Seamus Claffey, who writes on pastoral issues and assists groups in the matter of organisational development, reflects here on a survey of the experience, attitudes and values of educated young adults in Ireland.
There was an air of expectation at the water’s edge. A group of people who were disabled and their helpers had gathered near the indoor pool and were engaged in light-hearted banter. It is a popular oasis and meeting spot on the lower ground floor of the Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin. As I watched, the group set out on their visit of the shops and the many other amenities of the Centre, each of the disabled people accompanied by attentive young adult helpers. Among others, waterside scenes from the life of Jesus came to mind.
Later that same day I received an email from the editor inviting me to write a piece for this publication [Doctrine and Life]. It was to be a reflection on the survey of the experience, attitudes and values of educated young people, conducted by Desmond O’Donnell, O.M.I., the findings of which had appeared in an earlier edition.1 The article was to focus in particular on what the findings revealed about respondents’ stance on issues of justice and human rights.
Commitment and generosity
Reflecting on the request, I found myself thinking about and admiring the young adults I had observed in Blanchardstown Centre. I recalled, too, many examples of the commitment and generosity of young adults, reaching out to others, especially to marginalised people, that I had witnessed over the years in a variety of contexts.
Besides, in recent years, working in parish ministry, I was hugely impressed by the generous lives of many young adults – married people, for example – who, as well as holding down demanding jobs, lived very generous lives, particularly with regard to their children. In some instances, they also gave voluntary time to helping out in their local communities. So it came as no surprise to me that there is much good news in this survey. In many ways it supports my own experience of the goodness, honesty and soundness of character of so many of our young adult population.
The survey of the experiences and attitudes of third-level educated Irish young adults (aged 20-35) under discussion was conducted in 1999/2000 by Fr Desmond O’Donnell, O.M.I. The participants represented a spread of female and male young adults, single, married, and separated – all of whom had been baptised as Catholics – from towns, cities and the countryside, North and South.
The sample was made up of an approximately equal number of university students, student nurses, trainee Gardaí, student teachers, students of institutes of technology, Defence Force cadets, qualified teachers and other young professionals. 707 scorable questionnaires were returned of the 1,100 distributed. Questions covered general broad areas: faith and religion, morality, childhood influences, values and aspirations and present general experience.
Clearly, this is a substantial piece of work with findings and commentary running to some 80 pages. An article of this nature with a specific focus tends to cite statistics that give an overview and reveal underlying trends and emphases. Readers will have to consult the survey results themselves for a fuller, nuanced picture of what is revealed – for instance, how each age-group (20-25, 25-30, 30-35 year-olds) responded to questions, or the female/male breakdown of the total figures quoted, etc.
Importance of relationships
A striking feature of the survey overall is the value and importance young adults put on relationships, with the relational side of life mattering more to women than to men. When asked about the frequency with which they discussed a list of nine issues, family and relationships rated highest generally, 35% (females) and 26% (males) respectively, well ahead of issues like money or sex – 6%. Politics and religion ranked second last and last among almost all categories surveyed.
The value young adults put on relationships also finds expression elsewhere in the findings. 69% understand sin as hurting others (64% being untrue to one’s best self, 43% disappointing God, 38% offending God). 75% want marriage to last until the death of one partner, but show compassion for unhappy unions – 19% saying that they should endure ‘until there is too much stress’. While educated young adults have serious education and career concerns – especially in the short-term and in the case of the youngest respondents – good relationships and happy family life are priorities in both their short- and long-term wishes.
At the same time, the findings on occasion may suggest a tendency to individualism and self-absorption among those surveyed – especially the 20-25 year olds. Take, for example, the emphases in respondents’ understanding of sin – allowing for the fact that these understandings are not exclusive of one another. Fr O’Donnell notes that for 44%, their overall sense of sin was vertical, that is, related directly to God (e.g. blasphemy, missing Mass, etc); 68% saw sin as an interpersonal matter (e.g. hurting others, stealing, etc) while 75% saw sin as intra-personal failure (e.g. jealously, drunkenness) – with 20-25 year-olds choosing this option twice as often as either of the other two age-groups.
Strong love of parents
Undoubtedly, the vast majority of these young adults have been loved growing up. 90% experienced either ‘strong’ or ‘very strong’ love from their parents – with stronger love felt from mothers than from fathers. This strong love of parents – dubbed ‘the best news in this report’ by Fr Desmond O’Donnell – must surely have a bearing on the fact that a high proportion of the young adults surveyed clearly experience God in a positive way.2
The words the interviewees’ used most – from a provided list – to describe their experience of God were ‘peace’ (45%), ‘trust’ (38%), ‘being loved’ (38%), as against ‘fear’ and ‘anxiety’ (6% each). Only 3% said they do not experience God. Besides, 63% said they had a ‘personal’ or ‘very deep’ relationship with Jesus Christ. 54% of these young people actively contact God through prayer daily or weekly. 54% of males and 73% of females attend Mass weekly or monthly.
