Ci a ion: B anquinho, C.; Xa ie , L.L.;
And ade, C.; Fe ei a, T.; No onha, C.;
Wainw igh , T.; de Ma os, M.G. We
A e Conce ned abou he Fu u e and
We A e He e o Suppo he Change:
Le ’s Talk and Wo k Toge he ! Child en
2022,9, 1574. h ps://doi.o g/
10.3390/child en9101574
Academic Edi o : Meng-Che Tsai
Recei ed: 24 Augus 2022
Accep ed: 10 Oc obe 2022
Published: 18 Oc obe 2022
Publishe ’s No e: MDPI s ays neu al
wi h ega d o ju isdic ional claims in
published maps and ins i u ional a il-
ia ions.
Copy igh : © 2022 by he au ho s.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Swi ze land.
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dis ibu ed unde he e ms and
condi ions o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion (CC BY) license (h ps://
c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/
4.0/).
child en
A icle
We A e Conce ned abou he Fu u e and We A e He e o
Suppo he Change: Le ’s Talk and Wo k Toge he !
Cá ia B anquinho 1,2 , Luís Lobo Xa ie 3, Ca a ina And ade 3, Tomás Fe ei a 2, Ca a ina No onha 1,2 ,
Tony Wainw igh 4and Ma ga ida Gaspa de Ma os 1,2,*
1ISAMB (En i onmen al Heal h Ins i u e), A en u a Social, Uni e si y o Lisbon, 1649-026 Lisbon, Po ugal
2#Gene a ionsWi hAVoice P ojec , A en u a Social & Calous e Gulbenkian Founda ion, Po ugal
3Calous e Gulbenkian Founda ion, 1067-001 Lisbon, Po ugal
4Depa men o Psychology, Uni e si y o Exe e , Exe e EX4 4QG, UK
*Co espondence: ma ga ida.gaspa [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac :
Sca cely explo ed, in e gene a ional dialogue may suppo he e-encoun e be ween gene -
a ions. Backg ound: Focused on in e gene a ional sha ing and on he iden i ica ion o di e ences
be ween gene a ions, he p ojec #Gene a ionsWi hAVoice aims o iden i y gene a ional inequali-
ies, wi h he aim o p omo ing awa eness o in e gene a ional challenges, boos ing public deba e
and in e es in public policies. Me hods: Twen y ocus g oups we e de eloped, and an e alua ion
ins umen was applied. Resul s: (i) Young people belie e ha hey ha e mo e knowledge, bu
less p opensi y o ac ion, lea ing his ask o he ollowing gene a ions; (ii) he amily and housing
eme ge as he issues wi h he g ea es numbe o p oblems iden i ied, bu also as impo an esou ces;
(iii) go e nmen and poli ics, communi y and socie y, and he economy a e o less in e es and knowl-
edge on he pa o his gene a ion; (i ) school seems o be he ideal scena io o he implemen a ion
o s a egies ha lead o change. Conclusions: We highligh he ole o his wo k in he decons uc ion
o belie s ega ding p e ious gene a ions, he de elopmen o knowledge, and he p omo ion o
cohesion and social suppo .
Keywo ds:
you h pa icipa o y p og ams; gene a ional inequali ies; in e gene a ional dialogue;
in e gene a ional jus ice; u u e conce ns; sus ainabili y
1. In oduc ion
Al hough no widely s udied, he concep o in e gene a ional jus ice, o en e e ed o
as in e gene a ional dialogue, in e gene a ional equali y, in e gene a ional equi y, in e gen-
e a ional sus ainabili y, o in e gene a ional solida i y, ela es o he concep ha he sea ch
o he well-being o oday’s gene a ions should no comp omise he oppo uni ies and
esou ces o he ollowing gene a ions.
Comp ising he dis ibu i e, p ocedu al, es o a i e, and e ibu i e dimensions [
1
],
he concep o in e gene a ional jus ice can be applied o se e al a eas ha may impac
human well-being [
2
–
4
], and can be concep ualized in ou majo a eas: (i) basic human
needs; (ii) economic needs; (iii) en i onmen al needs; and (i ) subjec i e well-being [
5
].
Acco ding o hese au ho s, a sus ainable wo ld equi es ha he human needs o cu en
gene a ions a e me wi hou comp omising he possibili y o u u e gene a ions o mee
hei needs as well.
When we alk abou in e gene a ional jus ice, we s ill alk mainly abou a eas such as
public deb , social secu i y, he labo ma ke , and he en i onmen [
6
,
7
], bu i is impe a i e
o include o he a eas wi h implica ions o p esen and u u e gene a ions, such as amily
and housing, educa ion, heal h, communi y and socie y, go e nmen and policies, and
cul u e. Caney’s [
8
] iew also ollows his line, a guing ha analyzing and in e ening
independen ly in hese a eas may be oo di icul and ha e nega i e consequences, as policy
esponses o one o hese a eas may a ec he o he s.
