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My report is devoted to the study of the topic “American Youth: changes in contemporary life.” I decided to investigate this question, because for me it is very interesting and useful to know about American youth itself and their way of life; to find the differences, which took place in their lifestyle; to see what American young people are interested in, what their hobbies are, what ways of holidays they prefer, what their attitude to different aspects of life such as death, war, religion and so on are.
INDIVIDUAL TASK
in English
“American Youth: changes in contemporary life”
YEAR: 1
GROUP: 3422-2
PREPARED BY: Vasjuk Olexandr Oleksandrovych
SUMMARY
My report is devoted to the study of the topic “American Youth: changes in contemporary life.” I decided to investigate this question, because for me it is very interesting and useful to know about American youth itself and their way of life; to find the differences, which took place in their lifestyle; to see what American young people are interested in, what their hobbies are, what ways of holidays they prefer, what their attitude to different aspects of life such as death, war, religion and so on are.
So, I decided to build the body of my work in the following order. Firstly, I write about changes in the American family, about the relationships between parents and their young children.
The second part is devoted to problems which the young Americans have to face; among them are race discrimination, violence at schools and many others.
Then I speak about militarism in the USA and youth’s attitude to it. Nowadays the young Americans have become more thoughtful and serious and this happened mainly on the scale of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Teenagers are aware of what’s going on in their country and are eager to take active part in political and social life.
After that I turn to religion and describe what it means to the majority of the US young people.
And finally, I end my paper with the information about summer school and summer camps. I put it in the end of my work on purpose, because on the whole it turned out to be a bit dry and boring, full of figures; so I thought it would be nice to have a short rest while seeing how American teenagers have theirs.
Taking everything in consideration, I can say that many aspects of American youth’s lives have hanged, but not everything. Such eternal problems and questions like relationships between parents and their growing children, friendship and love will stay unchanged.
VOCABULARY
Contents
Introduction………………………………………………
The main body
Conclusion……………………………………………………
Bibliography………………………………………………
Introduction
My report is devoted to the study of the topic “American Youth: changes in contemporary life.” I decided to investigate this question, because for me it is very interesting and useful to know about American youth itself and their way of life; to find the differences, which took place in their lifestyle; to see what American young people are interested in, what their hobbies are, what ways of holidays they prefer, what their attitude to different aspects of life such as death, war, religion and so on are.
But to tell the truth, it isn’t an easy task because the word “youth” is multilateral and combines a lot of different features in it. Various things account for this: ethnic background, immigration date of their forebears, social background, religion, and other factors. Even the amplitude of the age of the people whom we cal “youth” is very big. We can refer a boy of 13 to the term “youth” as well as a young man of 23. This great diversity makes the meaning of the word “youth” so many-sided.
So, I decided to build the body of my work in the following order. Firstly, I write about changes in the American family, about the relationships between parents and their young children.
The second part is devoted to problems which the young Americans have to face; among them are race discrimination, violence at schools and many others.
Then I speak about militarism in the USA and youth’s attitude to it.
After that I turn to religion and describe what it means to the majority of the US young people.
And finally, I end my paper with the information about summer school and summer camps. I put it in the end of my work on purpose, because on the whole it turned out to be a bit dry and boring, full of figures; so I thought it would be nice to have a short rest while seeing how American teenagers have theirs.
1. Teenagers and family life
Family is the basic concept in everybody’s life and for youth is not an exception. Moreover, for the young it is even more significant, as only in the family a man can find love, support and consolation, which are so important for a growing personality.
1.1. Communicating with Parents
Unfortunately, nowadays family life faces a lot of problems. For example, when the twentieth century began all the different varieties of American families shared one characteristic: the wife didn’t work outside the home. Whereas, today work for married woman is accepted and so commonplace. Thus women have to be torn in two and the first who suffer from this change are their children, especially teenagers, as they are living through one of the toughest periods of their life and they need support from their parents, who are, unfortunately, too busy or too tired to pay them needed attention.
Communication between parents and teens is an important influence on teens' emotional maturity and success in life. But according to some investigations, 57% of teens reported that they wanted to discuss topics such as alcohol and drug use and sex with their friends, compared with 15% who wanted to discuss these topics with parents, 15% with an older sibling, 7% with other adults, and 1% with clergy. It was found that less than half of teens were completely honest with their parents, particularly about problems they struggled with and their feelings about dating relationships.
Parents' and teens' perceptions of their communication differs: while almost all parents believe they communicated with their teens about alcohol use, drug use, and sex, only 76% of teens reported that these discussions occurred. And teens did not always let parents know about their most pressing worries.
