Society is currently facing and experiencing a fundamental environmental and social climate-related crisis (IPCC, 2022). Despite this, many groups in society are opposed to or are skeptical about various sustainability reforms and research about the climate crisis and other environmental issues (e.g., Jylhä et al. 2022; Krange, Kaltenborn, & Hultman, 2019; Ojala, 2015). When teaching young people about sustainable development, we cannot assume that everyone is in favour of sustainable development; there is a diversity of views on these issues. Previous research demonstrates the importance of emotions for engagement and sustainability commitment, but also for denial and/or scepticism (Håkansson & Östman, 2019; Ojala, 2015; Öhman & Sund, 2021). Other research suggests that viewing denial as exhibiting both negative and positive mechanisms related to the reduction of risk of becoming emotionally paralysed when facing uncomfortable facts, holds great potential to entering a new understanding of denial (Lysgaard, 2019).  This study aims to clarify the underlying logic of how and why some young people express resistance and how habits, values and identity contribute to negative emotions and doubts about sustainable development, climate change and the current environmental crisis.

The analysed data originates from a Swedish internet forum which provide a public space for young people (aged 13 to 25) to discuss political matters. Forums of this kind are particularly valuable to study as young people can here openly discuss their views of sustainability topics (Andersson & Öhman, 2016). There are a number of studies that show the prevalence of youth resistance and that also point to sociological and psychological background factors (e.g., Skogen, 1999; Strandbu & Skogen, 2000; Ojala, 2015). There is however a lack of studies that develop an understanding of the character specifically of resistance to and tensions in sustainability topics among young people. That is, how this resistance is played out in discursive practice and the ideological tensions, arguments and the logic behind obstructive standpoints and manifestations. We propose here an understanding based on Pierre Bourdieu's (1986, 1994/2014) theory of capital, with the addition of symbolic environmental capital (Karol & Gale, 2004). Young people's resistance is relevant to education, we need to better understand resistance in order to deal with resistance and tensions constructively and then recommend didactic methods to cope with the tensions.

In the study we used qualitative content analysis of an internet forum for young people where young people (aged 13 to 25) are able to discuss political matters. As we are interested in the underlying meanings and themes of the posts on the forum, a qualitative content analysis is the most adequate method in that a large amount of data can be reduced, sorted and analysed (Bryman & Bell, 2019). The first step of the analysis was inductive and then coded according to categories of tension, first into thirteen different categories which could then be reduced to four main tensions in young people's discussions about sustainable development. Approximately five hundred posts from the threads remained in the second sample. An overview reading of these five hundred posts was conducted and the material was analysed and reduced to those posts that could be understood as expressing resistance. If the post expressed resistance, we analysed who or what the resistance was directed towards to make any intergroup tensions visible. Four main tensions were identified: Individual vs. the State, Rural vs. Urban, Green privileged vs. Disadvantaged, Rural vs. Urban and Boys vs. Girls. In the second step, a deductive analysis was used to analyse the categories of resistance in relation to the theory. With the deductive approach, the internet forum post was analysed in relation to Bourdieu’s forms of capital, with the addition of environmental capital to identify which forms of capital young people wanted to defend or were afraid to lose. The study has been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Reference number: 2021-05405-01).

We identified four main tensions in young people’s discussions on sustainable development. Our result corresponds with findings in previous psychological research showing that sustainability issues can trigger strong emotions among young people (Ojala, 2015). From a Bourdieusian perspective, fear is understood as a fear of losing privileges or capital resources in the manifestations of resistance expressed by boys, those in rural areas who feel neglected, or those who feel that they do not benefit from sustainable transformation or reforms. The empirical analysis also shows a perceived conflict between the individual and the over-controlling state. The results indicate that resistance was often manifested as a defense of economic disadvantage and a fear of losing cultural or social capital in the new era of sustainability. Due to this fear, other groups, such as women, immigrants, and the urban population, were blamed by those who saw themselves as disadvantaged in the sustainable transformation. The findings of this study implicate that sustainability education must critically reflect on and discuss opposing ethical and political standpoints, i.e., learn from each other’s differences. In the ESD field, several studies highlight that teachers can work with pluralistic methods and teaching models to support young people’s sustainability commitment (e.g., Sund & Öhman, 2019; Poeck Östman & Öhman, 2019; Van Poeck & Östman, 2019). However, there is still a need for concrete guidelines for how teachers can constructively meet young people’s resistance and handle the tensions identified in the study. That is, to see the learning potential of moments of resistance and treat them as opportunities for inquiry in a democratic dialogue which can reverse them into a sound sustainability commitment.

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