| dc.description.abstract | Since the Ancient times, the concept of citizenship has been developed and played an important role in the lives of people. Under social movements, the contemporary interpretations and conceptualisations of citizenship has changed significantly in order to include various groups of people in the social, civil and political processes. The question about children and young people’s citizenship has emerged in the light of Childhood Studies that recognised them as marginalised group of the society. Approaching young people as political agents who participate in the construction of social reality along adults, this research project focuses on young people’s perceptions and experiences of citizenship in the Ukrainian context. The group interviews, mapping and participants observation have been used in order to provide an opportunity for young people to express their opinions regarding citizenship. Taking into consideration the historical realities within which young people live, the generated data was analysed for the purpose to understand how young people see and experience citizenship in Ukraine. This master thesis demonstrates how the intergenerational negotiations and relations are essential in shaping the views and experiences of young people and citizenship. It shows the ambiguity of power relations between young people and adults in the sense that while the society with strong adultist norms prohibits young people to access certain participatory rights, adults in their personal life enhance their participation by inviting them into participatory spaces and actions. Moreover, the study shows that young people’s perceptions and experiences of citizenship are affected by the socio-political, economic and cultural factors. Therefore, there is a need to approach young people’s citizenship through more inclusive models of citizenship in order to recognise their citizenship status. | |