Child en 2022,9, 1574. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/child en9101574 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/child en
Child en 2022,9, 1574 2 o 11
The incen i e o in e gene a ional jus ice in ol es no only aising awa eness and
p o iding educa ion o cu en gene a ions, bu also implemen ing public policies ha
p o ec u u e gene a ions [
9
]. This is s a ing o be a p io i y o he OECD [
10
] in c ea ing
mo e and be e oppo uni ies o young people. Acco ding o Vanhuysse [
7
], he imple-
men a ion o policy measu es such as (i) ax and social bene i s o subsidies o suppo
pa en s o ca egi e s; (ii) axes and egula ion o ca bon emissions; (iii) an in es men ha
enables a be e educa ion o he nex gene a ions and he c ea ion o educa ional p og ams;
and (i ) he exis ence o a p oxy o e ha could be used by he pa en s o ca egi e s o he
mino , could p omo e g ea e in e gene a ional jus ice. In complemen , Ribei o [
11
] adds
he c ea ion o a cons i u ional p o ec ion o p o ec he ollowing gene a ions, imposing
cons i u ional limi s in he cu en gene a ions. Based on a ecen sys ema ic li e a u e e-
iew, he solu ion o g ea e in e gene a ional jus ice lies in closing he gene a ion gap om
a social and his o ical pe spec i e; aising awa eness and ca ing o cu en gene a ions;
and encou aging in e gene a ional dialogue, cohesion, and co-ac ion [12].
1.1. You h Engagemen and Pa icipa ion
Seen as a undamen al igh [
13
] enabling in ol emen in he de elopmen p ocess
i sel , g ea e knowledge o human igh s, and mo e ac i e ci izenship [
14
], you h pa ici-
pa ion has gained g ea e p ominence in ecen decades.
Some o he mos well-known heo ies (e.g., Roge Ha ’s [
15
] “Pa icipa ion Ladde ”,
Phil T esede ’s [
16
] “Le els o Pa icipa ion”, Ha y Shie ’s [
17
] “Pa icipa ion Pa hways”)
ha e se ed as inspi a ion o in eg a ing you h pa icipa ion in o esea ch.
The concep ualiza ion o hese p og ams, c ea ed by Rod iguez and B own [
18
],
de e mines h ee p inciples: (a) hei ocus is es ablished on he li e expe iences and
conce ns o young people; (b) he me hodological and pedagogical p ocesses a e based on
he collabo a ion and pa icipa ion o young people; and (c) hey ha e a ans o ma i e
cha ac e , con ibu ing o change heo ies and p ac ices ha imp o e he li es o young
people, along wi h hei communi ies.
Based on he p emise ha his gene a ion has aluable knowledge abou hei p ob-
lems and needs [
19
–
22
] and ha hey should gi e hei oice in he i s pe son based on
hei expe ience [
23
], pa icipa o y esea ch p og ams ha e p o en o be e ec i e in e -
en ions in he p ocesses o indi idual de elopmen , heal h, and communi y. Acco ding
o a sys ema ic li e a u e e iew conduc ed by Anyon e al. [
24
], hese p og ams ha e
impo an impac s on agency, leade ship, academic (o p o essional), social, in e pe sonal,
and cogni i e le els.
In a con as ing model o adi ional pa adigms, in you h pa icipa o y esea ch
p og ams, he esea che no longe speaks o he young pe son [
25
], bu he young pe son
bene i s om he adul –young pe son men o ing ela ionship, sha ing powe du ing he
p ocess, de eloping hei skills and consul ancy, encou aging deba e based on social change
and he es ablishmen o alliances wi h s akeholde s [26].
1.2. #Gene a ionsWi hAVoice
Recognizing (i) he ole o he Y–AP (you h–adul pa ne ship) app oach in concep-
ualizing p oblems and implemen ing ac ions [
27
,
28
]; (ii) ha you h oice, choices, and
pa icipa ion a e undamen al o he sus ainabili y o he u u e [
1
]; and ha (iii) in e -
gene a ional jus ice, i.e., he no ion ha he pu sui o well-being by cu en gene a ions
should no jeopa dize oppo uni ies o he well-being o subsequen gene a ions, he
#Gene a ionsWi hAVoice p ojec is p esen ed, in eg a ed in he Fu u e Fo um ini ia i e o
he Calous e Gulbenkian Founda ion, which aims o in es iga e and p o ide knowledge
abou omo ow’s challenges, an icipa ing hei a i al and encou aging public deba e.
Cen e ed on a ecip ocal in e gene a ional sha ing (young–adul and adul –young),
his p ojec aims o iden i y gene a ional inequali ies, ocused on a eas such as he en i-
onmen (including clima e change and plane p o ec ion), amily and housing, educa ion,
heal h, wo k, economy, communi y and socie y, go e nmen and poli ics, and cul u e, wi h
Child en 2022,9, 1574 3 o 11
he aim o p omo ing awa eness o in e gene a ional challenges, boos ing public deba e
and in e es in public policies, hus con ibu ing o a mo e posi i e, ai , equi able, and
ac i e socie y.
