Introduction to the Youth and Civic Engagement in Southeast Asia Survey

On the one hand, they are the children or grandchildren of the second or third generations of the post-colonial era (c. 1960s). They are thus least concerned about developmental and industrialization policies. Today, they are born into middle-class and educated families, and some are referred to as the sandwiched class, having to bear the tussle between care for elders in the ageing society and care for children. On the other hand, their aspirations also differ. No longer are they interested in the nation-building issues of their parents, where nationalism was a key part of collective identity formation; today, youths want to take greater ownership of their identities and sub-identities and even challenge dominant narratives levelled out by the state. In this regard, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute ran a Youth and Civic Engagement Survey among undergraduates from six Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The survey was conducted between August and October 2024 and drew responses from 3081 participants. The survey is most interested in the issues that concern youth the most: their religiosity, how religion impacts their political choices, their attitudes towards politics, law enforcement and economic outlook, and their online and offline behaviour. The survey targets university students in urban cities and maintains a balance of STEM and non-STEM students as well as male and female respondents. ISEAS published a series of articles related to the survey findings, and the following is a selection of Fulcrum pieces showcasing reflections from the data. 

Norshahril Saat is a Senior Fellow and Coordinator at the Regional Social & Cultural Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (Singapore). Email: norshahril_saat@iseas.edu.sg