In the Streets with a Degree: How Political Generations, Educational Attainment and Student Status Affect Pathways to Protest

Using survey data collected at 52 major street demonstrations across five European countries during 2009–2012, this article contributes to the debate on the (contentious) politics of the highly educated in Europe. In particular, it explores which of the theories explaining student activism better capture differences in motivations and ways of engaging in protests between protesters who have a university education and those who do not. The findings build on the literature explaining student participation in protest in terms of campus-based politicization. Some support for the liberal education theory comes from the finding that protesters with a university degree are more likely to be left-wing than those without a university education. The article also provides some insights on the importance of political generations.