Young Men and Political Participation

An increasing number of young men are choosing not to vote in elections and are becoming more sceptical about politicians’ ability to solve societal problems. Although young people in general stand out in the statistics for low voter turnout, it is young men who stand out the most — despite displaying high levels of political interest. This article is based on a master’s thesis that explored the question “How do young men conceptualise political participation?” through five focus groups with young people.

We live in a world marked by uncertainty — unpredictable world leaders, natural disasters, trade wars, and inflation. In the midst of this, citizens are given the opportunity to head to the polls and have their voices heard, a form of formal political participation that has traditionally been held in high regard and seen as important. Today, more informal forms of political participation have emerged, most notably through the digital revolution and social media, where people share videos and use hashtags to support causes they care about.

There are gaps in the research specifically focusing on young men and political participation. What can be confirmed is that statistics show young men are underrepresented in voter turnout, while at the same time displaying significant political engagement, especially towards political parties. As such, research is divided on what kind of change is actually taking place — are democracies being eroded, or is political participation taking on new forms that we do not traditionally measure, thereby creating a misleading pattern when we attempt to map political involvement? My master’s thesis attempts to shed light on this puzzle by asking upper-secondary school students how they conceptualise the term political participation.

Sweden is a particularly interesting case to study, as it has a strong norm of political participation, especially a firm tradition of voting in elections. Democratic values are introduced early, with the opportunity for students to take part in school elections, giving young people a chance to experience the voting process. Despite these strong norms and early democratic initiatives, gender and age gaps persist within political participation. Among young voters, young men vote to a lesser extent than young women. Additionally, Ungdomsbarometern (Youth Barometer) reports that young men show greater scepticism towards politicians and their ability to solve societal problems, as well as towards the democratic system itself.

But is it really the case that young men choose not to participate in politics, despite these figures? Based on the five focus groups conducted for the master’s thesis, comprising 30 young people, it turns out that young men do not actually participate less than young women. What the conversations do show, however, is that young men are more likely than young women to express political engagement through other, more informal, channels.

In discussions, young men expressed uncertainty about whether their voices are heard by politicians — especially those from mainstream parties — where they feel there is a significant disconnect. They do, however, have more confidence in youth wings of political parties, believing these to represent their voices better as they speak the same kind of language and are more present in their environments, such as in schools.

When young men talk about politicians, they often associate them with negative connotations — the most common being that they are corrupt, that nothing ever changes, and that promises are not kept. Generally, both young men and women consider it important to vote in elections, but young men mention many more alternative forms of political participation than women do, and also attach greater significance to these alternative forms.

An interesting finding is that young men rank social media as a more important platform for participation than voting in elections. They believe that messages spread more widely and persist longer on social media than by voting once every four years. They also feel it is easier to make their voices heard directly on social media, in their own words. They believe participation via social media can be influential and have a lasting impact. In contrast, young women are more likely to view voting as the most important civic duty, prioritising it over other forms of participation. They see social media as a useful tool for outreach, but consider it short-lived and something that people easily forget over time.

The results suggest that young men are at least as politically engaged as young women, if not more so. However, young men appear to be more sceptical of politicians as a group and their ability to credibly represent young people. Young men therefore try to speak for themselves and turn to social media to participate politically to a greater extent. They share Instagram stories, donate to charitable causes, use hashtags, and mobilise online. The groups made up of young men agreed that social media is more important than voting, which is a vital consideration for future work on democracy and societal development.

What makes young men feel that their voice is insignificant in the broader democratic conversation, and that their vote in a general election can not make a difference for young people? Perhaps it is on social media where we will find young people’s political participation in the future — but how should we care for and value that participation? A good starting point is to be curious about their engagement and where it takes place — because that’s where we can learn how to measure political participation more inclusively.

Sweden is, in many ways, an equal society, but when it comes to political participation, significant gender differences remain. If we try to understand how young people conceptualise political participation, we can better grasp what motivates them to engage in the political arena. This understanding is critical for assessing whether our democracy is being eroded or undergoing transformation.

A better understanding of young people’s motivations for political participation — particularly those of young men — can also help us address young men’s frustrations with the political system and ensure there are mechanisms in place for them to have their voices heard. By understanding young people’s perspectives, we can begin to bridge gender and generational divides in political participation, and work together towards a more resilient and inclusive democracy.