We’ve interviewed Dr. Georg Boldt about his his doctoral dissertation Citizens in Training. How institutional youth participation produces bystanders and active citizens in Finland for EGL in Action. But today, we get to know Georg Boldt better in this latest Faces of EGL.
Dr. Georg Boldt: “I’m a sociologist working at the University of Helsinki. I am a founding member of the Centre for Sociology of Democracy and my research topics have ranged from institutional youth participation to synod debates and high-risk activism.
My methodological approach to study situated political cultures is based on ethnographic participant observation. Mostly this implies attending meetings and following group chats but recently fieldwork with Extinction Rebellion activists protesting logging operations in Lapland (Finland) required navigating by map and compass while skiing through the wilderness. The Northern Lights were unforgettable!
I have a background in European youth politics. I was a board member of the organizing bureau of European school student unions (OBESSU), the national youth council, and for a while I acted as the chairperson of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth. I used to DJ regularly at clubs and parties during my graduate studies and I still enjoy crate digging and curating mixtapes. When I have time off I like to spend it with friends and family, preferably sailing, rock climbing or skiing.”
You can read our interview with Dr. Boldt about his dissertation here.