Modern American Youth Crisis
Today's US Adolescents are Having Trouble with their Identities
As a relatively new country, the US does not have the same types of historical traditions that have been found to be impacting older cultures like China and India (see India's youth identity crisis).
Instead, the US is a melting pot for traditions from all over the world, with a multitude of nationalities living within its borders. The unique mixture has an ever-changing formula, resulting in a US youth culture with a dynamism that is not likely to level. Austin and Willard in their book Generations of Youth: Youth culture and history in twentieth-century America, suggest that this hybridity has an effect on youth identity:
"Young people in the United States live their lives variously as young Asian American women, as working-class Latino youth, as young Blacks or young whites, as young Southerners, as rural middle-class youth, as young Puerto Ricans, as queer youth, and so on. This fragmentation facilitates both a multiplicity of youth cultures and a wide range of hybrid identities."
American Youth Population Stats
In 2004, young Americans numbered nearly 25 million. This is actually a smaller population than in 1970, however, it is expected this number will grow in the coming years (check out the US's population reference bureau for more info).
The majority of these youths were white non-Hispanic, followed by Hispanic of any race, black non-Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and finally American India/Alaska Native. Many of these minority youths were born outside the US and many lack US citizenship. This growing diversity among young people is impacting their youth culture in a big way.
A Nation of Youth Divided
It was found that many more minority youth (especially those born outside the US) were disconnected from productive activities (such as being enrolled in school, employed, in the military, etc.). This is indicative of a growing divide between the more wealthy white non-Hispanics and the lower-income minority youths. One-fifth of youth aged 18-24 were found to be facing economic hardship. The majority of youths making up this number were from minority groups. (Taken from this civic education analysis PDF)
A New Kind of Division
In addition, estimates show that there is a growing racial/ethnic divergence between America’s elderly population and younger age groups, creating a new kind of generation gap.
A population reference bureau report shows that where racial and ethnic divisions between age groups were previously fairly small, newer figures show that the majority of people over age 60 are non-Hispanic white, while a substantial and growing proportion of young people are racial or ethnic minorities.
Though census projections indicate that this racial/ethnic divergence may be a temporary phenomenon, it is one that exists in the current snapshot of youth culture in America and one that is having an effect on youth cultural development. This phenomenon has led to questions about whether it will lead to a reduction in public spend on youth.
According to the report, the more fragmented a community, the fewer resources it devoted to public goods, and the opposite was found to be so with more homogenous communities. Indeed, the three states with the most homogenous populations had the highest proportional spending on public education.
Early to Leave the Nest
In the aforementioned civic education analysis, over half of all US youth aged 18 to 24 were found to be no longer living with their parents. This could be for a variety of reasons. Generation Y, as the youth today are categorised, often go on to university, while some work, while some are starting families.
This trend of becoming independent at such an early age could indicate that youths feel they are ready to think and act for themselves, and could thus be positive for youth engagement, or it could mean that youth would prefer to disengage within their own space. Statistics indicate towards the latter.
Can't American youth get along?
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Politics & Society
Latest Articles