Differentiated Temporal Orientations between Generations of Activists in the Turkish Ecological Movement: Strategies Adopted to Ensure the Continuity of the Struggle.

Turkish society is characterized by a strong hierarchy of roles, based on a strict distinction between “elders” (büyükler) and “young people” (küçükler), which prevails in order to define oneself as a person. This distinction affects all aspects of an individual's life and determines his or her place in society (Neyzi, 2015). It is also reflected within the Turkish ecological movement, where three generations of activists, from generations X, Y and Z, have trouble coexisting. This is reflected in the overall lesser involvement of younger people in the movement.

While intergenerational exchanges and interactions within the framework of mobilization and activism can ensure its continuity through the transmission of know-how and knowledge, they are also likely to have significant consequences on the modalities and durability of the commitment of younger activists.

Based on our research, we have found that the three generations of activists within the Turkish ecological movement have different temporal orientations. One, common to generations X and Y, is more focused on long-term actions and a strategy of gradual transformation, whereas one, innate to generation Z, favors immediate and radical action, driven by a sense of urgency regarding a near-future that is uncertain due to climate change. Our proposal is to study the adaptation strategies activists use to reduce the risk of tensions and breakdowns in intergenerational transmission in order to ensure the continuity of the movement.

This paper explores this question through the case of the Children of Nature collective (Doğanın Çocukları), composed exclusively of young people aged 18 to 24, and the collective For a Terrestrial Ecology (Yeryüzü Ekoloji Kolektifi), composed of individuals from generations Y and Z. The same entity initially split into two generations, allowing each group to adopt its own mobilization strategies and tools based on their own temporal orientations and future imaginings.