ABSTRACT

While Kenyan youth comprise the majority of the Kenyan electorate, they are typically either stereotyped as criminals or marginalized, rather than taken seriously as politically important actors. The importance of youth in Kenya, and the gaps in our knowledge about this group, prompt us to investigate their views at the cusp of political becoming. Reporting on a survey of 4,773 secondary school students in Nairobi, we argue that understanding this youth population’s perspectives and relationship to the state – ‘seeing like students’ – is critical to any understanding of Kenya today and its future. Our study shows empirically that secondary school youth in Nairobi are perceptive about the challenges facing the country, civically engaged, and hopeful about the future. With views that often differ by ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic background, our findings highlight the importance of acknowledging youths’ complex on-the-ground realities and challenging dominant discourses about youth.

摘要

虽然肯尼亚青年占肯尼亚选民的大多数，但他们通常要么被定型为罪犯或被边缘化，要么没有被当成政治上重要的角色。青年在肯尼亚的重要性以及我们对这一群体的了解的不足，促使我们在政治转折的风口浪尖上调查他们的观点。在对内罗毕的4,773名中学生进行的一项调查报告中，我们认为，了解青年人口的观点和与国家的关系（“像学生一样”）对于理解当今和肯尼亚的未来至关重要。我们的研究从经验上表明，内罗毕的中学青年对这个国家所面临的挑战具有敏锐的洞察力，并积极参与，并对未来充满希望。由于种族，性别或社会经济背景的观点经常不同，