Before I came to university I didn't believe in politics. Later, I was like analysing what was worthwhile, I listened but I didn't say anything. I think many people say "this happens, and ..." for example to do with Catalan, or to do with the police. I don't speak Catalan because I'm from Hospitalet and for a thousand reasons. And here, lots of people say to you "why don't you speak Catalan, and this, that and the other". And it's the same with the police. My boyfriend is a policeman and here everybody criticises the police by generalising and saying really ridiculous things! People say that we shouldn't generalise, but everyone generalises. I don't put myself in a clear position, because it depends ... (...). I'm rather lost, aren't I? What should I do? Because in one day as many as seven people have said to me, in different situations "Why don't you speak Catalan?" But it's the first thing they say to me. “What's your name?" "Miriam" "Why don't you speak Catalan?" Because I don't want to, and that's it. Not because I don't like it, but because I don't feel like it, because I don't want to, end of story. I don't know, all this has made me think that people protest a lot, but in the end they do the same, you know? Therefore in the end I think "yes, yes, you can say what you like, and I'm going to carry on thinking what I want".

Míriam, a Catalan university student

Catalan can become a language of prestige, that is taken on as one's own in that they abandon the most anti-institutional positions that are typical of youths, or it can become the main cultural marker of all young people who, behind the appearance of political radicalness, form part of the privileged social groups from which you want to be differentiated.

To a great degree, the personal experience of each individual means that the balance goes in one direction or another, and that the language therefore, becomes neutralised or not, as a statement of that towards which the bulk of young people show hostility. the world of institutional politics.

8. Bibliography

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BARBERÀ, O.; BARRIO, A.; RODRÍGUEZ, J. (2002). Els militants de les organitzacions polítiques juve¬nils a Catalunya, Barcelona, Diputació de Barcelona.
BOURDIEU, P. (1988). La distinción, Taurus, Madrid.
BENDIT, R. (2000). «La participación social y política de los jóvenes en los países de la UE», a S. Balardini (ed). La participación social y política de los jóvenes en el nuevo siglo, Buenos Aires, CLACSO.
BENEDICTO, J.; MORÁN, M. L. (2005). Aprendiendo a ser ciudadanos. Experiencias sociales y cons¬trucciones de la ciudadanía entre los jóvenes, Madrid, INJUVE.
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CARDUS, S (ed). (2005) Els terrassencs del s.XX. Immigració, identitat i canvi. Barcelona, Lunwwerg edituorsi Diari de Terrassa.
DIVERSE AUTHORS (2002). Joves i valors. Els joves catalans en l’enquesta europea de valors, Barcelona, Secretaria General de Joventut.
ESTRUCH, J.; CARDÚS, S. (1984). Les enquestes a la joventut de Catalunya, Barcelona, Secretaria General de Joventut.
FONT, J. (2002). «Els joves i la política: i si no fossin tan diferents?», a Diversos autors (ed). Joves i valors. Els joves catalans en l’enquesta europea de valors, Barcelona, Secretaria General de Joventut.
FUNDACIÓ FERRER I GUÀRDIA (1999). Joves i participació a Catalunya, Barcelona, Secretaria General de Joventut.
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GONZÀLEZ, I.; COLLET, J.; SANMARTIN, J. (2007). Participació, política i joves. Una aproximació a les pràctiques polítiques, la participació social i l’afecció política de la joventut catalana.
INGLEHART, R. (1991). El cambio cultural en las sociedades avanzadas, Madrid, CIS-Siglo XXI.
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MARTÍNEZ, R.; GONZÁLEZ, I.; DE MIGUEL, A. (2005). Cultura i joves, Barcelona, Secretaria General de Joventut.
MEGÍAS. E. (coord). (2006). Jóvenes y política: el compromiso con lo colectivo, Madrid, INJUVE.
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Publications on Internet

DIVERSE AUTHORS (2005). «Propostes sobre la participació estudiantil a les universitats». Proposal and conferences in the Congress on student participation in universities organised by DURSI.(www10.gencat.cat/dursi/AppJava/documents.?area=1&idcat=3426&sub1=6&sub2=2&sub3=3)

GONZÁLEZ, I.; ALEGRE, M. A.; BENITO, R. (2006). De nens exigents i joves lliures. El corpus normatiu subjacent en la narrativitat publicitària. (http://www.audiovisualcat.net/recerca/nensijoves.pdf)

Isaac Gonzàlez i Balletbó
Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques (IGOP)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
igonzalezbal@uoc.edu

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