How do young people in Norway understand responsible citizenship?

There is no shortage of research focusing on youth and citizenship, with a frequent topic being our younger generations’ interest as well as ability and willingness to participate in society. A society – whether determined by borders, formal membership, or sense of belonging – cannot function without its members’ dedication to maintaining and developing the community. Hence it is useful to learn about how our future voters are viewing their roles and responsibilities. Amongst renown scholars, Putnam (2016) has expressed concern about young people’s participation in politics; particularly in elections in the U.S.A. Statistics and reports from different Western countries, like Norway, also indicate that election participation rates are lower than desired amongst our younger generations. According to numbers from Statistics Norway (2023), election participation in the last few national and municipal elections was lower for the second-time voters (aged 20-24) than any other age group. More first-timers (aged 18-19) voted in the same elections, but the participation rates were still below average. Regardless of the concern for voter turnout, it has been suggested that today’s younger generations are finding new ways of taking an interest and participating in society. Or, in other words, they are finding that there are more ways than one to be a responsible citizen. According to Dalton (2015), younger generations are more focused on acceptance and solidarity beyond their immediate communities; they think critically and question authorities; and they participate through other channels such as organisations. In Norway, taking part in demonstrations was the favoured participation channel amongst citizens aged 16-24 in 2020 (Dalen & Arnesen, 2020). My upcoming Ph.D. monograph explores this perception that there may be several ways to be a responsible citizen. At the ECPR General Conference 2024 I therefore wish to present some select findings from my data collection, which was conducted through visits to social science classes in upper secondary schools in different parts of Norway. A total of 163 pupils participated by completing a 14-page work-booklet, which was based on didactic principles and consisted of a series of varied qualitative and quantitative tasks. Their responses have provided an interesting and valuable insight into what they believe are the most important acts of a responsible citizen; how a responsible citizen should think and prioritise; and what kind of values and virtues a responsible citizen should have.