A recent Youth survey among 16-29 years old in 11 countries presents the following features : “In order to have a future we need a common goal. And today that goal is not to be seen anywhere. A majority (62%) states that society has become too individualistic, and that it is politics that is to blame: today’s politics are seen as shortsighted, paying too little attention to critical long-term issues. (…) “their dreams and aspirations are focused on another arena – the personal one. The small, close Collective: the family. And when it comes to family young people are anything but short-sighted. They want relations that are so strong they will hold a lifetime. According to them, the achievements that are most worthy of respect are not making lots of money or saving the world, but being a good parent and keeping a family together for years“.
“Building your own family that you can keep safe in a nice home may be a reaction to the postmodern values that the baby boomers, born around 1950, and the subsequent generations have boosted in the west – individualism, depending on yourself regardless of gender, no requirement to get married or adjust to convention. It has been a project with a goal to deconstruct old and traditional institutions and patterns. Since the 1960s people aged 20-25 have had the most ’extreme’ attitudes and values. But not so any more, it seems. Instead of deconstructing the traditional values, young people today seem to long for the reconstruction of collective values. And they’re starting with the small world, by rebuilding the family. Their hopes for the big world are common goals and the end of shortsighted politics. After all, it is the youth that will benefit the most from long-term commitments and goals.“
FAMILY-LIFE MOST WORTHY OF RESPECT
“Young peoples’ dreams of the future focus on the success of the small life: getting a good job and being able to afford nice accommodation. But that’s not enough it seems. The home must be filled with something meaningful too, something which may be more difficult to achieve: namely, a family. Having children, getting married and finding the ‘right one’ are also popular dreams among the Global Youth.
Many of today’s young experienced divorces when they grew up, or at least had friends growing up in divided families. And, perhaps as a consequence, the ones who are most worthy of respect, according to the young, are those who have succeeded in family life.
‘Being a good parent’ and ‘keeping a family together for many years’ top the respect list. These are far more worthy than having a successful career in business or becoming a successful athlete or artist. Families deserve respect, so say the Global Youth..“
