from YAPRap September 2004
by Jennifer Anne
A couple of months ago, journalists used the negative response of Gretel Kileen and the Big Brother audience to Merlin Luck's 'free th(e) refugees' protest to label young people across the country as politically apathetic. Since the announcement of a date for the federal election, articles have dribbled out, quoting researchers, polls and surveys, all along the same lines: that young people are politically ignorant, naïve, negligent and apathetic.
It is true that young people are under-represented on the electoral roll. Research does show most young people don't have a party-political affiliation. It might even be the case that young people aren't that interested in the upcoming election.
But does this mean they are politically apathetic? Maybe the problem lies not with young people, but with the increasingly dysfunctional relationship of the political system - and politicians - with their younger electorate.
Can we try a different position?
51% of young people have not much or no interest in 'politics' according to the recent Australian Electoral Survey. There's definitely an argument to be made that many young people are disengaged from the Australian party political scene - but this should not be mistaken for general political disengagement. Put simply, young people are doing politics - they're just doing it differently, in a way that doesn't neatly fall into the neat and obvious category of Australian party-politics.
Part of unpacking the label of 'political apathy' is unpacking the term 'politics'. We all know that party politics - like who will win the next election - is just the tip of the iceberg of possible political actions, involvements and opinions. Young people are engaged in a range of 'public sphere' activities - that is, activities that are centred on a commitment to improving and contributing to their community, through giving their time, knowledge and money. These are activities - and ideological commitments - that can be defined only as political. According to a recent joint statement from the Inspire Foundation Youth Ambassadors, young people
"volunteer their time - in places from local council groups to tree-planting groups, to charity groups and churches, to reconciliation groups to hospitals and nursing homes."
Research suggests that between 58% and 65% of young people are engaged in this kind of 'politics' - and if we also include 'traditional' politics, like environmentalist actions, peace activism, and animal welfare, this proportion could be as high as 90%.
It's not you, it's me
The label of political apathy is, in one sense, merely a convenient excuse for politicians, and the Australian political process, to break off its relationship with the young people of this country. Young people's alleged disinterest is a way to cover up for the continuing inadequacies of Australian politics (and politicians).
Arguments about 'youth political apathy' often centre around the idea that young people are ignorant because they don't care enough to be informed. But this misses the point of where responsibility lies. Young people appear not to care because they are kept ignorant: the political system, and politicians, have a responsibility that the information relevant to young people is presented to them in a form and a manner that is accessible. The 'youth apathy' argument draws much ammunition from the low numbers of young people entered on the electoral roll. But where an obvious and systematic gap in enrolment appears, it is obvious that the enrolment system is not servicing young people. It requires an equally systematic approach to address this shortfall. In short, our political system, and not our young people, is failing if we cannot ensure that those eligible to vote are enrolled vote.
I'm just not attracted to you
The biggest (and most obvious) reason for young people's disengagement from the political process is that there is nothing in it to attract them. The youth demographic is relatively small, especially when compared to the 'boomers'. As Simon Castles (reporter for the 'Big Issue') points out "young people are the great unwashed of the electorate - ignored, rarely spoken about, and never ever spoken to". Inspire Foundation Youth Ambassadors echo this sentiment,
"the default consensus is to assume that young people have lost a sense of community, and that the older generations need to help us reclaim it. And what are the proposed cures? Tighter laws, curfews, punishment, wearing mateship mottos on our school uniforms, singing the national anthem weekly, and more rigid values - all initiated and led by adults."
Put simply: young people aren't interested in politicians because politicians aren't interested in them. Half a million people (many of them young people) protested in the streets of Sydney against an Australian involvement in a war in Iraq, and the government dismissed this public display of (very political) opinion. With this kind is disinterest from politics toward young people, it is not wonder that young people aren't attracted to party politics.
I've got a headache
To cap it all off, young people face such a range of concerns they simply don't have time to stroke the egos of politicians and a political process that does little to warrant their adoration. More young people are homeless, unemployed, in debt, in worse health and generally disadvantaged than ever before and than any other section of society. Many young people are finishing uni with huge debts, living below the poverty line on unemployment or study benefits. If they are working, it's most commonly in a casual job. Casual or permanent, they face the likelihood of never having a long-term sustainable employment in an increasingly uncertain job market. Young people are living in an age of sanctioned and unsanctioned terrorism, of homophobia, racism, sexism and suspicion of anything remotely outside the norm.
Young people are more than willing - and very capable - to engage in politics - on a level that suits them, and not only politicians and journalists.
Lets kiss and make up
The Australian political process and the federal election scene are out of step with the reality of young people's interest in 'politics'. But we (those of us who work with young people and those of us who are young people) can't use this as an excuse to give up on the politics we do, and do well. Every young person should be encouraged to exercise their vote, and to exercise it in a way that reflects their commitment to their own personal politics. Sure, most political parties are pretty apathetic towards young people. But a vote is one more thing we can add to the more important majority of other political activities we undertake.
Note: Opinions expressed are the author's and not necessarily YAPA's.