1.2. Sharing of values
A survey conducted in April 1999 for the YMCA illustrated differences between parents' and teens' perceptions of the role parents play in shaping their children's values. The survey found that while 94% of parents believed that their children learned values from them, 20% of teens said that they did not learn their values from their parents. A 2000 survey by the YMCA also showed that parents underestimated the influence of friends on their children's values. About 11% of parents believed that friends played an important role in forming the values of their children, but 26% of teens said their friends were a critical influence on their value systems. In addition, more parents than teens believed that parents and teens shared the same basic values.
1.3. Discussion of sexuality
A study published in the Journal for Adolescent Health found that high rates of parental supervision of adolescents (such as knowing where they were after school and at night, knowing the parents of their adolescents' friends, and monitoring television and Internet use) was correlated with lower sexual risk-taking.1 While the researchers found no relationship between the quantity of general communication between parents and adolescents and adolescent sexual risk-taking, they suggested that talking specifically about sexual topics might have an effect on the sexual behavior of teens as well. Peter S. Karofsky, Lan Zeng, and Michael R. Kosorok reported in "Relationship between Adolescent-Parental Communication and Initiation of First Intercourse by Adolescent" (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2001) that teens who believed they had good communication with their parents were less likely than other teens to engage in sexual intercourse.2
1.4. Dating
One of the most pleasant and at the same time stressful periods for almost every teenager is dating. Although there is no specific age when American boys and girls are supposed to begin dating, some start as early as twelve years old. In the American context dating is a rather complex form of social interaction. For some children, dating seems to take place without any special stress, but for those who are shy, the whole process can be an agonizing one. Often times, friends will help to set up meetings between a boy and a girl who seem to like each other but who cannot or will not take the initiative themselves. There are also so-called “blind dates” that friends arrange for people who do not even know each other.
And one of the biggest questions associated with it is when to start doing what. That is, when is it appropriate to, for example, kiss the other person? On the first date, the second date, or when? The same may be said of sexual relations. Another question is who is going to take the initiative. In the past it was assumed that the boy would start by inviting the girl to “go out with him”. Over the years, that custom has broken down to some extent, and it’s not unheard of for the girl to be the one who makes the first phone call.
An important issue related to dating is that of “going steady”. When a couple decides that they will not date other people but only each other, they are “going steady”. Sometimes, one of the partners would like to go steady, but the other would still like to be free to see date other people. Some people prefer to go out socially in groups, where there are no special attachments. This is a good way of taking the pressure off for those who are not interested in or not ready to dating as such. Later on, there are various stages of serious commitment. Getting engaged is the last step before getting married. Americans typically exchange rings which they wear on the fourth finger of their left hands when they become engaged.
Dating often becomes part of the struggle between parents and children for control over the lives of teenagers. Parents usually take the conservative side on issues such as use of the car and sexual contact. Teenagers, naturally, have their own ideas on these matters and are famous for their ability to find ways to do what they want, with or without their parents’ knowledge or permission.
1.5. Marriage
Marriage in the USA is considered a matter of individual responsibility and decision. American marriages are usually based on romantic love, rather than on social class, education, money, or religion. On the one hand, marriages between blacks and whites are rare. They probably account for fewer than 1 per cent of all marriages each year.
After their marriage the young couple is free to decide where to live. Most newlyweds set up their own household immediately. Most married people practice some kind of birth control. They plan the number of children they are going to have and when their children will be born. Birth-control information and family planning are easily available.
Today, according to the US Census bureau, 59 percent of men and 47 percent of women between 18 and 24 depend on their parents despite all traditional patterns of behavior, at least for housing. This is part of a major shift in the middle class. Analysts cite a variety of reasons for this return to the nest. The marriage age is rising. A high divorce rate and a declining remarriage rate are sending economically pressured and emotionally battered young people to parental shelters. For some, the expense of an away-from-home college education has become so exorbitant that many students now attend local schools. Even after graduation young people find their wings clipped by skyrocketing housing costs.
Sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There many be the hassles over bathrooms, telephones and privacy. Some families, however, manage the delicate balancing act.
The familiar structure in present-day America is the so called “nuclear family”. But the forgotten term “extended family” is coming back again with a different meaning. Now it means that there have appeared an increasing numbers of families that include half brothers and sisters, and stepmothers and stepfathers. There is growing number of people who have been married three or even four times.
Children of parents who marry several times are another concern. They suffer o loss of faith in relationships. Multiple marriages also aggravate sibling conflicts. So, re-marriage may create unforeseen difficulties for both parents’ and children’s lives.
