The Generational Change in Armenia and Its Impact on Civil Society

This chapter tests another prediction by Marc Howard (The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003). According to his work, attitudes and life experiences of people who lived under communism and saw its demise explained the distinct weakness of post-communist civil society. People were disillusioned with participation and chose to withdraw. Howard hypothesised that a new generation, born after the collapse of the Soviet system, would have a different set of attitudes and would be less sceptical about engagement. We test this hypothesis for Armenia, comparing the participation of a post-communist cohort to older cohorts, using secondary survey data and explore the question of generational differences in more depth, using original qualitative data. Despite some limitations, the data show that, indeed, the young Armenian generation is more engaged in civil society. Young people are more trustful, somewhat more likely to join civil society organisations and to volunteer. The respondents of our qualitative interviews and discussions emphasise that the young generation is different, more active and initiative-taking. Young people are particularly visible in activism campaigns.