This p ojec has had he ollowing objec i es: (i) o in es iga e he dominan opinions
o he younge gene a ions on he opics unde s udy; (ii) o p omo e in e gene a ional
dialogue, s imula ing a sha ing o knowledge be ween gene a ions; (iii) o unde s and
young people’s iews on s a egies o p omo e in e gene a ional jus ice, and on how o
in luence decision-making p ocesses based on hei conce ns and in e es s; and (i ) o
know he pe spec i e o young people on how o in luence ins i u ional and public policies
acco ding o hei conce ns and in e es s.
In an a emp o apply his p emise om an ea ly age, he esea ch eam o his
p ojec is cu en ly de eloping he Lea n o Fly p ojec , which aims o de elop g ea e
social pa icipa ion and dialogue be ween gene a ions h ough iden i ica ion and ac ion
on ele an socie al issues. In addi ion, i is an icipa ed ha Lea n o Fly will de elop
psychological lexibili y, openness, cu iosi y, au onomy, and sel - egula ion in child en a
he beginning o hei school ca ee (5–6 yea s). Wi h he inclusion o educa o s, amilies,
and child en, i is in ended ha , a e e alua ion, i will be included in he p e-school and
school cu iculum [29].
In his s udy, gene a ion was conside ed as a g oup o people bo n in a gi en yea
o pe iod.
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
2.1. P ocedu e and Pa icipan s
De eloped du ing he pe iod Ma ch 2020 o Ap il 2021, du ing a pandemic scena io,
#Gene a ionsWi hAVoice saw all i s me hodology adap ed o he online o ma .
Ini ia ed wi h an awa eness aising e en , #Gene a ionsWi hAVoice began by in i ing
15 pa icipan s (young people, heal h and educa ion p o essionals linked o you h wo k) o
an in e iew ocused on he hemes unde s udy and he ole o in e gene a ional jus ice, in
o de o de elop a s o y elling ideo o use in dissemina ion o he p ojec in academia,
and o aising awa eness in he communi y. The 15 in e iews had an a e age du a ion
o 32 min, esul ing in he p oduc ion o 5 ideos: en i onmen ; amily and housing;
employmen ; economy; and digi al gene a ion.
The 15 pa icipan s we e ec ui ed h ough di ec in i a ion ia email, based on hei
expe ience and expe ise, and he in e iews we e conduc ed in he pe iod om May o
Oc obe 2020.
Nine mon hs la e , ha ing accep ed ha he ace- o- ace me hodology would be
impossible, con ac s we e eac i a ed wi h i e schools (one o each e i o ial uni in
mainland Po ugal) con ac ed a he s a o he p ojec o acili a e a ocus g oup wi h
young people bo n in 2002 ( o e s) and ano he ocus g oup wi h young people bo n in
2004 (non- o e s), and ocus g oups we e s a ed online. The a ionale o hese age g oups
was unde s ood o be he ac ha becoming a “ o e ” would inc ease young people’s
awa eness ega ding socie y, socie al issues, and communi y engagemen .
The pa icipa ing schools we e sugges ed by he Di ec o a e-Gene al o Educa ion,
and he pa icipa ing classes we e selec ed by he di ec o o he educa ional ins i u ion,
based on he a ailabili y o a class eache o suppo he g oups, and he age o he s uden s
(bo n in 2022—12 h g ade and in 2004—10 h g ade). The ocus g oups we e conduc ed
om No embe 2020 o Janua y 2021.
A o al o 20 ocus g oups we e conduc ed ( wo g oups pe egion
×
wo imes,
be o e and a e he in e gene a ional dialogue), comp ising a minimum numbe o 4 and a
maximum numbe o 22 pa icipan s, b inging oge he young people aged 16–17 yea s old
(g oups co esponding o he younges g oup), and 18–19 yea s old (olde ). The g oups
had an a e age du a ion o 58 min.
The g oups we e un a wo di e en imes o each o he g oups in each school
(16–17-yea -olds and 18–19-yea -olds), wi h an in e al o wo weeks. Du ing his pe iod,
Child en 2022,9, 1574 4 o 11
he challenge was o encou age in e gene a ional dialogue h ough in e iews wi h pa en s,
uncles, g andpa en s, eache s, o o he people om he “adul ” and “olde ” gene a ions o
hei communi y, in o de o ecoun hei memo ies and expe iences ela ed o he hemes
unde s udy.
This dialogue was in ended o s imula e deba e in he second ocus g oup and o
acili a e he iden i ica ion o solu ions o he p oblems and needs iden i ied in he i s
ocus g oup.
