Young People and Politics: Activism or Apathy? (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Young People and Politics: Activism or Apathy?
Introduction
This topic explores whether young people in the Hispanic world are politically active or apathetic. You'll examine the political attitudes of Spanish and Latin American youth, considering their engagement with politics, voting, and activism. Understanding these perspectives is essential for discussing contemporary society in the Spanish-speaking world.
This topic is particularly relevant for understanding modern Spanish-speaking societies, as youth political engagement often reflects broader social changes and challenges within these countries.
Growing political interest among Spanish youth
A significant study by the Centro Reina Sofía investigated how young people perceive society and the political system. Through an online survey of 808 young people aged 18-25, researchers identified an important shift in political engagement.
The data revealed a clear upward trend. In 2008, only 27% of young Spaniards admitted that politics interested them quite a bit or a great deal. By the end of 2014, this figure had risen to 41%. This represents a substantial increase in political awareness among Spanish youth. The researchers suggested that if a larger sample had been taken, the percentage might have been even higher.
The 14 percentage point increase over six years (2008-2014) represents a significant shift in youth political consciousness. This change coincided with economic crisis and social movements in Spain, which may have contributed to increased political awareness.
This growth raises an important question: will political interest continue to increase over the next five years, or will it remain stable?
Three profiles of youth political engagement
The Centro Reina Sofía identified three distinct profiles based on how young people engage with politics. Each profile represents a different approach to citizenship and political participation.
Understanding these three profiles is crucial for analyzing youth political behavior in Spain. Note that nearly half of young people fall into the "politically active" category, challenging the stereotype of youth apathy.
Activistas politizados (politically active activists)
This group represents 46.1% of young people – nearly one in two. These young people regularly use the internet and identify with this profile. They distrust conventional politics and strongly advocate for alternative forms of citizen participation. They favour direct action and persuasion, sometimes including controversial activities. Their activism has a strong ideological element, often leaning towards the left. They primarily express their activism online, using it as a tool for political action and information gathering.
Conservador institucionalista (institutional conservative)
Making up 36.7% of young people, this profile tends towards stability in the political and social system. They focus on professional development and view politics from a more instrumental perspective. They support strong, stable, and secure governments. They accept the need to maintain the existing political game and participate in traditional elections. This group values institutional channels and conventional political participation.
Individualista pasivo (passive individualist)
This is the smallest group at 17.2%. These young people distance themselves from collective movements and are described as more materialistic than others. They see the internet as an important tool but use it less for civic engagement. They have little confidence in citizen movements and don't feel the need to participate in communal activities.
Essential vocabulary: politics and activism
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el activismo | activism |
| la apatía | apathy |
| los jóvenes | young people |
| la política | politics |
| votar | to vote |
| las elecciones | elections |
| el partido político | political party |
| el gobierno | government |
| el/la presidente/a | president |
| el interés político | political interest |
| la manifestación | demonstration/protest |
| el sistema político | political system |
| la encuesta | survey |
| el porcentaje | percentage |
Example sentences
Los jóvenes activistas organizan manifestaciones cada mes. (Young activists organise demonstrations every month.)
El porcentaje de jóvenes que votan ha aumentado en los últimos años. (The percentage of young people who vote has increased in recent years.)
Muchos estudiantes no confían en el sistema político tradicional. (Many students don't trust the traditional political system.)
Las elecciones presidenciales generan mucho interés entre la juventud. (Presidential elections generate a lot of interest among young people.)
Es importante participar en política para cambiar la sociedad. (It's important to participate in politics to change society.)
Key vocabulary: describing political attitudes
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el/la activista | activist |
| el conservador | conservative |
| el individualista | individualist |
| comprometido/a | committed/engaged |
| desinteresado/a | uninterested |
| materialista | materialistic |
| alejado/a de | distant from |
| conciencia política | political awareness |
| el movimiento ciudadano | citizens' movement |
| la participación | participation |
| las redes sociales | social networks |
| el cambio político | political change |
| desconfiar de | to distrust |
| apoyar | to support |
Example sentences in context
Los activistas politizados desconfían de la política convencional. (Politically active activists distrust conventional politics.)
El conservador institucionalista apoya gobiernos fuertes y estables. (The institutional conservative supports strong and stable governments.)
El individualista pasivo está alejado de los movimientos colectivos. (The passive individualist is distant from collective movements.)
Cada vez más jóvenes están comprometidos con el cambio social. (More and more young people are committed to social change.)
Las redes sociales se han convertido en herramientas de participación política. (Social networks have become tools for political participation.)
Youth activism in Latin America
Political engagement among young people in Latin America takes various forms. Many young Latin Americans have developed strong political awareness in recent years, participating in student movements and political parties.
Notable examples include activists such as Manuel Velasco, Jorge Emilio González, and Camila Vallejo. Gabriel Boric became a leader of the student movement in Chile. Yon Goicoechea studied law and became politically active. The Venezuelan Student Movement emerged in 2007, and the Green Ecological Party of Mexico has won many elections throughout its history.
These activists represent different political ideologies and approaches across the political spectrum, from left to right. What unites them is their youth and their commitment to engaging with political issues affecting their countries, demonstrating that young people in Latin America are far from apathetic.
These activists represent different political ideologies and approaches, but they share a commitment to engaging with political issues affecting their countries.
