Those Who Come After Us

The Features of Youth Engagement in Croatia

Abstract

Within the framework of the generational approach which looks at the specificpatterns of youth in a particular sociocultural context the attitudes and practicesof young people in croatia are operationalized here, by means of social engagementterminology, within the spectrum of ecology, sustainability and social involvement. Data were collected in a survey in 2020 (n=348) which was part of a project calledcro laudato si about caring for our home. The analysis found that youngpeople value the features of social engagement which they pursue unsystematically intheir daily lives, and they demonstrate on a regular basis an openness to reducing theuse of plastic, water and electricity and not wasting food; furthermore, they are opento volunteer work, humanitarian work and refraining from shopping on sundays. The readiness detected in young people for a change in lifestyle in regard to increasingactive social engagement underlines the need to address these topics in a dedicatedsocial and scientific manner, such that young people in structural support step out oftheir declarative engagement and into the practical sphere. Thus, they would directtheir potential as generators of social trends towards ecological conversion and takea practical approach to the ecological crisis as a current global social crisis threateninghuman dignity and social justice.