To suppo how in e gene a ional jus ice was unde s ood by he pa icipan s, a ques-
ionnai e was de eloped o assess he impo ance, knowledge, conce n, and ac ion ha he
young pa icipan s a ibu ed o each o he opics s udied, along wi h hei pe cep ion o
u u e gene a ions, hei pa en s’ gene a ion, and hei g andpa en s’ gene a ion. Al hough
his ques ionnai e was aimed a a p e- ( ocus g oup 1) and pos - es ( ocus g oup 2) s udy,
due o he cons ain s wi hin he COVID-19 pandemic, i was only possible o collec
32 epo s om a single poin in ime (17.2 yea s; SD = 0.998).
2.2. Ins umen s
In his wo k, h ee da a collec ion ins umen s we e de eloped:
Ques ionnai e assessing he le el o impo ance, knowledge, conce n, and ac ion ha
young people a ibu e o hei gene a ion, pas and hei u u e o sp ing—wi h 16 closed-
esponse ques ions on a 10-poin Like - ype scale (1 = e y low o 10 = e y high), and one
open ques ion wi h he possibili y o including commen s.
Focus g oup in e iew guide ( i s s age)—in a semi-s uc u ed o ma , pa icipan s
we e in i ed o e lec on he wo k hemes and he p oblems el by hei gene a ion and
u u e gene a ions.
Focus g oup in e iew guide (second s age)—simila o he p e ious one, he second
s age ocused on pa icipan in e iews p omo ing in e gene a ional deba e and iden i ying
s a egies o he p oblems p e iously iden i ied. Alongside, he ques ions we e in eg a ed:
“How can communica ion and coope a ion be ween gene a ions be p omo ed?”; “Wha
can young people do o ha e an impac on public policy by in luencing decision-making
p ocesses ela ed o hei li es?”; “And because he COVID-19 pandemic had a g ea impac
on he li es o all o us, how do you hink his i us will a ec he u u e gene a ion?”.
3. Resul s
3.1. Da a Analysis
The in e en ions o he ocus g oup pa icipan s we e egis e ed by he co-in e iewe
and eco ded by he pa icipa ing schools. The audio o each ocus g oup was sen by
he pa icipa ing school, acili a ing he ansc ip ion p ocess and making i as eliable as
possible. The da a we e subsequen ly analyzed as quali a i e da a.
Quan i a i e da a collec ed h ough a ques ionnai e was analyzed using SPSS . 26.
Based on a i s con en analysis, he ule o humb p inciple was used (line-by-line p o-
cedu e). A o al o 1743 ex segmen s om he ocus g oups we e coded, leading o he
ca ego iza ion sys em o indings o de ine p oblems and isks (699 segmen s), s a egies
o in e gene a ional well-being (380 segmen s), and esou ces o g ea e in e gene a ional
jus ice (222 segmen s). In addi ion, 33 ex segmen s on engaging young people in poli ical
pa icipa ion, 99 on p omo ing in e gene a ional communica ion and coope a ion, and 104
on he impac o he pandemic on u u e gene a ions we e coded.
3.2. Quan i a i e S udy
Fou a eas we e assessed ega ding he issues unde s udy: impo ance, knowledge,
conce n, and ac ion. A o al o 32 esponses we e ob ained om he ocus g oups wi h young
pa icipan s (mean age o 17.2 yea s, SD = 0.998, min. = 16 yea s, and max. = 19 yea s).
O e all (Table 1), young people a ibu e a highe ega d o mos issues unde s udy
( amily and housing, wo k, sus ainabili y, e i emen , social secu i y, educa ion and heal h,
Child en 2022,9, 1574 5 o 11
and cul u e) o hei gene a ion when compa ed wi h olde gene a ions. The only opic on
which hey a ibu e a g ea e sense o impo ance o u u e gene a ions is he en i onmen .
Table 1. Means o impo ance, knowledge, conce n, and ac ion [30].
Topics
My Gene a ion Pa en s’ Gene a ion G andpa en s’
Gene a ion Fu u e Gene a ions
M M M M
I K C A I K C A I K C A I K C A
En i onmen 9.2 7.6 8.5 7.1 6 5.4 5 4.8 4.5 3.8 3.6 3.5 9.4 9.1 9.2 8.7
Family and housing 8.8 7.9 8.5 7.5 7.7 7.3 7.5 7 7.3 6.4 6.6 6.5 8.1 7.9 8.2 7.8
Wo k 8.5 7.2 8.6 7.2 8.1 7.2 7.9 7.2 6.1 5.7 5.9 5.6 8.3 7.9 8.1 8.1
Sus ainabili y, e i emen , social
secu i y, educa ion and heal h 97.5 8.8 7.1 8.2 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.2 6.3 6.9 6.3 8.6 8.5 8.2 8.3
Cul u e 8.2 7.6 7.6 6.8 7.5 6.8 6.7 6.5 6.8 6.2 6.5 6.2 7.7 7.5 7.1 7.2
No e: I = Impo ance; K = Knowledge; C = Conce n; A = Ac ion. The highe mean alues o Impo ance,
Knowledge, Conce n, and Ac ion in each opic a e highligh ed.
