The master's thesis deals with the topic of political participation of young people in Slovenia, understanding political participation much more broadly than merely voting or being involved in a political party. It views it as a process that "encompasses both individual and collective values and actions (both offline and online) in public and private spaces, with the intentional goal of preserving or changing political, social, and environmental contexts within communities, on a local, national, or global level" (Pickard, 2019, p. 61). Due to the narrow view of political participation, young people are often still perceived as one of the groups disinterested in broader social issues, and they are sometimes even labeled as politically apathetic. Despite the changing lifestyles of young people, the prolongation of youth, and uncertain transitions to adulthood, young people do not retreat solely into their private lives but also address various social issues, such as climate change, consumption, the negative effects of capitalism, and other topics relevant to the broader social environment. The thesis is based on the assumption that young people today are politically active, despite the low turnout in elections, as they address social issues in various ways. The aim of the empirical part of the thesis is to explore how young people address social issues, which topics motivate them to engage politically, and which forms of political participation are more appealing to them and why. The thesis also focuses on how young people understand and define political participation and what it means to them in connection with political engagement. In-depth interviews with young people aged between 18 and 29 reveal that they are involved in the political life of society in diverse ways, contributing their (free) time and knowledge to respond to social issues, and thus actively co-create the social space. In doing so, they understand politics and political participation much more broadly and do not limit themselves to engagement within governmental structures. The master's thesis thus offers a deeper understanding of the political engagement of young people, who often find opportunities for change and reshaping society in informal spaces of engagement.
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