معرفی
Jessica K. Taft is a Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and serves as Director of the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas. Her academic work bridges sociology, political science, and youth studies with a specific focus on intergenerational dynamics within social movements.
Her research centers on young people's contributions to social change through activism across North and South America. Taft examines how adults and adult-led institutions engage with youth activists and explores pathways to create more equitable intergenerational relationships. Her work seeks to expand young people's collective power and political influence within communities and global contexts.
Taft's publications reveal a consistent focus on youth agency within social movements, particularly examining how young activists redefine age-based roles and challenge traditional power structures. Her research spans geographical contexts from Peru to multiple cities across the Americas, highlighting transnational patterns in youth activism while attending to local specificities.
As an engaged scholar, Taft offers workshops for social movement organizations focused on intergenerational activism. Her 'Supporting Youth Activism' workshop provides tools for confronting adultism, while her 'What Does It Mean to Be Youth-Led?' workshop facilitates intergenerational conversations about age-based power dynamics in activist spaces.
Taft maintains an active scholarly presence through her blog, where she explores topics including dignity and justice in children's movements, responses to youth activism, and supporting working children as social, political, and economic agents. Her recent posts indicate ongoing engagement with contemporary movements across the Americas.
