'Angry young men' lack optimism

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20947604

'Angry young men' lack optimism

A study of youth attitudes has raised concerns about young men in the "squeezed middle" who are deeply pessimistic about their future chances.

Among these young men - from families of skilled or semi-skilled workers - more than two-thirds never expect to own their own home, says a survey.

This disgruntled group were more negative than youngsters from the poorest backgrounds.

"These people feel trapped," says Durham University's Tony Chapman.

This identification of a distinctive group of aggrieved young men emerged from the Youth Matters survey, carried out for the O2 telecommunications company, and analysed by Prof Chapman, who has researched young people and social mobility.

'Fatalistic'
These are young men, aged between 16 and 24, who appear to be particularly frustrated and unhopeful about their chances of good jobs or any upward mobility.

"These are neither the most deprived, who get quite a lot of attention, nor are they affluent enough to be on a conveyor belt to university," says Prof Chapman, who has examined the views of 1,500 young people.

"These are a group of young people who are caught between these positions," he says.

These youngsters are aware of the advantages of their better-off middle class counterparts, he suggests, but have diminishing expectations of gaining them for themselves.

And it is particularly the young men rather than young women who have the bleakest expectations.

"They have skills and ambitions - but they have a fatalistic sense that there are barriers that make it pointless to try in the first place," says Prof Chapman.

Only 30% of these young men ever expect to own their own home in their lifetime - compared with 39% among their counterparts in poorer families.

Even at this early stage in their working lives, almost a quarter of these young men expect never to have a fulfilling job - a much more negative outlook than their female counterparts.

Almost a third of these young men say they "feel unhappy" when they think about their future - much more than women.

Prof Chapman describes these youngsters as coming from "respectable" families with "strong aspirations" - but now facing increasingly insecure job prospects.

(continued, just need a uniform, maybe a black shirt, to give them their mojo back?)

[FBM]

Fuck 'em. They'll never amount to anything, anyway.

[Jason]

Bullshit! I'm a realist, but I usually see things as glass half-full. Generalizing cunts.. they'll never learn.

[cronus]

Bullshit! I'm a realist, but I usually see things as glass half-full. Generalizing cunts.. they'll never learn.

Right....

[Audley Strange]

It's not optimism they lack it's a sense of social value.

Still, Marduk will kill Tiamat again one day soon and the crazy bitch will deserve it.

[cronus]

They'll die in war, plague and famine much more likely.

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20947604

'Angry young men' lack optimism

A study of youth attitudes has raised concerns about young men in the "squeezed middle" who are deeply pessimistic about their future chances.

Among these young men - from families of skilled or semi-skilled workers - more than two-thirds never expect to own their own home, says a survey.

Poor babies. Home ownership in the UK, as I understand it, is now at about the same level it was 25 years ago -- one generation ago. It was harder in the 70s and early 80s. In 1981, for example, the home ownership rate was about 51%, as per the googles on the topic. Home ownership goes up and down, but painting a picture that today's youth have it harder is not really all that accurate. They may have it harder than 10 or 15 years ago - during the biggest economic boom times of the last 150 years.

Oh, you're a bit concerned about making it and buying a house? Wondering how you're going to figure it all out? Well, join the fucking club. It's called "Everybody" and we meet down at the pub at Happy Hour.

[laklak]

Workhouses, that's the answer.

[FBM]

Workhouses, that's the answer.

I like Korea's system of 2 years of mandatory military service. I can instantly tell which of my students have done it and which haven't. The ones who have aren't fuck-ups anymore. They know how to set a goal and make a plan to attain it. The ones who haven't still don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.

[cronus]

Korean republic of suicide weeds the weaklings out and sorts the men from the gays....

[FBM]

Korean republic of suicide weeds the weaklings out and sorts the men from the gays....

Social Darwinism at its best!

[Coito ergo sum]

Young, middle class, young men concerned that life may be difficult, and they may have to work hard to achieve something.

Film at 11.

[Gerald McGrew]

Them youngsters....they don't know how good they have it!!! Not like in my day!!

Glad my parents never said anything like that about my generation.

[FBM]

Them youngsters....they don't know how good they have it!!! Not like in my day!!

Glad my parents never said anything like that about my generation.

Tell me about it! Back in my day, we were beaten with a razor strop until we were optimistic.

[Coito ergo sum]

Them youngsters....they don't know how good they have it!!! Not like in my day!!

Glad my parents never said anything like that about my generation.

I'm not saying they have it easier. They're saying they have it harder.

Like I said -- oh, they are worried about getting good jobs and finding a house to buy? Well, join the club. It's called "Club Everybody" and we meet down at the Pub at 6pm.

Give me a fucking break -- oh, the humanity -- home ownership levels have sunk to their 1988 rates of 64%, so that means only nearly 2/3 are homeowners. Big flippin' deal. What is expected? 80% homeownership rates? Let me guess -- "we need to start doing more, and subsidizing the home ownership ambitions of healthy, relatively well-educated, able-bodied, young men."