The pandemic and its effect on Swedish youth wings' mobilization

Sammanfattning: Youth wings exist worldwide, connect youths with political parties, and mobilize youth to political engagement. Youth wings engagement often entails offline political engagement such as debates and demonstrations. However, during the two-year pandemic, youth wings and their members had to move their political engagement mostly online since they and the rest of the world needed to conduct social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic ended this year, 2022, and studies have been conducted around political engagement during social distancing. However, no study has researched how the digitalization effect of the pandemic has affected youths' wings and its member's online mobilization and engagement. This study intends, therefore, to study how the eight Swedish youth wing and their members view how their online mobilization and political engagement during the pandemic has changed. Therefore, to understand the youth wings and its members' political mobilization and engagement does the study use semi-structured interviews to gain a subjective understanding of their perspectives. The data was then analyzed through thematic analysis and later theoretical examined through the dimensions of political engagement and mobilization and the private sphere. Finally, these theories were applied to the data to understand what actions can be viewed as political mobilization and engagement and how digital media affect political actions. Youth wings exist worldwide and connect youths with political parties and mobilize youth to political engagement. Youth wings engagement often entails offline political engagement such as debates and demonstrations. However, during the two-year pandemic, youth wings and their members had to move their political engagement mostly online since they and the rest of the world needed to conduct social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic ended this year, 2022, and studies have been conducted around political engagement during social distancing. However, no study has researched how the digitalization effect of the pandemic has affected youths' wings and its member's online mobilization and engagement. This study intends, therefore, to study how the eight Swedish youth wing and their members view how their online mobilization and political engagement during the pandemic has changed. Therefore, to understand the youth wings and its members' political mobilization and engagement does the study use semi-structured interviews to gain a subjective understanding of their perspectives. The data was then analyzed through thematic analysis and later theoretical examined through the dimensions of political engagement and mobilization and the private sphere. Finally, these theories were applied to the data to understand what actions can be viewed as political mobilization and engagement and how digital media affect political actions.