What's in It for Them? A Developmental Science Perspective on Adolescent Climate Activism
Judith van de Wetering, Katharine Lee · 2026
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Description
van de Wetering and Lee interviewed 11 Dutch teen climate activists aged 14 to 18. Through growth science, they sought to learn what young people get out of striking for the climate. Millions of teens have joined school strikes calling for action. The authors probed how activism connects to identity formation and age-salient motives.
Three themes fell out of the interviews. They were held online between September 2022 and 2023, with six female, two male, one non-binary, and two undisclosed teens. Activism was driven by wanting to build a just world. Accounts spanned solidarity with future generations and the Global South. It also worked as the teens' own choice, helping them explore and express who they are during the teen years. Finally, activism created a felt bond with some others, though not all. The authors suggest backing such involvement, since it channels teen growth needs well.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Judith van de Wetering, Katharine Lee |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |