A Performative Approach to Everyday Activism and Eco-Literacy Among Young People in Bulgaria

Research on climate activism has largely focused on affluent nations in the Global North, often overlooking the perspectives of youth activists in other regions. This study delves into the geo-socialization and daily environmental activism of young people in Bulgaria, a post-communist context, challenging traditional political agendas that ignore varied forms of participation. The research highlights how environmental consciousness among Bulgarian youth, particularly regarding consumerism and climate change, emerges from lived experiences and is expressed through different forms of agency, including roles as victims, voters, rejecters, and interpreters. Drawing on Frinci Orman's (2022) framework of performative environmental citizenship, the study uses detailed geo-social data gathered through interviews, mapping, and essays. It examines how environmental identities shape the eco-literate perspectives of Bulgarian youth from diverse social backgrounds across urban and rural settings. The analysis emphasizes the importance of intersubjective, intergenerational, and spatial connections in forming eco-literacy, demonstrating that ties to local communities and traditional ways of living continue to play a crucial role in the environmental socialization of Bulgarian youth, regardless of how they express their environmental identities.