Youth and Democracy: Comparing Generations’ Attitudes Toward Democracy in African Post-Conflict Contexts: Examining Post-Conflict Generational Differences in Democratic Attitudes
2025 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
This thesis investigates if there is a difference between youth generations' and older generations' attitudes toward democratic values and democratic institutions in African post-conflict countries and in what direction the difference points. By proceeding deductively from earlier literature, this thesis arrives at two contrasting hypotheses to test if there is a generational difference. The difference is explored in the cases of Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, countries that have experienced a conflict and where the youth generation grew up in a post-conflict society. Using survey data from Afrobarometer, the thesis compares the mean values of youth and older respondents’ attitudes toward democracy. Although several of the comparisons did not yield significant results, the findings show that older generations, in general for the post-conflict countries, display more favorable attitudes toward democratic values and institutions in terms of support for democracy, importance of elections, electoral integrity, and accountability, except for enlightened understanding and freedom of the media which showed the opposite. These findings indicate that there is a difference between youth and older generations' attitudes toward democracy and that older generations are more in favor of democracy. However, further research must be conducted to explain why and how there is a difference between youth and older generations.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 45
Keywords [en]
Youth generation, Older generations, Generational Attitudinal Difference, Democratic values, Democratic institutions, Post-conflict, Post-conflict countries, Africa
National Category
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-547811OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-547811DiVA, id: diva2:1928959
Subject / course
Development Studies
Educational program
Bachelor Programme in Peace and Development Studies
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-01-272025-01-182025-01-27Bibliographically approved