The well-being and vision of young people in the East

Abstract

This study examined the attitudes of 144 youths in Eastern Iceland 15-22 years of age to future residence in the area. Most were students at the local gymnasium at Egilsstaðir. The results indicate that well-being and plans for the future were determined mainly by sex, number of relatives, and length of residence, but educational plans were determined more by the adolescents' family situation. Boys were generally more content than girls with their situation and local opportunities, and more prepared to live permanently in the area. Attitudes were related to age-dependent changes in the adolescents' lives. Adolescents who had lived in the area more than 10 years usually had many relatives locally and lived in nuclear families with both biological parents. Most of these were loyal to the area and optimistic about living there in future. Many newcomers lived with a single parent or with one biological and a foster parent. Some of these were optimistic about the future, but others, in particular girls, more pessimistic and prepared to move away.