Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Relatively neglected in the literature on young adulthood is a thorough consideration of changes in geography and changes in the neighborhood environment occurring during this period. In the current analysis I focus attention on a specific element of the transition to adulthood: the move out of the parental home. Based on a sample of young adults living in Chicago in the late 1990s, I find that white and nonwhite young adults in Chicago approach the “frontier of adulthood” from severely unequal environments. Whereas the typical white young adult lives in an economically diverse neighborhood as she prepares to forge her own path, the typical African-American lives in a segregated neighborhood consisting mostly of neighbors at the bottom of the income distribution and few at the top. Racial inequalities in residential environments that are present among young adults in Chicago appear to persist, for the most part, through the period of young adulthood. There is little evidence that young adults are able to forge new paths and disperse across the country; instead, through the early years of young adulthood most either remain in the parental home or stay within the city in neighborhoods that closely resemble those in which they were raised. An exception occurs among young adults who leave home and leave Chicago. Whereas nonwhites who leave home and leave the city enter more affluent, less segregated neighborhoods, whites who do so enter neighborhoods that are more economically diverse and less advantaged than their neighborhoods of origin.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A national survey of 322 television and newspaper journalists found that only one in 20 considered those over 60 their most important audience. Nearly three in four journalists said it is important to present news to it appeals to young adults and nine in ten said young adults prefer online news to print. Only 7% said young adults won’t follow the news. Significant differences emerged between broadcast and print journalists, and between reporters and others.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A number of recent studies have shown that age is a prominent predictor of turnout at the individual level, with the youngest sections of the electorate being the most likely to opt out of voting. However, few if any British studies have provided a reliable estimate of turnout among young people. Moreover, models of young people and voting often neglect the importance of the household, local and political context. This paper addresses these limitations in the literature. First it uses evidence from a random sample of marked registers at the 2001 general election to provide a reliable estimate of participation among those young people who are eligible to vote for the first time in an election. Second, it employs a multilevel logistic model design to examine the effects of household and local context (including party mobilisation) on influencing the extent to which young people, eligible to vote for the first time, turnout in elections. The model also includes a proxy for election-specific factors at the higher level to reflect the theory that young people who are eligible to vote for the first time may be particularly sensitive to such factors as they have yet to acquire the habit or indeed the non-habit of voting.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examined stereotype traits of Chinese young adults generated by 60 young (M age = 24.78), 60 middle-aged (M age = 46.38), and 60 older Chinese adults (M age = 66.50). Trait lists were compared across age groups and to Western traits reported in earlier research (Matheson, Collins & Kuehne, 2000; Chasteen, Schwarz, & Park, 2002). Results indicated that Chinese participants had multiple stereotypes and mixed perceptions of the young. While considerable overlap was observed between stereotype traits generated by these Chinese participants and those from earlier studies with Western participants (e.g., energetic, ambitious, lazy, and reckless), unique Chinese traits (e.g., open-minded, filial, hedonistic, and individualistic) associated with young adults were also identified. Whereas the middle-aged and older participants listed an equal number of positive and negative traits, the young participants generated significantly more negative traits than positive ones about their own age group. Discussion focuses on the impact of modernization and cultural change on perceptions of young adults in the Chinese society.

Publication Type: Paper/Poster Proposal
Abstract: The Arbitron Radio Ratings methodology uses a list-assisted RDD sample consisting of a 2-stage survey. First, a member of the household is asked to complete a short telephone interview to collect demographic information and the mailing address. Then, each person in the household age 12 and older is asked to complete a self-administered 7-day diary. The diaries for the household are mailed together in one package, addressed to the person who answered the phone survey (henceforth known as the consenter).

One metric used to measure the quality of the ratings results is proportionality; that is, how well does the age/sex distribution of returned diaries reflect the distribution within the total population. Households with an 18-24 year old male are particularly difficult to reach, and there is some evidence that the young men themselves are less motivated to return a 7-day diary. Thus, this group may be under-represented in the radio ratings.

During Fall 2004, Arbitron conducted a test targeting a special mailing addressed to the young men (aged 18-24) in the household. All the diaries for the household, however, remained in a single package, which was addressed to the consenter. The targeted mailing included a promised incentive for the young man in the household. We hypothesize that the targeted mailing will interest the young male in the survey and encourage him to complete his diary. In addition, we will examine if using differential incentives within a household in an attempt to lower non-response bias adversely affects the response of the other members of the household. Findings with regard to young male response and radio listening behavior, characteristics of responding households, and the effect on proportionality will be presented.