NUF SAID Surveys Render Snapshot of Youth in Uncertain Times
25. Oct, 2010 
0 Comments
An analysis of the NUF SAID survey results reveals a youth population in Chicago concerned about employment opportunities and violence in their communities. An excerpt of the analysis is below (click here to read the full PDF document).
“Overall the theme of uncertainty recognized among youth researchers was also clearly apparent in the responses of the young people in our sample. Their biggest overarching concern is not having a job with good wages (33.8%), a fear that is even more pronounced among older youth 18-24 year old (46.0%). A job is primarily seen as a means to gain independence (31%) by way of paying for living expenses (18.2%) and more generally to build one’s future (23.6%), which corresponds with mainstream normative expectations of economic independence as a critical precondition for the achievement of adult status. Consequently, young people view certain types of activities such as making fliers during an afterschool program as a job only if they provide monetary rewards (37.6%), opportunities to increase one’s human capital through the acquisition of skills (21.8%) or stability (13.9%). Without a job, the majority of youth in our sample would look for a job (74.4%), but they would also be more likely to hang out (74.1%) and while about half would study more (51.4%) about one fourth (23.3%) thinks that a job might actually keep them out of trouble. The latter point is important to keep in mind, because jobs and opportunities for youth were also seen as the most important way to prevent violence in the neighborhood (38.5%).”
