Youth involvement in activism: exploring the nexus between political instrumentality and emotional comfort. A study of young Catalan pro-independence supporters

Abstract

This article explores the factors that influence the entry and engagement of young people in social movements or youth political organisations. Focusing on a case study of young activists from the Catalan Left Independence movement —specifically members of Arran in the Poblenou neighbourhood of Barcelona— it examines their activist trajectories, including processes of mobilisation, involvement, and, in some cases, disengagement. The research spans the period from 2011 to 2016, with follow-up conducted between 2017 and 2019, amidst politically significant contexts shaped by the 2008 economic crisis and the emergence of a protest cycle marked by the rise of the independence movement, the 15-M movement, and the feminist movement. Using 27 in-depth interviews and over a dozen participant observations, the study identifies various political, psychosocial, and emotional factors influencing activism engagement. The findings propose a novel approach to understanding these dynamics, configured between emotional comfort and political instrumentality during phases of entry, involvement, and subjectivation in activism. This framework offers valuable insights into the processes of mobilisation preceding the emergence of protest cycles, contributing to the broader scholarship on social and political movements.