Where have all the radicals gone?
Students have always been notorious for extreme politics and bumptious protests. But, as Daniel Whitehead discovers, this stereotype is fast changing here at York
Students have always been a riotous bunch. In medieval times, scholars waged battles against the constabulary with bows and arrows, while during Soviet rule, a Hungarian student protested against the regimeby sitting fire to himself.
Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, young people unified in protest over global, national and local issues. Whether it was the war in Vietnam, British capitalism or the closure of a local pub, the University of York was always at the forefront of confrontation.
In 1967, three York students were arrested outside the US embassy in London after violent protests against the conflict in Vietnam. Similarly, in 1977, 450 York students staged a sit-in at Heslington Hall in protest at proposed fee increases. The event drew the attention of local and national media and lasted six days.
Fast forward 30 years: a group of no more than 15 students have chained themselves together in protest at portering cuts. They are stood in a line, half-blocking the Vanbrugh Walkway (but still allowing room for passersby to get through) quietly making their point, but causing little disturbance to anyone.
Students and academics alike wander by; some sign the petition whilst others turn back to find another route and avoid confrontation. The protest will not hold out for a resolution; a maximum 10-hour duration has already been announced by the organisers. All will be home in time for dinner, with or without a conclusion.
‘Has a demographic renowned for challenging authority, questioning assumptions and orchestrating change become politically disengaged?’
The protest might be seen as a failure. However, recent memory suggests this was perhaps one of the more successful cases of activism in the past 12 months and recent statistics suggest a worrying upward trend in student apathy. Only 48% of students voted in the 2005 general election, compared to 75% of older respondents.
So has a demographic renowned for challenging authority, questioning assumptions and orchestrating change become politically disengaged? Have students, a group once seen as irrationally and inexplicably revolutionary, become more apathetic than their parents? I ask the opinions of York students past and present, many of whom have been involved in politics during their time at university.
Politics professor Haleh Afshar studied at the University in the late sixties, at the height of student activism. She recalls being involved in the Cambridge Garden House ‘riots’ of 1970 when six students were arrested after protesting at a ‘Greek night’ held at the Garden House Hotel. “Students are no longer interested in either university or national politics,” she said. “They share the British apathy towards politics, wherein they may get organised on single issues or might not.”
Afshar is not the first British graduate to voice concerns over the new generation. Her claims have been backed by columnists Donald Hiscock and Polly Toynbee. Hiscock described modern students as the “apathy generation”, while Toynbee went a step further, calling young people who don’t wish to be involved in politics “airheads” and “political know-nothings”.
If our generation is indeed politically disengaged, then why is this? University of York Labour Party Chair Andy Dixon thinks there is a “feeling amongst students and young people that politics is a bad thing or a tainted thing. If you back away from politics, then you leave those with power to do what they want. I think the passion for politics is still there with students but perhaps something that keeps it down is that people don’t feel they have the ability to make a difference. Part of the reason is the political system has become less ideological and you have politicians chasing a small number of votes.”
Changing attitudes towards activism have been discussed heavily in political circles. York Socialists Secretary Michelle Wheeler agrees that a rapidly changing society is one reason. She suggests that in the ’60s and ’70s students felt there was more to fight for, with war, racial equality and capitalism all prominent issues. Andrew Lewin of the campus Liberal Democrats disagrees, saying, “I still think there are single issues which students get passionate about. Perhaps not over such a large range, but I do think there are still some things which hit home, such as tuition fees and Iraq.”
So what can be done to encourage greater participation? What prevents the voices of York students being louder? Lewin suggests the problem is the distance between campus political groups and YUSU. Dixon added, “YUSU needs to engage with York students more and be tougher with the University. Currently, the University is making cuts which directly damage student welfare and it’s not YUSU’s business to be looking after the University. The point of the Union is to look after its members.”
YUSU Welfare Officer Amy Foxton defended the Union’s attitude towards student issues: “The way in which students’ unions operate, particularly in York, has changed. Today we can achieve more by winning the respect of University staff, sitting in meetings and discussing issues.” She also said students can make more of an impact by voting in UGMs and supporting the Students’ Union. “It would help if students let us know what they think and feel about issues, so we can communicate this to the University,” she said.
Rich Croker, YUSU President, believes the Union makes as much progress as ever but does not receive credit. He said, “I think student politics can make a real difference and has done. Sometimes it is difficult because you can never show the effects of representation to all those you represent - especially when what you are dealing with is part of a long term plan or strategy. There is no doubt that input from a student perspective should ensure the outcome of our politics is more designed around the needs of students.”
However, with a university that has seen cutbacks in facilities, a greater emphasis on the students of the future and higher course fees than ever, it seems questionable whether the student message is getting through to those that matter.
No one seems to agree on a solution to this rising apathy. Whether it is down to the emergence of different methods of protest through electronic media or a generation too content with our own lives to care about the bigger picture, time will only tell.
Some would argue that the world has become a more equitable, just place in the past 30 years, and that political extremism is no longer required of the modern undergraduate. Whether racial equality, women’s rights and freedom of speech have been confined to history is another question. One thing is for sure, though: the days of burning bras and rioting for the sake of challenging authority are a distant memory.
