Ambivalent Adultism: Theorizing Hostile and Benevolent Adultism as Barriers to Intergenerational Climate Justice

Advancing intergenerational solidarities for climate justice requires challenging adultism in all its forms. Drawing on feminist theorizing, this chapter introduces ambivalent adultism, a multidimensional construct encompassing two mutually reinforcing forms of adultism. Hostile adultism assumes young people’s inferiority and incompetence in all matters relative to adults and is primarily associated with adults’ urge to control young people. Benevolent adultism emphasizes young people’s innocence, vulnerability, and dependence on adults and is primarily associated with adults’ urge to protect young people from harm. Nevertheless, adultist ideas—both hostile and benevolent—operate together to justify young people’s societal subordination and impede intergenerational climate justice.