Posted by Jorge LeClair in
Canadian Millennials care about changing the world for the better… and they will.
A common misconception is that they are politically disengaged. It’s just the opposite. Canadians under 30 are actively engaged, however the majority are just not civically engaged in a traditional way.
To understand how this misconception came to be requires explaining 3 points. First, who exactly are the Millennials? Second, why are they regarded as politically disengaged? Third, how are they involved in their communities?
The Millennials are a generation born between 1980 and 1995, although some include those born up until 2000. Defining characteristics include liberal beliefs, high education, tech-savviness, quick embracing of change or innovation, high value on independence plus uniqueness, distrust in large media as well as government, a fervent belief in not compromising on their dreams or their lifestyle and a strong interest in social/environmental issues. Millennials are also a feminist generation, where today approximately 60 per cent of university graduates are women, with more women entering medical and law schools. 1
The belief that Millennials are politically disengaged comes from the fact that they have had weak turnouts in past elections at the municipal, provincial and federal level. This problem is also present in other developed Western nations. 2 Most young Canadians are also not interested in participating in party politics or staying informed through traditional news formats such as TV news stations and newspapers. From this point of view Millennials are disengaged and disenfranchised.
The truth is that Millennials care a lot about the world and are engaged; but the majority just don’t feel connected to traditional political institutions. According to Elections Canada, some Millennials argue that none of the mainstream political parties address issues that are relevant to their generation such as high car insurance rates, tuition fees, the need for student loan restructuring, modern internet laws, etc. Donald Green and Alan Gerber have been studying American federal, state and municipal elections in 12 states since 1998; their book – “Get Out the Vote! How to increase voter turnout “, links declining voter turnout in western democracies to the depersonalization of politics. In Canada, the theatrical and scripted style of Question Period is not compatible with the expectations of this generation. Even former PM Brian Mulroney said (2009), “If you look at Question Period, you can see that it’s often the theatre of the absurd. There’s no relationship whatsoever to the problems of ordinary Canadians, and that’s one of the reasons why ordinary Canadians turn off so quickly in politics.”
Millennials are not political dropouts. According to a study by D-Code and the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Millennials are involved. They buy products using their social conscience. They donate to charities. They try to use public transit and prefer green cars. They volunteer. They organize. They expect corporate social responsibility. They express news, share opinions and mobilize through blogs. They promote workplace equality by pushing for flattened hierarchies. They pursue social entrepreneurship, combining business and social change. They join causes on social networking sites. The World Values Survey supports this and shows data that compared to older generations, Millennials are just as likely to volunteer and discuss social/environmental issues with friends but they are almost twice as likely to pursue non-traditional political methods such as boycotts, ribbon campaigns, marathons and social movements like Earth Hour or Pride Week.
Yes Millennials should vote more and if they are properly engaged they will. After all, Millennials played a significant role in helping Obama win the 2008 US Presidential Election. There are many young, inspirational Canadians driving transformational change and improving the world; they are just doing it innovative ways.
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