While the young people clearly share their parents’ faith values, such as belief in God, their attitudes to sex and sexuality are very different to that of their parents and earlier generations. 50% of the unmarried respondents say they are sexually active, with only 45% seeing sexual intercourse as a sign of total and final commitment. ‘This issue now appears to have gone beyond the question of Church moral teaching and even cultural change,’ according to Fr. O’Donnell; ‘it would seem to be a serious anthropological question about the very meaning of sexual intercourse.’3
Before proceeding further, a brief look at the understanding of justice being brought to this article might be helpful. Sometimes, ‘justice’ is seen in a juridical or legal way – fair treatment for everyone. Clearly, ‘justice’ includes such an understanding. But biblical justice involves more – it is about reaching out in love as God has reached out to us. Walter Burghardt, S.J., says biblical justice is a call to fidelity. Fidelity to what? ‘To the demands of relationships that stem from a covenant with God. What relationships? To God, to people, to the earth.’4
The central importance of relationships – with God and others – in the lives of so many of the young adults surveyed would lead one to conclude that, at the very least, there is an openness and willingness on their part to live justly and see justice practised in society. But what does the survey actually reveal in this regard?
The justice question
A number of the survey questions and the responses to them provide a window on these educated young adults’ view of justice. Here, the focus is on three such areas: firstly, how respondents rated various behaviours – including those related to justice/injustice – in terms of their seriousness; secondly, the historical and modern-day figures they admire most; thirdly, the present life-experience of respondents, in particular, the nature of their social involvement.
Respondents were asked to look at a list of twenty-eight behaviours and to rate their seriousness as forms of wrong-doing. Among the three age-groups, there was almost total agreement on the four most immoral and the four least immoral items. Most immoral: ‘sexual abuse of children’, ‘constant physical abuse in marriage’, ‘constant verbal abuse in marriage’ and ‘abortion because another child would be a big inconvenience’. Least immoral: ‘living with someone you intend to marry’, ‘contraception’, ‘missing Mass on Sunday’ and ‘living with someone you do not intend to marry’.
Significantly, ‘taking from another’s rights and freedom’, ‘taking away another’s good name’ and ‘living a life of pretence and hypocrisy’ figure fifth, eighth and ninth respectively. While ‘stealing £100 or something worth about this amount’ is ranked tenth in terms of its seriousness, ‘not doing the job one is paid for’ is twenty-third – in other words, just above the four behaviours considered least serious of the twenty-eight.
One might have expected ‘no concern about unequal distribution of world resources’ (twenty-first), ‘constant greediness to have more than you need’ (twentieth) and ‘lack of concern for people on the margin’ (nineteenth) to have ranked higher – although ‘having no concern about the abuse of human rights’ ranked twelfth. Surprisingly, ‘damaging the environment’ is only eighteenth in terms of seriousness.
Heroics
Respondents were also asked what prominent historical figures they most admired. Mother Teresa topped the list (40%), followed by Martin Luther King (17%), Michael Collins (16%) and Gandhi (9%). The high rating for Mother Teresa would seem to suggest strong support for direct, hands-on service to those who are poor and excluded.
The qualities admired in these figures in order of frequency were selflessness, service, concern for the under-privileged, courage, leadership, forgiveness, rising above apparent hopelessness, non-violent achievement, and patriotism. Commenting on these responses, Fr O’Donnell writes:
It is notable that no commonly known saints, Church leaders, singers, sex symbols, film stars, millionaires, politicians, and no people with power appear high on the list.5
Prominent living persons admired by respondents were John Hume (21%), Nelson Mandela (15%), Mary Robinson (11%), John Paul II (8%), Mo Mowlam (8%). Similar reasons were given for admiring these people as were given for admiring the historical figures. The reason given for admiring John Hume, Nelson Mandela, Gerry Adams (6%) and David Trimble (3%) was their work for justice and peace. Once again, no singers, sex symbols, film stars or millionaires figure prominently. Politicians in power at the time of the survey and Church figures – apart from Pope John Paul II – were scarcely mentioned.
The low level of interest in politics that is revealed in this survey raises serious questions for society – along with religion it is the subject the young people surveyed talk about least; and only 1% of them are members of political parties. Justice and equality for all presupposes the political will to make it happen and the necessary legislation to safeguard human rights. An ‘opt out from politics’ syndrome by educated adults omens badly for the creation of a more just and equal society here and elsewhere.
