Contenu du sommaire : Les jeunes, acteurs du politique

This article sets out to prove, using several «Eurobarometer» surveys since 1973, for France and for Europe, that present day youth is anything but depoliticized. Today's youth is just as concerned with politics as preceeding generations. Young people have always been slighly less politically aware and active than adults because of progressive socialisation. The vote of young people, recognizable in electoral polls, bears no natural characteristics. Although, they often vote more to the left than other age ranges, this can easily be explained by the characteristics of their sociology and with relation to a political history. In the 1995, Presidential elections, the vote of young people was, in contrast, more favorable to the right than that of adults. But their electoral inclinations are nevertheless partially affected by their social, cultural and religious considerations.

The political behaviourisms of young people give birth to a mulitude of contradictory analyses. The reasons are idelogical insofar as that which is at stake in the conformism or in the protests of young people is no more nor less than the reproduction or not of social order. We consider that there is not simply one youth but several forms and that any attempt at homogenized debate should be viewed with suspicion. Working class youth is the starting point for a new observance of citizenship corresponding to specific conditions of socialisation resulting from the context of economic crisis in which they have grown up. These new kinds of political enrolment call into question our current model of citizenship.

The political practices of young people have frequently been criticised. Lethargy, individualism, conservatism, an inclination to clamour for teachers and a job rather than dream of the impossible. In short the offspring of the militants of 68 are an embarassment to their parents. And yet, the new generation still has an interest in politics. But doubtless this practice is less coloured by ideology than by pragmatism. Perhaps also it is affected by an earlier awareness than others of the evolution that democracy is bound to follow. Plead for an under 25's generation.

Children's and Young People's Municipal Councils exist in France since 1979. Whilst targetting an improved understanding of citizenship, they offer young people of a specific age range the opportunity to put forward suggestions and take action on behalf of their community ; once they have been elected by their peer group to do so. It is of course tempting to wonder whether these junior elected members are destined to become senior councillors. Yet present day knowledge available on the subject indicates the deep-reaching, long lasting and complex effects of the councils on young people. Beyond simply leading to reproductive mimicry, the councils are a means for young people to enhance their personal and social experience.

The struggle of the political parties in Hungary has brought about a difficult and conflictual socioeconomic situation, hence a disenchantment and retreat of young people. In 1992, one commune, then several others took the initiative ot setting up a Children's and Young People's Municipal Council based to a certain extent on the French model. This gave rise to the Association for the Promotion of Youth Councils within Communes, viewed as a dynamic structure by protagonists. As the Hungarian author points out, isn't it rather a pious vow to invest so much energy in youth issues in a fragile country which is still taking its first faltering steps ?

One of the measures to increase the involvement of inhabitants in social urban development policy is the neighbourhood public meeting which aims at bringing residents and councillors together. Based on the theory of speech and an audience, its links with action are difficult to establish. Unlike, the classical political model or that of voluntary organisations, the neighbourhood meeting is not a measure of aggregation of those people who make it up. Inhabitants are invited to air their own personal views. This supposition is an integral part of a movement which calls into question the mediations between elected members and inhabitants, especially those held by social workers and of the search for a direct and authentic expression of social needs.

Different and heterogenous, Young people are actors in the processus of European construction. But Europe stands at the crossroad. An European integration framework has been put forward, which for a great part comes from the North American example. But Europe is not America. In many respect, it just the exact opposite. A new model has to be invented, taking into account the national specificities and caracteristics of each members of the European Union. As suggested by the word "EUROPAITAT", the European identity ought to be added up over the national identites, not to replace them. What choice Young people will make ?

Specific language forms designate who to classify, who to include or exclude, both within a group but also between that group and the outside world. But observation and analysis uncover something more than a simple correlation between language and habitus. Insulting language represents powerful symbolism which refers to a collective memory, to an affirmation of identity. Within this ritual, it is essential for young people to stress their adhesion to a specific universe which lays shame on the side of feminity and honour on the side of virility. Through speech the individual has the freedom to determine in the face of these issues.

Based on a description of the measures for the prevention of AIDS, this article analyses the habits of young people and the concepts of social action that they imply. The definitions of youth rely on these social functions : testing, monitoring, management of public opinion, etc. The situation brought about through the prevention of AIDS reveals that youth is no longer a category/ type of promotional concept for health and social action. The social question of AIDS revolves around two health concepts, that of «well-being» and that of «social risk». The crisis over youth representation is in fact a sign of the decline of the philosophy of integration and of one of its modern components : social advancement.