04/07/2026 | Press Release

"Youth in focus": University of Kassel project investigates civic engagement

How do young people get involved in civil society against the right? What effect do social media posts by right-wing actors have on young people? The "Jugend im Fokus" research project at the University of Kassel is investigating questions like these.

The project is part of the research network "DemoReg - Challenges of Democracy in Times of Regression", in which more than 20 departments from the universities of Marburg, Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Kassel work together across Hesse. "Youth in Focus" is headed by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Tuider (Department of Sociology of Diversity) and Tom Fixemer (research assistant).

"Young people are politically and civically engaged, they are committed to an inclusive society and take a stand against discrimination, such as racism, sexism, hostility towards disabled people and queer people," says Project Leader Elisabeth Tuider. On the one hand, a "Generation Germany" and, on the other, a "Generation Antifa" are marked on social media platforms." In the "Youth in Focus" project, we talk to young people about this. We also analyze together how young people are addressed in social media postings by right-wing actors and what effects this has on their political positioning."

The "Youth in Focus" project is dedicated to the following questions: What issues do young people advocate, what strategies do they consider effective against anti-democratic developments and how can young people and researchers support each other in promoting democratic participation processes? The Kassel scientists are conducting research together with the School and Youth Department at Goethe University Frankfurt, represented by Prof. Dr. Merle Hummrich and Dr. Iva Hradská,

DemoReg is a joint research project in the "Strengthening Democracy Research in Hesse" funding line of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK). "Jugend im Fokus" is one of the two sub-projects in the DemoReg work package "Democratic Regression and Civil Society - Empirical Manifestations in Hesse".

Further information can be found here: https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb05/fachgruppen-und-institute/soziologie/fachgebiete/soziologie-der-diversitaet/forschung-und-projekte/demoreg.html

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Tuider
University of Kassel
Department of Sociology of Diversity
Web: https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb05/fachgruppen-und-institute/soziologie/fachgebiete/soziologie-der-diversitaet/prof-dr-elisabeth-tuider.html