In e ms o knowledge, hey sel -assess hemsel es wi h a simila le el o knowledge
ega ding he subjec s o amily and housing and a g ea e le el o knowledge ega ding
cul u e when compa ed o olde gene a ions. In gene al, hey belie e ha u u e gene a ions
will ha e a g ea e knowledge o mos subjec s ( he only excep ion is cul u e).
When asked abou hei conce ns, hey a e ce ain ha hei gene a ion is he mos
conce ned abou all issues s udied, wi h he excep ion o he en i onmen .
In e ms o ac ion, he young people a ibu e o u u e gene a ions a g ea e p opensi y
o ac ion on all he opics s udied.
3.3. Quali a i e S udy
In he global quali a i e s udy, based on he ma e ial collec ed in all he ocus g oups
ca ied ou in each o he i e egions o mainland Po ugal, he iden i ica ion o nume ous
p oblems ela ed o amily and housing, educa ion, en i onmen , and wo k is obse ed. On
he o he hand, amily and housing a e also men ioned as impo an esou ces, especially
in amily ela ionships. A g ea e numbe o solu ions we e poin ed ou o he en i on-
men ; young people seemed o mo e easily hink o solu ions o his opic. The opics o
go e nmen and poli ics, as well as communi y and socie y, ha e ewe p oblems bu also
ewe esou ces and s a egies ga he ed; hey appea o be he hemes ha young people
a e mo e dis an abou .
A compa a i e s udy was also ca ied ou wi h he goal o in es iga ing he di e en
pe spec i es o he 2002 and 2004 gene a ions ( o e and non- o e you h). Some o he
p oblems, esou ces, and s a egies iden i ied we e simila among young people om
bo h g oups.
In he opic o in luencing public policies, young people we e asked wha hey could
do o in luence public policies. Bo h g oups ( o e s and non- o e s) iden i ied he school
as a c i ical con ex o p omo ing you h poli ical pa icipa ion, speci ically h ough he
de elopmen o ac i i ies and poli ical educa ion. Bo h also men ioned he need o p oac-
i i y and pa icipa ion o young people in con ex s such as demons a ions, as well as
he ep esen a ion o young people in Pa liamen . Communica ion h ough social media
was also men ioned by bo h g oups as a possible means o exp essing he needs o he
younge gene a ions.
Young o e s e e ed o he exe cise o he igh o o e, he implemen a ion by he
go e nmen o means o lis en o hei gene a ion (e.g., p og ams, pla o ms, o su eys),
and he p omo ion o ac i i ies, no only a school bu also in he communi y.

Child en 2022,9, 1574 6 o 11
Rega ding he iden i ica ion o solu ions o p omo ing in e gene a ional coope a ion
and communica ion, he young people o bo h g oups poin ed ou open communica ion
wi h adul s ( amily membe s and in school con ex ), and he c ea ion o p ojec s in schools.
Young o e s also added he c ea ion o ac i i ies and p ojec s in he communi y, he
use o echnology and social media o b ing he gene a ions oge he , b eaking p ejudices,
sha ing knowledge, aluing o he s, educa ion, a ocus on common poin s be ween he
gene a ions, and he c ea ion o a pla o m ha p omo es his communica ion.
As o non- o ing you h, hey men ioned he c ea ion o oppo uni ies o hei gene -
a ion o exp ess hei needs and a g ea e app ecia ion o hei oice by adul s.
A he closing o each session, and because he pandemic was and con inues o be
a eali y wi h a s ong impac on he li es o young people, hey we e asked abou he
impac s o COVID-19 on subsequen gene a ions.
Wi h simila commen s on mos o he iden i ied consequences, bo h g oups epo ed:
(a) an inc eased seden a y li es yle; (b) he impac on ela ionships (social and wi h amily
membe s); (c) an inc eased use o echnologies; (d) he possible main enance o elewo k-
ing; (e) he economic impac and economic c isis; ( ) he main enance o heal h ca e and
sani a ion; (g) he impac on heal h (bo h physical and men al); (h) he inc easingly di icul
access o he labo ma ke .
Young o e s also men ioned some addi ional, bo h posi i e and nega i e, conse-
quences: he impac on educa ion and he ac ha he ocus on he pandemic has le o he
impo an issues (such as he en i onmen and clima e change) in he backg ound, on he
one hand; and he possibili y o close amily ela ionships, he posi i e impac on he
en i onmen , and a g ea e ocus on collec i e well-being, on he o he hand.
Non- o e s poin ed o addi ional nega i e ou comes, such as inc eased and unnec-
essa y consume ism, he nega i e impac on cul u e, he eme gence o new diseases and
u u e pandemics, and a dec eased sense o eedom; bu also, he immuni y o u u e
gene a ions o he i us, on he o he hand.