In the survey section broadly entitled, ‘Present General Experience’ a number of interesting statistics emerge that might help throw light on whether or not educated young adults have a commitment to justice. 38% are not members of any organisation; of those who do join organisations, 26% are members of sporting teams or clubs. Only 1% belong to organisations such as political parties, Amnesty and Trócaire. 2% are members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
A quite significant 58% overall do no voluntary work – 61% of the 20-25 year-old surveyed, 55% of the 25-30 year–olds and 44% of the 30-35 year-olds. In other words, young adults are more inclined to do voluntary work as they grow older. ‘Common purpose,’ Fr O’Donnell concludes, ‘will become increasingly more difficult to achieve in the Ireland of the future as our social capital appears to be decreasing.’6
Consistent moral choices
So what conclusions can be drawn from this survey about the moral values and attitudes of educated young adults in general? ‘In this research there is no support for the assumption that young adults live an à la carte morality,’ according to Fr O’Donnell. ‘In all age-groups and in both sexes, and among both the married and the unmarried, there is consistency in moral choices on every issue.’7
However, Fr O’Donnell sounds a less optimistic note elsewhere in his commentary. He sees a heavy emphasis among those surveyed on sins of commission but not on sins of omission or on ‘deeper sins’ such as lack of faith or lack of action about human rights and social justice. ‘In general, sin is seen by these young adults in a self-centred way – a system of individual profit and loss,’ according to Fr O’Donnell. ‘The foibles of interpersonal relationships are stressed, giving an impoverished vision of Christian morality. There is no indication that “in so far as you did it to one of the least of my brothers/sisters you did it to me” enters their understanding of sin.’8
In any event, definite conclusions about educated young adults’ stance on issues of justice and human rights will have to await a more detailed and focussed exploration of this subject or the assembling of whatever relevant studies are available that together would give a more comprehensive picture than is provided by a single survey of the kind under discussion.
Besides, there is surely a strong case for a similar survey of the experience and attitudes of young adults who have not been through third level education or the gathering together and updating of existing data in this area. Such an exploration – especially given the Church declaration that Christians must opt for those who are excluded – would need to focus in particular on young adults from disadvantaged communities who are spectacularly under-represented at third level, despite efforts that have been made in recent years to address this issue.
Gift and challenge
Nevertheless, these findings reveal very useful information. They clearly show that educated young people are both a gift and a challenge to society. The gift part, in a word, is their undoubted strong value-system and the importance they attach to relationships. The challenge, on the other hand, is the tendency to individualism exhibited by some of these young adults at least – demonstrated, for instance, by a lack of social engagement.
Specifically, on issues of justice and human rights, behaviour such as ‘taking from an other’s rights and freedom’, for instance, is considered a serious matter. Young adults find abuse of children and physical and verbal abuse in marriage especially intolerable. But social injustice would not appear to energise them greatly, as shown by the fairly low showing of ‘no concern about the unequal distribution of the world’s resources’ or ‘lack of concern for people on the margins’ in the rating of various behaviours in terms of their seriousness.
Besides, taking the survey findings overall, one does not sense support of any magnitude among educated young adults for an approach to addressing poverty that would involve analysing its root causes and addressing the systems and structures that keep people poor. Yet we live in a grossly unjust world and in a country where poverty and deprivation persist even though there have been enormous economic advances – facts often highlighted in the media. Where is the idealism, courage and impetuousness – not to say sense of outrage – in the face of injustice that one tends to associate with young people? Or are these traits one sheds at twenty?
Clearly, the attitudes and values of educated young adults reflect those of the wider society. So the implications of the survey findings on the justice stance of educated young adults extend far beyond them to the whole of society. There are major questions here for the forces that are forming all of us – the education system, the media, the Church – and the values they represent.
Take the Church and justice, for example. This year (this month) marks twenty-fifth anniversary of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ challenging Pastoral, The Work of Justice. A strong message of Catholic social teaching – captured by The Work of Justice – is that action for justice is an integral part of the preaching of the Gospel and therefore an essential part of the Christian life. The Church still has a job of work to do in persuading, not only educated young adults but its members generally, to really embrace this teaching.
Exemplar of justice
Of course, as well as calling for justice, we need as a Church to be an exemplar of justice – witnessing to it in our dealings – with all this implies for pastoral practice and structures. The words of St Francis of Assisi are very relevant here: ‘Preach Christ at all times, and when necessary, use words’. Commitment to justice is caught, not thought!
While recognising these larger challenges, the survey clearly has implications for those working in ministry with educated young adults. With the findings revealing them to be both a gift and a challenge, the prospect of ministry in this area is exciting. By way of conclusion, some general pointers are offered in this regard.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul has to be one of the most admired organisations in the country. In its work, the Society combines hands-on, practical assistance to people who are poor with a focus on the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. Significantly, the Society today has a strong presence in many third level colleges around the country. An exploration of its experience in this regard might prove fruitful by way of understanding how young adults can be effectively engaged in the work of justice.
Finally, the striking feature of the survey findings is the overall soundness of character of young adults. There is a natural affinity between their commitment to relationships and the biblical notion of justice as fidelity to relationships with God, others and all creation. Justice ministry in the past – and probably still today – appealed too much to the head and not enough to the heart. Educated young adults have a lot of heart. The Church has much to share with them – and much to learn from them too.
REFERENCES
1. Doctrine & Life, vol. 52, no. 1, January 2002, pp. 1-79.
2. Ibid., p. 45.
3. Ibid., p .26
4. Walter J. Burghardt, S.J., To Be Just Is to Love, 2001, New Jersey: Paulist Press, p. 6
5. O’Donnell, op. cit., p. 48
6. Ibid., p. 72
7. Ibid., p. 25
8. Ibid., p. 35
This article first appeared in Doctrine & Life (September 2002), a publication of the Irish Dominicans.
