Cracks under Pressure: Political Polarization and the Spectrum of Youth Navigational Strategies in the Solid North

• Main Author: Presto, Athena Charanne R.
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2024
• Subjects: POLITICAL POLARIZATION • CREATIVE CITIZENSHIP • GENERATION Z • SOLID NORTH • MARCOS ADMINISTRATION
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/phstudies/vol72/iss3/3; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/phstudies/article/5006/viewcontent/02_20PSHEV_2072_20n3_20Presto_20_28Final_29.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration shows glimpses of political polarization where public discourse often frames citizens into “pro-” and “anti-” Marcos camps. By studying Generation Z political participation in the Marcos support base of Ilocos, popularly called the Solid North, I contribute to the sparse literature on polarization and the Solid North in the Philippines. I discuss political polarization manifesting in the lived experiences of young people of different political leanings based on sixteen in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions. I then present a spectrum of ways they navigate polarization, including the benefits, costs, and implications of these navigational strategies.