A compa a i e analysis o he p oblems o he wo ocus g oups ( i s and second
momen ), be o e and a e young people we e asked o dialogue wi h people om o he
gene a ions in hei li e con ex s, was conduc ed. The ollowing poin s we e obse ed: a
be e p epa a ion o he iden i ica ion o s a egies in he second momen ; and g ea e
awa eness o he p oblems and esou ces o he p e ious gene a ions in he second momen .
In he i s momen , se e al imes hey a ibu ed he “blame” o cu en p oblems o
pas gene a ions, especially en i onmen - ela ed issues; young people’s in e iews wi h
people om o he gene a ions con ibu ed o a e hinking o his pe spec i e wi h con ibu-
ions om he o he gene a ions’ pe spec i es. Wi h his in e gene a ional dialogue wi h
pa en s, g andpa en s, and o he olde people o e e ence, young people con ex ualized
some issues di e en ly (e.g., a he ime he e was no en i onmen al awa eness and also
ewe esou ces).
Young people seemed o unde s and ha a i udes ha p o ec ed he plane we e s ill
adop ed back hen (e.g., he use o clo h bags o buy b ead, glass bo les o milk, o he
lesse use o own ehicles, which no all amilies could a o d, o example).
The amily issue was also add essed— hey unde s ood ha oday hey ha e pa en s
wi h a mo e open mindse and ha i is possible o alk o hem and exp ess hei opinions;
on he o he hand, nowadays hei pa en s spend less ime a home and ha e less ime
o hei child en. They also discussed gende oles, a guing ha i a ew yea s ago, he
man was he p o ide o he amily, nowadays bo h pa en s ha e o wo k o mee he
amily expenses.
Access o housing was also discussed, making hem e lec ha a he ime o hei pa -
en s and g andpa en s i was mo e a o dable. Rega ding he wo k ma ke , hey compa ed
he li elong jobs o he pas wi h oday’s eali y. They also conside ed hemsel es a mo e
di e en ia ed gene a ion in e ms o quali ica ions, and e lec ed on he ac ha access o
educa ion is now easie and mo e gene alized.
Child en 2022,9, 1574 7 o 11
The opic o gende inequali y was also discussed, bu acco ding o young people,
pas gene a ions a e no awa e o his issue.
Rega ding heal h, hey a e unanimous in hei commen s and he gene al idea ha
heal h ca e oday is be e and mo e accessible.
F om he in e gene a ional in e iews and deba e o ideas, mo e sus ained and o ga-
nized s a egies eme ged a he second momen (second ocus g oup). Young people a e
ce ain ha hey a e be e p epa ed and sensi i e o deal wi h en i onmen al issues han
p e ious gene a ions, and hey belie e ha awa eness should s a a an ea ly age. E en i
hey eel li le suppo om adul s ega ding hei conce ns abou he en i onmen , hey
will con inue sp eading in o ma ion and awa eness o p e ious gene a ions.
In he amily, as s a egies o p e en he sha p decline in bi h a es o e he yea s,
hey poin o he need o p o ide mo e suppo o amilies, as well as he c ea ion o
mo e jobs.
They ei e a e he impo ance o suppo om he go e nmen ega ding he di icul y
o accessing housing and he delay in achie ing inancial au onomy, a ibu ed o he
ac ha hey s a o wo k la e , and ha employabili y is dec easing. P essu ed by
excessi e e alua ion and he choice o a p o essional a ea a an ea ly age, hey hink ha
he educa ional sys em mus be upda ed and e o mula ed since i has been main ained
since he ime o hei g andpa en s. They belie e ha in addi ion o aluing lea ning, he
school should p omo e li e skills as well.
In heal h, hey ad oca e o a es uc u ing and o ganiza ion o p ima y heal h se ices
and conside ha men al heal h should be an in es men a ge and ee o cha ge. F om
he in e gene a ional deba e, hey belie e ha hei pa en s and g andpa en s a e no awa e
o he impo ance o his issue.
Awa e o hei g andpa en s’ eali y in e ms o access o e i emen and pensions, hey
hink ha his will be a majo p oblem o he ollowing gene a ions. They a e conce ned
ha hey may become he i s gene a ion wi hou access o e i emen , pa ly because hey
will en e he wo ld o wo k la e , p olonging he need o wo k longe . They a gue ha
access o e i emen should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Wi h he eeling ha hey a e li le o no a all hea d by he bodies o poli ical powe ,
hey suppo he in eg a ion o disciplines o ac i i ies o a poli ical na u e in o he school
cu iculum, a s a egy ha hey belie e can inc ease he poli ical pa icipa ion o he cu en
and subsequen gene a ions.
Finally, ega ding cul u e, and ce ain ha his is one o he g ea na ional he i ages,
hey suppo i s mode niza ion and access o i , since he p ices cha ged a e no always
accessible o he en i e popula ion, and he ole o schools in aising awa eness o i s
impo ance. They also belie e ha cul u e can be an impo an ehicle in p omo ing
in e gene a ional deba e and ha his is he way o ensu e ha na ional adi ions do no
become ex inc .
