Seeking Consensus on Confusing and Contentious Issues: Young Norwegians’ Experiences of Environmental Debates

Abstract

In this paper, I examine how young people in Norway, an affluent nation in the global north with long traditions of acknowledging the young as citizens, articulate and negotiate agency and norms for practicing environmental citizenship. Combining focus groups and qualitative surveys, I explore how Norwegian youth experience and engage with public environmental debates. Results show that many perceive environmental issues, particularly climate change, as post-political issues beyond rhetorical contestation and debate. Moreover, expectations that environmental challenges are best solved through consensus-oriented debate and cooperation lead many to dismiss political opposition and activism as irrational and destructive forms of civic engagement. Consequently, while harboring doubts about the efficacy of their individual actions in driving change, they tend to restrict their agency to personal responsibilities aimed at advancing sustainability.