Mindchanger identification, analysis and recognition: youth perceptions

Abstract

ABSTRACTYouth participation and activism are considered key factors in making the world a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable place. In line with this idea, in this work, we aim to understand how young people who actively participate in social organizations perceive the characteristics that define young ‘mindchangers.’ By this concept, we refer to a young citizen who is committed to social justice and willing to change society’s mindsets and catalyse active participation among their peers. In our research design, we adopted a quantitative methodological approach using a survey procedure. The results reveal a high level of agreement on the traits that define a Mindchanger. We conclude by emphasizing that the characteristics to which young respondents attribute the highest importance, such as ‘promoter of change’, ‘open-minded’, ‘interest in global issues’, ‘open to international solidarity’ and ‘empathy’, appear to have the greatest influence on the likelihood of becoming a Mindchanger.

Keywords

• Sustainability
• youth participation
• engagement
• global awareness
• active citizenship