From the periphery: The notion of social space in the socio-political mobilization of youth

Abstract

This article highlights the existence of a transversal element in the relationship of youth with the public sphere, which contributes to a better understanding of the nature of their political expressions: the internalization of a certain imposed peripheral position within the social space. The idea of social space, and in particular the idea of periphery, contributes to give coherence to some phenomena and trends on the sociopolitical mobilization of youth as a whole. To do this, three youth movements emerged in Barcelona during 2019 are analyzed, in which the youth played a special role. The differences and similarities between the three movements show the versatility of the notion of periphery, which serves to visualize the vital precariousness that identifies an entire generation, beyond their internal differences.