4. Discussion and Conclusions
F om a young pe son’s pe spec i e . . .
Th oughou he in es iga ion and, in pa icula , in he ea ly s ages, i is clea ha
he younge gene a ion sel -assesses as he mos wo ied and dedica ed o all he g oups
in ol ed ega ding he main p oblems o ou socie y ( hose app oached wi h his me hodol-
ogy). Though i is no en i ely logical om a p ac ical s andpoin , his gene alized conce n
is signi ican ly highe among young people, conside ing hey a e no di ec ly a ec ed by
some o he p oblems unde he lens in his pape (e.g., pensions, axes, and housing).
The ac ha his gene a ion claims o ha e a deepe unde s anding o said eali ies may
e lec ei he inc eased in e es and u u e planning conce ns (which is a gi en a his poin )
o an exagge a ed sel -e alua ion o hei amilia i y wi h said subjec s ( ecall ha one
common complain among eenage s is a lack o li e skills aining in school). Acco ding
o
Cassidy e al. [31]
, e en hough school s anda ds and cu iculum change o e ime, he
need o p omo e li e skills in s uden s emains cons an , a eali y ha he coun y s ill lacks.
Child en 2022,9, 1574 8 o 11
They claim hei descendan s will ha e ewe conce ns on e e y subjec excep o
he en i onmen , om which we can pe haps deduce ha (i) hey a e con iden o he
changes o be in oduced once hey each in luen ial posi ions, and (ii) en i onmen al
issues’ awa eness is mean o be a lag in u u e schools and communi ies. Howe e ,
al hough awa e o en i onmen al issues [
32
], acco ding o W ay-Lake e al. [
33
], young
people end o a ibu e he esponsibili y o he en i onmen and plane o he go e nmen
and consume s, no assuming hei esponsibili ies. On he con a y, hey conside ha
he ollowing gene a ions will alue li le cul u e, some hing ha al eady happens in he
coun y, and ha his gua an ee ha can encou age g ea e in e gene a ional jus ice [
34
]
will be los o e he yea s.
This gene a ion na u ally acknowledges hei lack o di ec in luence and e o igh s
on poli ical issues and change-making, claiming a small sha e o he pa liamen . In a s udy
ela ed o you h apa hy in democ a ic li e, i is sugges ed ha young people a e willing o
engage bu ha e no in e es in he ocus and na u e o discou ses as well as poli ical li e,
which hey belie e igno e hei needs and in e es s [
35
]. Thei sugges ions can be ague
some imes, hough hey emphasize he po en ial o educa ion o aid hem in de eloping,
among o he hings, poli ical li e acy. The ole o he school is ecognized in p omo ing
you h pa icipa ion and poli ical educa ion [
36
]. This is suppo ed by he ac ha he e is a
common and gene ic appeal o schools, chambe s/councils, and poli icians o dynamize
a ely u he desc ibed ac i i ies o “sol e” he issues hey iden i y.
Le ’s no e ha , as a esul o ou de eloping socie y, he cu en s a e o hings is
undeniably an imp o emen o e he old s a us quo. Al hough i lacks changes, as is he
case o he economy; housing, which is s ill a p oblem o he cu en gene a ion, as a esul
o he sca ce job oppo uni ies; and educa ion, which seems o be losing ele ance, due
o he excessi e ocus on assessmen and pe pe ua ion o an educa ion model ha is o e
50 yea s old [
36
], oday’s young people a e cha ac e ized as mo e lexible, be e educa ed,
and mo e en ep eneu ial, a p o ile ha could be changed [
37
] o be e o wo se, based
on he pandemic pe iod cu en ly being aced; heal h, a p oblem ha essen ially a ec s
p e ious gene a ions, seems o ha e bene i ed g ea ly, e en mo e so wi h he echnology
implemen ed du ing he pandemic.
Conce ning he concep o amily, i is di icul o unde s and whe he he change
was posi i e o nega i e, and al hough he adi ional amily o he 21s cen u y is mo e
open and libe al, i is also less uni ed han p e ious gene a ions. Ano he s udy [
38
]
con i med his.
Rega dless o his, eens end o iden i y mo e issues ega ding he opics unde
in es iga ion, al hough, in eali y, he p oblems one can aise abou hese opics a e mo e
sca ce, which means he issues hey iden i y a e mo e speci ic, sugges ing his gene a ion is
mo e c i ical o he wo ld hey li e in.
When he deba e is se be ween he new and he old gene a ions, hough, a ue phe-
nomenon occu s. A e changing insigh s wi h hei olde gene a ions, eens demons a e a
clea e unde s anding o he eal p oblems hey should be iden i ying and sol ing. The e
is now a ue unde s anding o he in e gene a ional “c isis,” and he ema kable e ec
o he in e gene a ional deba e uly highligh s he impo ance o said deba e—e.g., he
impo ance o an exchange o ideas be ween eens and adul s. In e gene a ional dialogue,
ocused on a knowledge and ac ion app oach, has p o en ex emely ele an in imp o ing
esou ces and oppo uni ies, hus suppo ing he achie emen o g ea e in e gene a ional
jus ice [39].
