Youth, Migration, and Active Citizenship: Exploring Students’ Citizenship Vocabularies Across Six Countries

Migration profoundly shapes the lives of young people and is a polarizing topic in public discourse globally. This article examines if and how secondary school students across six countries with significant migration connect the issue of migration with their understanding of active citizenship. Employing Thorson's concept of citizenship vocabularies, we document and analyze young people's perceptions as well as the resources, narratives, and frameworks they use to make sense of migration, citizenship, and civic life. Drawing on data from deliberative discussion groups, the study adds depth to our understanding of how the current generation of youth engages with a complex and multifaceted social issue and makes an important contribution to debates concerning citizenship education, youth activism, and migration.