Politics in 'materialist terms': Gen Z in Albania, Italy, France and India protesting for 'fairness'

AI Summary

Sociologist Gökçe Tuncel says youth-led protests in France, Albania, India and Italy reflect a political consciousness shaped by material insecurity and distrust of institutions. The movements express demands for fairness, solidarity and social justice.

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Gökçe Tuncel, Sociologist and post-doctoral researcher associated with the Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC). For Tuncel, the wave of youth-led protests across France, Albania, India and Italy reveals more than a succession of localized grievances. It signals the emergence of a political consciousness shaped by material insecurity, institutional disillusionment and an increasingly explicit demand for solidarity and social justice. "What is really striking about this Gen Z movement is how clearly young people see their material conditions," Tuncel observes.