Vocabulary: political movements and change
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el movimiento estudiantil | student movement |
| el líder | leader |
| carismático/a | charismatic |
| influyente | influential |
| graduarse | to graduate |
| el derecho | law (subject) |
| totalmente gratuito | completely free |
| la calidad | quality |
| el paro | unemployment |
| la desigualdad | inequality |
| el racismo | racism |
| las condiciones laborales | working conditions |
| la justicia | justice |
| tomar parte en | to take part in |
Example sentences demonstrating usage
El movimiento estudiantil chileno protestó contra el alto coste de la educación. (The Chilean student movement protested against the high cost of education.)
Gabriel Boric es un líder carismático e influyente en Chile. (Gabriel Boric is a charismatic and influential leader in Chile.)
Muchos activistas jóvenes se preocupan por la desigualdad y el paro. (Many young activists worry about inequality and unemployment.)
Los estudiantes exigen un sistema de educación totalmente gratuito y de calidad. (Students demand a completely free and quality education system.)
Los jóvenes políticos se graduaron en derecho antes de empezar su carrera. (The young politicians graduated in law before starting their career.)
Grammar focus: compound tenses (tiempos compuestos)
Compound tenses are essential for discussing past political events and hypothetical situations. They're formed using an auxiliary verb (haber) plus a past participle.
Compound tenses allow you to express complex time relationships and hypothetical scenarios, which is particularly important when discussing political events and their consequences.
The pluperfect tense (pretérito pluscuamperfecto)
This tense describes actions that happened before another past action. It's formed with the imperfect of haber + past participle.
Worked Example: Using the Pluperfect
Si Paula hubiera sido menos materialista no se habría alejado de los colectivos. (If Paula had been less materialistic, she wouldn't have distanced herself from the collectives.)
Analysis:
- hubiera sido = pluperfect subjunctive (condition)
- habría alejado = conditional perfect (result)
Los manifestantes no han llegado todavía. La policía había retrasado la manifestación. (The protesters haven't arrived yet. The police had delayed the demonstration.)
Analysis:
- había retrasado = pluperfect (action that happened before the protesters' arrival)
The conditional perfect (condicional perfecto)
This expresses what would have happened under different circumstances. It's formed with the conditional of haber + past participle.
Worked Example: Conditional Perfect in Context
Tuvimos que cambiar la decisión que hemos tomado media hora antes. (We had to change the decision we had made half an hour earlier.)
Analysis:
- hemos tomado = present perfect (action completed in the recent past)
- This sentence shows how compound tenses express time relationships
The pluperfect subjunctive (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)
Used in conditional sentences and after certain expressions. It's formed with the imperfect subjunctive of haber + past participle.
Worked Example: Pluperfect Subjunctive in Hypothetical Situations
Si hubieran llevado a cabo la encuesta hace dos años, el resultado no habría sido tan optimista. (If they had carried out the survey two years ago, the result wouldn't have been so optimistic.)
Analysis:
- hubieran llevado = pluperfect subjunctive (hypothetical condition in the past)
- habría sido = conditional perfect (hypothetical result)
¿Habéis pensado en las posibles consecuencias de vuestras acciones subversivas antes de hacerlas? (Had you thought about the possible consequences of your subversive actions before doing them?)
Analysis:
- habéis pensado = present perfect (asking about completed action)
- Used to question whether an action was completed before another action
Common mistakes and tips
Mistake 1: Confusing político and política
- Político (adjective/noun, masculine) = political / politician
- Política (noun, feminine) = politics / policy / politician (female)
- Correct: La política española está cambiando. (Spanish politics is changing.)
- Incorrect: El política española está cambiando.
Mistake 2: Gender agreement with activista
The word activista can be masculine or feminine depending on the person.
- Correct: el activista joven / la activista joven
- Incorrect: la activista joven (when referring to a male)
Mistake 3: Using wrong tense in "if" clauses
When discussing hypothetical past situations, use the pluperfect subjunctive in the "if" clause and conditional perfect in the main clause.
- Correct: Si hubieran votado, habrían cambiado el resultado. (If they had voted, they would have changed the result.)
- Incorrect: Si votaran, cambiarían el resultado. (This refers to present/future, not past.)
Pronunciation tip
The word jóvenes is pronounced HO-veh-nes (with the stress on the first syllable). Don't forget that j in Spanish sounds like the h in "hello" but stronger, almost like clearing your throat.
Tip for using desconfiar
The verb desconfiar (to distrust) is followed by de:
- Correct: Los jóvenes desconfían de los partidos políticos. (Young people distrust political parties.)
- Incorrect: Los jóvenes desconfían los partidos políticos.
False friend alert
Manifestación means demonstration/protest, not "manifestation" in the English sense of showing or displaying something abstract.
- Correct: Hubo una manifestación en la plaza principal. (There was a demonstration in the main square.)
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
-
Three youth profiles exist: activistas politizados (46.1%), conservador institucionalista (36.7%), and individualista pasivo (17.2%). Each represents a different approach to political engagement.
-
Political interest is growing: Among Spanish youth, interest in politics increased from 27% (2008) to 41% (2014), showing greater civic awareness.
-
Latin American youth are active: Student movements and young political leaders have emerged across Latin America, addressing issues like education costs, inequality, and social justice.
-
Compound tenses matter: Master the pluperfect, conditional perfect, and pluperfect subjunctive to discuss past political events and hypothetical situations accurately.
-
Context is crucial: Young people's political engagement depends on various factors including social media use, education, and trust in traditional institutions.