Young men 'believe in traditional values'

Daily Mail
Mar. 16, 2006

Teenagers and young men today are secret traditionalists who believe in hard work and family values, new research has revealed.

The popular stereo-type of the menacing hoodie feared as a yobbo and restrained by an ASBO appears far from being the truth.

The unexpected findings were uncovered by research group Prescient which quizzed almost 1,000 men aged from 18 to 24.

It carried out the survey for the Army over the December 2005 and January 2006 period, questioning young men across the UK.

The research looked at the mind set and attitudes of the chosen group and found it had "surprisingly traditional values."

"The study revealed that young men today are unpredictably traditional in their values and beliefs," a spokesman for Prescient said.

"They believe manhood lies in inner strength, rather than brute force, sexual prowess or material goods."

He said that when asked what being a man was about 56 per cent said it was to do with "protecting your family," which was the top answer.

The survey reveals that the second most common answer, at 48 per cent, was "self respect."

A relatively small 29 per cent thought physical strength was important, while 12 per cent answered it was "playing the field."

In total two thirds of those questioned thought being a real man was something to be proud of.

Despite the surprisingly traditional views of those questioned the survey suggests many are struggling to find a role and feel disillusioned.

"The study reveals that today's 16 - 24 year olds are a generation of lost boys," the survey states.

"They want to make people proud and succeed, but they are disillusioned.

"They want a satisfying job, but do not know how to find it, often trusting to luck.

"In many cases they say they do not feel like men yet and still demonstrate a strong need to be looked after."

The research also asked men about their views on the Army.

The key findings were that:

:: Nearly three quarters say they have a lot of respect for the Army.

:: 61 per cent believe that the friends you make in the Army will be friends for life.

:: 61 per cent said they would be prepared to fight for their country.

:: 37 per cent would consider joining, equating to 1.2 million 16 - 24 year olds.

Commander Andrew Jackson, the overall head of recruitment for the Army in the UK, said: "Society is misjudging our young men.

"There is a generation out there with huge potential - all they need is someone to unlock it.

"They have more choice now than ever, but without the guidance, care and structure they need to make the most of this, they find themselves increasingly lost."

He added: "What's encouraging about this research is that it shows that what young men of today are looking for is exactly what the Army and particularly the Infantry, is able to offer - great friends, a challenging and exciting career and a sense of purpose and real pride in their achievements.

"What we need to do is make sure they understand the flexibility and freedom of an Army career.

"Signing up is not for life, at its shortest it's the length of a college degree.

"It can be part time or full time and there is plenty of time off to spend with your family and friends."