Peer-reviewed article
Climate strike or not? Intersectionality of age and culture encountered by young climate activists in Taiwan
Hung-Chieh Chang ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed study examines why young climate activists in Taiwan do not participate in climate strikes, unlike their counterparts in other regions. The research identifies cultural and age-related barriers including pressure to focus on academic performance, limited awareness of the right to strike, and parental intervention. The study describes strategies that young activists use to engage with climate issues despite these constraints.
Key points
- Climate strikes are currently not occurring in Taiwan despite global momentum
- Academic performance pressure is a significant barrier to youth participation in activism
- Young people in Taiwan have low awareness of their right to strike
- Parental intervention limits young activists' ability to participate
- Young activists employ alternative strategies to engage with climate issues
Limitations
This study examines barriers to climate activism in Taiwan but does not evaluate the effectiveness of any specific intervention to improve youth participation or climate outcomes. It is primarily descriptive rather than evaluative research.
Abstract
While the mainstream discourses of global climate strikes focus on the issue of generational justice, the experience in the context of East Asia has been under-researched. This study explores the local experience and interpretation of this movement among the young activists in Taiwan. The results show that climate strike is currently impossible in Taiwan. This study discusses this from the intersectionality of age and culture, namely, obsession with academic performance, low awareness of the right to strike, and parental intervention. It also highlights the strategies that young activists employ to reduce these barriers.