Storytelling to Engage Youth in Climate Action: A Scoping Review Across Geographies and Learning Contexts (Poster 5)

• In Event: Attending to Climate and Environmental Hope, Despair, and Repair Through Storytelling

Abstract

Objectives/Purposes
Climate change disproportionately affects younger generations, with children born in 2020 expected to face significantly more extreme events than those born in 1960 (Thiery et al., 2021). In response to this concern, more studies have focused on youth action for climate change and a storytelling approach is widely used as a method of engagement in their work (Baldwin et al., 2023; Fisher, 2016). Despite increasing attention to studying youth action, there is a need to synthesize these studies. To address this need, the purpose of this study is to review the studies published during the last decade to respond to the following research questions: 1) How is youth action conceptualized across geographies and learning settings? 2) how did the social factors facilitate the storytelling approach?

Theoretical Frameworks
The theories of intergenerational and international equity (Gardiner, 2006) frame the rationale for why this review should focus on youth and attend to action across countries and learning contexts. Furthermore, this work's specific questions drive from Busch et al.'s (2019) theoretical model for youth action, where social norms are a strong indicator of pro-environmental behavior. We look at how social norms influence how the storytelling approach is adopted.

Methods & Data Sources
This study utilizes a systematic literature review as a methodology (Borrego et al., 2015) for research published between 2014 and 2024. This literature review is mainly based on the target word search (e.g., youth action + climate + storytelling) at our library's search engine. In addition, the authors worked with experts in youth action for climate change, and they provided suggestions for additional articles. A constant-comparative analysis is used to determine common themes across the studies (Glaser, 1965).

Findings
The synthesis of the studies showed while some of the examples fall under "learning about action," others highlighted the importance of "taking action" as part of the study. While self-efficacy was an indicator in earlier studies, more recent studies look at identity and agency development for repositioning and empowering youth. Three social factors are common across studies to support the use of storytelling: 1) Indigenous practices have been extensively utilized in understanding the use of storytelling to develop youth's care for their communities 2) increased accessibility of mobile technologies led to increased attention to developing digital storytelling tools, 3) Partnerships with community organizations and activists provided opportunities for sharing stories. The studies indicated structural and policy-based limitations in youth taking action for climate change.

Scholarly Significance of the Study
Justice-oriented climate action requires careful consideration of youth positioning due to the increased intergenerational impacts of changing climate (Sanson & Burke, 2020). As climate change scholars, we must design projects and related research to create a safe space for youth to lead climate action. This review will show what we have learned and the crucial need for a path forward in research and practice to center all youth, particularly those from underserved communities, and motivate us to contribute to the field.

Authors

• Asli Sezen-Barrie, University of California - Irvine

• Sara E. Tolbert, Monash University