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Social Identity and Risk Perception Explain Participation in the Swiss Youth Climate Strikes

Author

Listed:
  • Adrian Brügger

    (Department of Consumer Behaviour, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Moritz Gubler

    (Institute for Research, Development and Evaluation, Bern University of Teacher Education, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Katharine Steentjes

    (Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
    Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK)

  • Stuart B. Capstick

    (Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
    Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK)

Abstract

Since late 2018, young people around the world have united to demand greater action on climate change. Aside from their stated concerns and demands, however, very little is known about why young people have been joining this growing movement. Using a large sample ( N = 4057) of people in Switzerland aged between 14 and 25, we show that social identity is most strongly associated with participation, followed by beliefs about the effectiveness of youth strikes, level of education, and worry about climate change. Our findings affirm the relevance of both climate change risk perceptions and social identity-related processes for collective climate change action, and pave the way for promising opportunities in theory development and integration. The study also provides lessons for those who seek to maintain and increase collective action on climate change: concern about climate change is an important motivating factor, but social identity processes are at least as relevant for young people’s participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Brügger & Moritz Gubler & Katharine Steentjes & Stuart B. Capstick, 2020. "Social Identity and Risk Perception Explain Participation in the Swiss Youth Climate Strikes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:24:p:10605-:d:464501
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Renan de Almeida Barbosa & Christoph Randler & José Vicente Lima Robaina, 2021. "Values and Environmental Knowledge of Student Participants of Climate Strikes: A Comparative Perspective between Brazil and Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Patrick Lehnert & Harald Pfeifer, 2024. "Environmental Awareness and Occupational Choices of Adolescents," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0231, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    4. Harriet Thew & Lucie Middlemiss & Jouni Paavola, 2022. "“You Need a Month’s Holiday Just to Get over It!” Exploring Young People’s Lived Experiences of the UN Climate Change Negotiations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Viktoriia Tomnyuk & Giuseppe Varavallo & Tania Parisi & Filippo Barbera, 2023. "All Shades of Green: The Anatomy of the Fridays for Future Movement in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Christian Huggel & Laurens M. Bouwer & Sirkku Juhola & Reinhard Mechler & Veruska Muccione & Ben Orlove & Ivo Wallimann-Helmer, 2022. "The existential risk space of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 1-20, September.

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