Page 72 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 72
šolsko polje, letnik xxix, številka 5–6
society is in, they point to both passive and lazy citizens as well as the in-
competent government.
One of the key elements of this apathy is certainly the lack of com-
petences that could motivate citizens to rebel in case they are not satisfied.
One of the participants addressed it as follows:
I would like to emphasise one other thing; we love to talk a lot but we
don’t have tools and means to act. We can sit and discuss for hours while
having coffee but we don’t know how to act. (Zagreb)
Similarly, a participant from Dalj believes that there are mechanisms
to raise one’s voice, but they are not used by Croatian people.
We don’t do anything! Whatever will be, will be! They complain a lot
about their bad situation but when there are protests organised about it,
half of them don’t attend them, they are too lazy to appear, they just sit
at home.
Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to claim citizens in Croatia do
not fight for their rights. However, young people believe these are relative-
ly isolated acts and when they exist they are connected with so-called sin-
gle-issue activism. Citizens in Croatia rebel when their (way of) life or the
life of people close to them is being jeopardised.
I would like to point out that here we are discussing the average citizen
of the Republic of Croatia, and I don’t think they are not as active. In or-
der to activate this trigger [for activism] the life of this individual or one’s
children has to be in danger. Furthermore, the percentage of people that
have this trigger is small… (Zagreb)
All aforementioned circumstances make citizens prone to media ma-
nipulation. Media, according to young people, has an important role to
educate citizens and yet it is providing useless information which pacifies
citizens who stop following the news and retract into their private sphere.
Our participants feel that this modus operandi is intentional, since politi-
cal elites prefer disengaged citizens who are not vigilant nor adequately in-
formed about the way the polity works.
“Youth in the Chains of Society”
Another dimension studied in this research was self-perception. Young
people were asked to describe themselves – young people in Croatia. The
analysis of their responses confirms sociological insights that young peo-
ple are the mirror of society. Most of the attributed characteristics for cit-
izens can be applied to young people too. Young people describe their
70
society is in, they point to both passive and lazy citizens as well as the in-
competent government.
One of the key elements of this apathy is certainly the lack of com-
petences that could motivate citizens to rebel in case they are not satisfied.
One of the participants addressed it as follows:
I would like to emphasise one other thing; we love to talk a lot but we
don’t have tools and means to act. We can sit and discuss for hours while
having coffee but we don’t know how to act. (Zagreb)
Similarly, a participant from Dalj believes that there are mechanisms
to raise one’s voice, but they are not used by Croatian people.
We don’t do anything! Whatever will be, will be! They complain a lot
about their bad situation but when there are protests organised about it,
half of them don’t attend them, they are too lazy to appear, they just sit
at home.
Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to claim citizens in Croatia do
not fight for their rights. However, young people believe these are relative-
ly isolated acts and when they exist they are connected with so-called sin-
gle-issue activism. Citizens in Croatia rebel when their (way of) life or the
life of people close to them is being jeopardised.
I would like to point out that here we are discussing the average citizen
of the Republic of Croatia, and I don’t think they are not as active. In or-
der to activate this trigger [for activism] the life of this individual or one’s
children has to be in danger. Furthermore, the percentage of people that
have this trigger is small… (Zagreb)
All aforementioned circumstances make citizens prone to media ma-
nipulation. Media, according to young people, has an important role to
educate citizens and yet it is providing useless information which pacifies
citizens who stop following the news and retract into their private sphere.
Our participants feel that this modus operandi is intentional, since politi-
cal elites prefer disengaged citizens who are not vigilant nor adequately in-
formed about the way the polity works.
“Youth in the Chains of Society”
Another dimension studied in this research was self-perception. Young
people were asked to describe themselves – young people in Croatia. The
analysis of their responses confirms sociological insights that young peo-
ple are the mirror of society. Most of the attributed characteristics for cit-
izens can be applied to young people too. Young people describe their
70
