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Paper short abstract

This presentation draws on a five-year ethnographic study with Japanese youth climate activists to shows how their trusted cooperation with senior environmentalists turns into tension through age hierarchy, discursive domination, and tokenism, thereby deepening intergenerational political divisions.

Paper long abstract

This presentation draws on empirical insights from a five-year ethnographic study of Japanese youth climate activism to examine the relationship between younger and senior activists. Young activists sometimes seek cooperation from senior environmental activist activists (many of whom are over 60 years old) to mobilize participants and raise public awareness about coming climate change. Although they initially build a relationship of trust, such collaboration gradually leads to tensions. This presentation analyses the challenges faced by young activists in four dimensions: (a) age-based hierarchy building, (b) discursive domination, (c) exploitation through decorative/tokenistic participation, and (d) acceleration of intergenerational division. As a result, young activists feel disappointed with senior activist groups and, consequently, refuse to further collaboration, keep the distance, and express distrust towards intergenerational collaboration. This presentation sheds light on why forging horizontal relationships remains a persistent challenge for youth activists in Japan.