"Be a Dreamer": the role of emotions and resources in sustaining progressive youth activism in Alberta

Abstract

The fight for progressive social change in Alberta at this historical moment is happening in a highly polarized political climate in which far-right ideologies are ascendent. In the face of this, youth activists aged 18 to 35 are committed to fighting against oppressive systems of power based in the ultra-conservatism of the province in an effort to enact progressive change. Using qualitative interviews and discourse analysis, this thesis seeks to address the following question: What sustains youth activism in Alberta? This thesis answers this question by focusing on two key elements of sustainment. First, it examines the role of emotions in moving activists towards action and helping sustain their efforts. While sadness signals an awareness of injustice, anger transforms this awareness into action. Hope provides sustainment through its future-oriented optimism while empathy and love connect activists to those who are suffering— sustaining, and driving transformative action. Second, it examines the role of resource availability and distribution in sustaining activism. Resource availability is determined not only by what resources are needed for subsistence, but also how resources are produced and distributed within unequal systems of power. As such, this thesis considers not only material resources but also how sustainability is a social process that depends on solidarity and mutual care. By highlighting the emotional and material conditions that sustain youth activism, this study demonstrates how progressive activism is cultivated and sustained within an intensifying conservative landscape.