2. Youth Problems
The problems American teenagers face daily reflect problems in American society: drugs, guns, violence, poverty and depression. However, there are a few problems, which are prevalent mainly among America’s youth. For example, teenage pregnancy, underage drinking (drinking alcohol under 21), gang membership and the lack of a “voice” in today’s society are among the many issues teenagers must deal with. Not all Americans have good clothing, adequate food and vitamins, and housing. So, some American children are raised in poverty. Many of these children find other means of supporting themselves or their families. Many times poor or underprivileged children are forced to sell drugs or join gangs. Gangs, violence, and drugs are issues, which boys go hand in hand. In other words, where one finds a gang, one is most likely to also find drugs, guns and violence. As a result many young girls and boys are brutally murdered in drive-by shootings, ambushes and gang wars. While these problems of poor teenagers are immeasurable and harsh, middle class and wealthy American teenagers also face many problems. Drugs, underage drinking and smoking are prevalent among teenagers. Drugs are destroying minds, family and friend relationships, and are killing America’s youth. These drugs are a problem, which must be destroyed.
Violence in schools has been an increasing problem in America in the past few years. Occasions when American students have shot and killed their classmates no longer sound unfamiliar. Guns have no place in the hands of American children. Children should not have to fear going to school, and should have to fear their classmates.
Yet another problem of American youths is vehicular homicide. Because teenagers drive at the age of 14, and because many are careless or perhaps drunk drivers, the number of deaths behind the wheel continues to grow. Teenage drivers no longer have to worry about having a parent drive them around or parking them after school, but need to worry about driving safely.
Teenage pregnancy is also a problem relevant to the topic of teenage problems. Children having children – teenage mothers and fathers – cannot provide for their babies, because they too still need to be cared for. Teenage parents do not have adequate education, and monetary means to support babies in today’s world. And while teenagers continue to have sex at earlier ages, it is also necessary to address the problem of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). STDs such as AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) are incurable and are devastating to teenagers who are just beginning to enjoy life. In order to address these problems of youth teenagers need to discuss their problems. In today’s society it is difficult for a teenager to be taken seriously. However, in the next few years, adults must take the time to hear the problems of these young Americans so that solutions can be found to eliminate the problems.3
Surveys among teenagers
To be more exact I want to give some statistics, survey data and to examine this question in more detail.
2.1 Violence in Schools
According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, high school students were less fearful for their safety in 2001 than they had been in previous years. In 2003 5.4% of all students in this age group skipped school at least once in the past thirty days because they were afraid, down from 6.6% in 2001. Hispanic students were the most likely to not go to school because of safety concerns, African-American students were the next most likely, and white students were least likely to not go to school because of safety concerns. Male and female students were almost equally likely to skip school because of safety concerns (5.5% of male students and 5.3% of female students). Younger students were more likely to stay away from school because of safety concerns than were older students (6.9% of ninth graders compared with 3.8% of twelfth graders).
According to the survey, in 2003 6.1% of high school students carried a weapon (gun, knife, or club) to school on one of the thirty days preceding the survey. Males were more likely to have carried a weapon to school than females. African-American students were more likely than Hispanic students and white students to carry a weapon to school.
About one in ten high school seniors reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property one or more times during the twelve months prior to the survey. Non-Hispanic African-American high school students were more likely to have been threatened or injured than were Hispanic or non-Hispanic white students. Younger students were much more likely than older students to report having been threatened or injured with a weapon at school; more students in ninth grade were threatened or injured than students in grades ten, eleven or twelve.4
2.2. Terrorism
The 2003 Teen People poll found that 80% of teens surveyed believed that in their lifetime there will be another terrorist attack in the United States on the scale of the attacks of September 11, 2001. More than half of teens believed the United States government is prepared for such an attack, and 26% believed that in ten years terrorist attacks and suicide bombings will be the greatest threat to the world.
2.3. Substance Abuse
Data from Monitoring the Future, as reported by the BJS, show that starting in 1993 high school seniors' disapproval of marijuana use began to decline. More than two-thirds of students in the class of 1992 expressed disapproval of adults who tried marijuana once or twice. By 2002 only about half of high school seniors expressed disapproval of this behavior. Rates of disapproval of drinking alcohol and taking steroids also declined over the period, while disapproval of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day remained relatively steady. In 2002 30.8% of high school seniors thought that marijuana use should be made legal, and 29.1% believed it should be considered a crime. According to the Horatio Alger Association 2004 survey, over a third of students struggled with peer pressure to drink alcohol or use illicit drugs.
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