Opposition and Integration in Norwegian Youth Networks

Abstract

In this article, we address how the social networks of Norwegian teenagers influence their formation of social and political resources. We distinguish between youth networks that are adult-managed and networks managed by the youth involved. The analysis is based on two representative surveys, Young in Norway 1992 and 2002. Based on a theoretical framework related to Putnam's theory of social capital, we discuss how young people's declining trust in the authority of adult society and their increased willingness to vote in general elections during the past decade might be understood. The findings imply that the adult-managed networks (generation-bridging) generate trust among the young participators. However, they are no more willing to vote than youth existing outside such networks. On the contrary, youth-managed networks (youth-bonding) in which adults do not have any natural positions or access seem to mobilize young people into participating through elections, even though they show a lower level of trust than their peers outside such networks. The findings imply that the generation gap produces mistrust and an oppositional attitude to the adult world, which has a positive influence on young people's political participation and integration.