Youth Climate Justice Activism: Study Updates and Next Steps
Hi folks!
There were 34 of y'all that took the time to interview with us, and for that we thank you!
There are 85% of you who have shared experiences in burnout related to activism.
We had 12% who shared they have not burnt out yet, but can see it happening. One person shared that they practice noticing when they feel they are about to burnout in order to prevent it from happening. Another reported burnout can feel like a "lack of motivation...you're just like, 'the world is against me'."
Lastly, 3% shared they have not experienced burnout.
As with so many of you who have experienced burnout, you shared some great insights about how to care for yourself, others, and to prevent burnout in the face of challenges.
Here are some suggestions (double click to enlarge):
Meet Your Analysis Team
Emmanuel-Sathya Gray (He/Him/They)
was born and raised in Myaamia, Shawnee, Cherokee and Osage territories, in what is known as the Ohio River Valley. He calls home the areas straddling the Ohio River of Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. Currently he is a graduate student of Community Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. His current research is grounded in the experiences of youth climate justice activists nationally; particularly BIPOC, POC and LGBTQ+ identifying individuals. His broader interests and investigations include the psychology of decolonisation among both activists and small communities. He also plays and teaches the Irish traditional fiddle and enjoys singing and dancing, and having a laugh.
Shaunelle Casey (She/They)
This is Shaunelle. She typically goes by her last name “Casey.” Casey is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati where she currently does post-grad research around Climate Change. She is also a research coordinator for a new study called RETAIN. In the future, she aims to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Outside of work, she is extremely laid back. She loves to read, do yoga, paint, and go to the beach. An unusual fact about herself: she is obsessed with Surrealism art. It is through a passion for the genre of “surrealism” that she decided to study the brain.
Delaney Malloy (She/Her/Hers)
is a second year Environmental Studies major and Biology Minor. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she has always had a passion for the environment and what affects it. She works as a Sustainability Advocate for the University of Cincinnati doing work like planning a community sustainable garden, holding various film discussions and lectures, and working as a mechanic to fix/rent out bikes to students on campus at the UC Bike Kitchen. She is also a fellow with the Post Landfill Action Network, petitioning and researching how to stop the spread of plastics and petrochemicals on campus and within the Ohio River Valley. Her work in the lab revolves around youth climate justice and equity. When not doing sustainability work, she greatly enjoys yoga, reading, and finding new coffee shops with friends.
How Coding Works
Currently, your team of coders is working diligently to comb through interview transcripts for common threads and themes.
The current research topics the team is looking into are your views and experiences of success and overcoming challenges.
This is how we begin the process of coding:
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Write out interviews (transcribe) word for word (in verbatim).
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Skim the contents of the interviews to be familiar with the topics.
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Go for a deep dive into each document by pulling out quotes, pieces of quotes, and generating preliminary ideas.
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See if there is anything in relation to each document. This is when we ask, 'is there anything new?', 'is there anything similar?'.
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Repeat steps 3 and 4 until each document has been thoroughly analyzed.
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The preliminary ideas will then be organized into themes to answer the research questions/topics.
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Lastly, themes will be organized with quotes and explanations for the final document.
Throughout each step, team members check-in to discuss what they see and to make decisions about codes, themes, and how to best answer the research question.
When the final document is constructed, we will notify you all!
Email us at collaborativesustainabilitylab@gmail.com with the email we originally had our interview with for a copy of your transcript!
