Youth, integration and politics
Ian Boxill
HOW DIFFERENT are the young people in today's Caribbean when juxtaposed with the generation before them? How do they feel about politics and are they more optimistic about the future than their parents were? To which countries are they most likely to migrate, if given the opportunity? How do they feel about Caribbean integration? The answers to these questions, I assume, should be of interest to governments, planners, business-persons, and academics, among others. Yet, there is little research in this region on these issues. This, however, has not prevented policy makers, throughout this region, from continuing to formulate policy for "our young people" despite the weak empirical basis for such plans. I say all this because, as a researcher, it has not been easy to raise funding to research these issues. Part of the reason has to do with the difficult economic times, but it is also, in large part, a lack of appreciation for what such research can contribute to our understanding of ourselves. Equally, there is also a great amount of reluctance on the part of the governments and private sector interests, in this region, to support this kind of research. Unfortunately, we never seem to learn from the experiences of others. For instance, the process of European Union was informed by policy makers, in Europe, who had at their disposal large amounts of data on how their people felt about a variety of issues related to a united Europe. In the same vein, businesses need this information to make wise business decisions. Morality But, thanks to the support from the UWI, I am in the process of conducting a study on attitudes towards integration and governance in the Caribbean which provided a number of interesting findings; some of which I would like to share with you. This study is being conducted in four countries: Jamaica, Dominica, Antigua and St Kitts and looks at how young people (ages 13 to 25) feel about regional integration, politics, their life chances, morality, and several other issues. The samples are relatively small; therefore we have to be cautious about making generalisations. Also, the Jamaica data is not discussed here. However, the patterns which are emerging are so clear that I thought that they would make for good sharing. For instance, what do our youth feel about regional integration? Well most of those interviewed felt that it is a good thing. However, almost three-quarters of those interviewed felt that they were more comfortable with having separate independent governments rather than a federation or unitary state. Having said that though, the majority of the respondents felt that their West Indian identity was just as important as their national identity. On the issue of freedom of movement in the region? Respondents were generally against their governments granting automatic citizenship to other Caribbean nationals. Although, there was slightly less opposition, on this matter, for people emigrating from other Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). How do the youth see politics and politicians? Not too positively, it would appear. A significant proportion believes that the political system in their country is to be blamed for the existing poverty. The majority of them, also, do not believe that politicians can be relied upon to keep their promises. There is the general feeling that life in their country is very difficult for the average citizen. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that most of the respondents do not think that most people are essentially good and can be trusted. On a more encouraging note though, just under half of them said they had a strong or moderate interest in politics. Now, where would young people like to go if they had to migrate? Well, not surprising, the US was by far the most popular choice. This was followed by the UK and Canada. In relation to the Caribbean a few people selected St. Marteen, the US Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Barbados. Perhaps the most surprising finding was in relation to the Caribbean country they admired most. The respondents gave a wide variety of countries, however, the two most popular choices were Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. I had expected Jamaica to be the most popular choice, based on previous research. While these are results from a pilot study, they do give an intriguing picture of how our youth perceive life in the Caribbean. My desire is to get a clearer understanding of these issues, which can only come from additional research, since they have serious implications for business and governance in the region. Perhaps some public or private sector organisation may want to get involved in this kind of research. Peace!
Ian Boxill is a sociologist who lectures at the UWI, Mona. Email:iboxill@uwimona.edu.jm. 
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