Despi e he lack o ac ual decision powe and some imes less ambiguous sugges ions,
he cu en gene a ion is no lacklus e in willpowe — hey p omise o keep on aising
awa eness on he issues ha ma e o hem and hey will s ongly pe sis in acili a ing
connec ion and discussion wi h adul s, making su e hey ha e hei insigh s conside ed
in poli ical and public a ai s. This is no di e en be ween o e s and non- o e s. I is an
ambi ious gene a ion ha aims o p epa e hemsel es and u u e gene a ions o e ec i ely
deal wi h he pas gene a ions’ mis akes whils assu ing in e gene a ional jus ice. In he
Child en 2022,9, 1574 9 o 11
opinion o s akeholde s linked o you h wo k, i is ecognized ha hei pa icipa ion in
public policies should go h ough social ma ke ing [
36
], hus suppo ing beha io al change
and posi i ely in luencing socie y [40].
As a esul o his e lec ion, which ook place du ing an unp eceden ed pe iod, i is
now e en mo e u gen o p io i ize in e gene a ional dialogue and consequen in e gene a-
ional jus ice, as a way o suppo ing he minimiza ion o he impac s o he pandemic on
cu en and u u e gene a ions.
5. Key Messages
1.
In e gene a ional jus ice has p o ed o be an impo an esou ce in he decons uc ion
o belie s, in aising awa eness o he p oblems o p e ious gene a ions, and in
inc easing he knowledge ha enables change.
2.
Young people belie e in hei knowledge and ecognize he impo ance o he issues
being discussed by hei gene a ion. They a ibu e a g ea e p opensi y o ac ion o
u u e gene a ions.
3.
Family and housing s and ou in mos o he p oblems iden i ied, bu also as an
impo an esou ce in he p omo ion o g ea e in e gene a ional well-being.
4.
The en i onmen ga he s a la ge numbe o s a egies, bu hei implemen a ion
seems o be conside ed he esponsibili y o u u e gene a ions.
5.
Issues ela ed o go e nmen and poli ics, communi y and socie y, and he economy
do no aise much in e es and knowledge abou hem is sca ce. Awa eness- aising,
aining, and suppo in he de elopmen o poli ical and li e skills seems o be a good
educa ional s a egy, which will pass h ough schools and schooling.
6.
Inc eased in e gene a ional jus ice will be achie ed h ough he c ea ion o means
o acili a e and p omo e in e gene a ional dialogue, such as p og ams, pla o ms,
o ques ionnai es.
7.
Awa e o hei low pa icipa ion and ew oppo uni ies, young people belie e ha
social ne wo ks could be a d i ing o ce in his ac ion.
8.
Sensi i e and ale o he impac s o he pandemic, young people ad oca e g ea e
suppo o he psychological heal h and well-being o hei gene a ion.
9.
Holde s o g ea e knowledge, asc ibe s o g ea e impo ance, and hose mo e con-
ce ned wi h cul u e, belie e ha his will end o be los in he ollowing gene a ions,
who, al hough be e educa ed, will be less cul u ed.
10.
Vo e s and non- o e s ha e simila and complemen a y discou ses, showing ha
c i ical hinking is also a cha ac e is ic o he younges gene a ion.
6. S eng hs and Limi a ions
As limi a ions o he s udy, we highligh he pandemic scena io in which i ook
place, o cing he de elopmen o an exclusi ely online me hodology. In his con ex , he
p esence o one eache pe g oup was manda o y in o de o ha e a acili a o ; he issues
o in e ne signal and sound some imes educed he ime alloca ed o he g oups; and he
impossibili y o con ol o e he numbe o elemen s pe g oup, as classes could no be
sepa a ed by g oups due o he con ainmen measu es imposed by he pandemic. Howe e ,
he limi a ions a e hough o be minimized by he s udy’s pe inence and inno a ion,
which places young people in he i s -pe son posi ion in he iden i ica ion o and ac ion on
cu en p oblems and hose o u u e gene a ions. In addi ion, he di e si y and numbe
o pa icipan s.
Au ho Con ibu ions:
Concep ualiza ion, C.B. and M.G.d.M.; me hodology, C.B. and M.G.d.M.;
so wa e, C.B.; alida ion, L.L.X., C.A. and T.W.; o mal analysis, C.B. and M.G.d.M.; in es iga ion,
C.B., C.N. and M.G.d.M.; da a cu a ion, C.B.; w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, C.B. and T.F.;
w i ing— e iew and edi ing, C.B. and M.G.d.M.; isualiza ion, L.L.X., C.A. and T.W.; supe ision,
M.G.d.M.; p ojec adminis a ion, C.B. and C.N. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published
e sion o he manusc ip .