Climate Anxiety and Youth: An Anthropological Exploration of Climate Emotions and Knowledge Production in a High School Setting

Abstract (English)

In the face of escalating climate change, young generations are increasingly experiencing a range of climate-related emotions, including anxiety, grief, and a profound sense of loss — often referred to as “climate anxiety” (Pikhala 2024; Rocchi 2023). According to ISTAT data, in Italy 70.3% of young people between 14 and 19 years old say they are concerned about climate change (ISTAT 2024). This paper explores how these emotions manifest among high school students in Parma, Italy, through an anthropological lens. As part of a postdoctoral research project at the University of Parma, this study is grounded in an ethnographic laboratory on climate change anthropology conducted within a public high school. The laboratory aims to understand not only how students navigate their anxieties about the future but also how public education constructs and disseminates knowledge about climate change.
Drawing on participant observation, interviews, and collaborative and narrative activities (i. e. storytelling, word cloud, debates), this research examines how emotional experiences intersect with institutional narratives of climate change. How do students articulate their eco-anxiety in educational contexts? In what ways does the school’s approach to climate change shape students’ perceptions and emotional responses? By addressing these questions, the study sheds light on the role of public education in either mitigating or exacerbating feelings of ecological loss and uncertainty.
Furthermore, this work contributes to broader anthropological discussions on climate resilience (Kelman 2016 et al.), and collective response to climate change in terms of proactivity, eco-paralysis (Albrecht 2011) or inaction (Gifford 2011), by highlighting the voices and experiences of youth — a demographic often at the forefront of climate activism yet marginalized in policy discourse. It calls for a deeper engagement with emotional dimensions in climate education, suggesting that acknowledging and addressing climate emotions could foster more equitable and empathetic approaches to climate change adaptation.
This research not only offers insights into how young people cope with climate anxiety but also invites reflection on how anthropology can facilitate conversations between educational institutions, students, and policymakers in co-creating meaningful responses to the climate crisis.