analysis with two levels; (a) contextual (country-specific) and comparative, and (b) contextual (EU-specific) and synthetising.
WP 7: Coalescing collected data, developing a complex theoretical and methodological framework for future international and interdisciplinary research.
WP 8: Organising international roundtable discussion together with the activists, external advisors and policymakers