MeLCi Lab researchers contribute to studies on youth citizenship and film education

Two conference contributions co-authored by MeLCi Lab members explore young people’s civic participation and cinema’s role in Portuguese public education, highlighting the importance of meaningful engagement and collaboration.

Youth participation: invited, but unheard

Developed within the STORYline project, Invited to participate, yet unheard: Expert perspectives on youth citizenship and intergenerational relations is authored by Ana Filipa Oliveira, Júlia Pereira, Marisa Mourão, Maria José Brites and Inês Amaral. The contribution was prepared for the online ECREA post-conference Connected Generations: Media, Communication, and Intergenerational Exchange in Contemporary Lives, held on 17–18 September 2026.

Drawing on five semi-structured interviews with experts, the study examines how citizenship is understood and how intergenerational relations and digital technologies shape young people’s civic engagement. Preliminary findings identify a persistent tension: young people are frequently invited to participate, yet their perspectives carry little weight in decisions.

The study also suggests that young people may internalise adult-centred assumptions about their political competence, overlooking the civic significance of their everyday activities. These findings frame citizenship as relational and embedded in daily life, with meaningful participation depending on opportunities to influence decisions.

Mapping cinema in Portuguese schools

Marisa Mourão and Isabel Macedo’s Film education in Portuguese schools: A mapping of the seventh art’s integration in public education was prepared for the 11th European Communication Conference in the Czech Republic, held on 8–11 September 2026.

The research analyses the educational projects of 425 school clusters and non-clustered schools, representing 52.53% of public-school units in mainland Portugal, alongside interviews with leaders from 15 school clusters.

Findings indicate that cinema has a significant but modest presence in public education. It is integrated through classroom activities and, in particular, projects involving external partners. The study highlights the importance of these collaborations, especially the National Cinema Plan, in supporting film education in schools.