CRIS Scientific Seminar 2022-2023

Friday, January 6th 2023, 11:30 am
Sciences Po (1, place Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin) - Room K008

High hopes and broken promises:
Young adult life courses and political protest in West Africa

Anette Fasang
Professor of Microsociology, Berlin Social Science Center (WZB),
Humboldt-University

Failing to attain an aspired social position can be a profoundly painful experience. Across the global South, the combination of educational expansion and a stagnant labour market prevents vast numbers of young people from finding a job commensurate with their level of education.

In this study, we combine quantitative and qualitative data analysis to document adverse generational change in young adult life courses, the rise of unfulfilled occupational aspirations, and ensuing political protest in West Africa with a special focus on Senegal.

Based on an original data collection of 80 autobiographical interviews we show how Senegalese youth cope with unfulfilled occupational aspirations, and which coping strategies are most associated with political protest. Findings reveal four dominant coping strategies and corresponding narrative frames (Resignation, Internalization, Contestation, and Escape).

The ‘resignation’ frame involves an acceptance of and adjustment to  performing low-status irregular work, often seeking fulfilment in other life domains, such as religion or family. The most common frame, ‘internalization’, relies on neoliberal tropes about individual responsibility and self-reliance. The ‘contestation’ frame critiques the global and local structural conditions that hamper local employment opportunities and is most associated with political activism. Finally, ‘escape’ frames clandestine migration as a risky alternative route to success. We discuss the socio-political ramifications of our findings and the applicability of our typology of coping strategies to other social settings.

Registration is mandatory. Thanks.