Changing forms of engagement: from parties to AI agents, who is getting involved today?
In brief
- Political parties and unions are losing members, unlike student mobilizations and hashtags like #FridaysForFuture.
- Engagement is diversifying: digital (slacktivism), fleeting (post-it), or through companies (skills sponsorship).
- AI could automate militant actions, while volunteering declines among seniors and retirees.
Political parties and unions are losing members, yet high school students are blocking schools and hashtags are mobilizing globally. Futurist Cécile Wendling examines these generational shifts in activism.
Young people first engage in the streets, as seen with climate marches, or online through movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. Civic service, used as an integration tool, varies widely by region: 36 % in Guadeloupe versus 9.5 % in mainland France. Fleeting commitment, or the "post-it" model, is replacing the long-term "stamp" engagement of retirees.
Companies are becoming a new field for activism, especially through skills sponsorship. AI could automate some militant actions, while rest emerges as an act of resistance. Volunteering is declining among seniors, and the future of engagement might involve a structured "career," combining universal income and recognition of acquired skills.
What it changes for you
- Public SectorLocal and digital mobilizations force public institutions to adapt their engagement and citizen participation systems.
- Human ResourcesCompanies integrate engagement as an HR lever, with schemes like skills sponsorship or dedicated days for reservists.
This summary gives you the essentials. The full article, its figures and quotes are on Usbek & Rica.
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