Young Spaniards Research Articles

Interpretando la emigración de los jóvenes españoles en un contexto de crisis económica

Este artículo trata sobre los efectos de la crisis económica en la movilidad internacional de los jóvenes españoles desde una perspectiva crítica. Las dificultades para encontrar empleo derivadas de la crisis económica han propiciado un cambio sin precedentes en la movilidad internacional de los jóvenes españoles. Los resultados recogidos en este artículo apuntan a un relativo declive de la población joven debido a la reducción de la fecundidad y a la creciente movilidad de los jóvenes, hecho que por un lado ha generado un gran ruido mediático y por otro puede tener consecuencias futuras para la sostenibilidad del Estado de bienestar en España.

Emergencia sociosanitaria en consumo de riesgo de alcohol y síntomas de dependencia en jóvenes

Introducción. El exceso consumo de alcohol en la población adolescente y joven constituye un problema de gran magnitud y una atención sociosanitaria Objetivo. Evaluar las características psicométricas del Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) en población juvenil y estudiar los trastornos por consumo de alcohol en adolescentes y jóvenes españoles y mexicanos, estableciéndose un análisis diferencial. Metodología. Estudio observacional descriptivo con análisis transversal de 1313 adolescentes y jóvenes de España y de México, con edades comprendidas entre los 13 y los 19 años y de ambos sexos. Se ha optado por un diseño de investigación no experimental correlacional, realizado sobre un diseño intrasujeto y seleccionando a los participantes mediante un muestreo probabilístico. Resultados. Se han confirmado las propiedades psicométricas del test AUDIT en muestra juvenil con una adecuada validez de constructo y confiabilidad y su estructura factorial. Asimismo, se confirma la existencia de diferencias significativas entre jóvenes españoles y mexicanos, en todos los indicadores evaluados, obteniéndose un tamaño de efecto elevado. Conclusiones. El consumo intensivo de alcohol en el colectivo juvenil constituye una problemática con múltiples implicaciones, de ahí la importancia de evaluar las conductas de riesgo y los síntomas de dependencia en jóvenes

Juventud y percepciones de la crisis: precarización laboral, clases medias y nueva política

Young people in Spain have been one of the groups most affected by the economic crisis, social cuts and growing inequality in recent years. They are facing a scenario marked by high levels of unemployment and a dramatic uncertainty in their life project. Being a vulnerable group, it is of enormous sociological interest to understand not only how they perceive the recent social, political and economic changes in the country, but also to know their views on the welfare state and its role inside the current model of economic austerity that prevails in Europe nowadays. To do so, we have developed a qualitative analysis (sociological discourse analysis) drawing on empirical data obtained from six focus groups held in mid-2015 in the region of Madrid. The groups had been organized in order to discuss different issues related to the lifestyles of young Spaniards, and the participants were grouped according to different social, personal and educational profiles and backgrounds. Our goal was to achieve a better understanding of their perceptions regarding the current socio-political situation, their expectations about their future, while dealing with issues such as the most recent changes in the labour market or public consumption. In this article we present our analysis, while also comparing the results with a similar focus group-based research conducted in mid-2011. Our aim is to identify possible changes in the social representations of young people during this period, highlighting particularly the role public consumption is considered to play in Spanish society. Data shows a striking consensus among participants regarding the worsening of life conditions, social welfare and expectations about the future, while at the same time there is a growing interest in politics.youth; public consumption; precariousness; economic crisis; political participation

Risk low math performance PISA 2012: Impact of assistance to Early Childhood Education and other possible cognitive variables

Mathematics competencies are critical in the development of the individual. There are several variables that can predict poor performance in this competition. These variables may be related to self-learner and teacher who instructs. ObjectiveAnalyse the risk of poor performance depending on several variables: attending early childhood education, learning strategies and strategies used by the teacher uses. MethodNo experimental or ex post facto. DataWe used the database PISA 2012 for Spain provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. The generated data sample consists of 25,313 young Spaniards of both sexes, aged 15 years, belonging to 902 schools that are distributed throughout the national territory of Spain. Dependent or endogenous variablePerformance in mathematics. Independent or exogenous variablesDifferent variables were considered: attendance and duration of Early Childhood Education, student learning strategies and teaching strategies. Analysis of dataBinary logistic regression. ResultsIt shows that the factor that has greater predictive capability of risk of underperformance is attending Early Childhood Education [β=−.595; ρ<.001]. It is the variable that has more predictive capability of risk of all analysed. DiscussionThere are variables that increase the risk and others that reduce this risk. It is possible to prevent low performance in Mathematics competencies, for example, we need to pursue a teaching of quality Early Childhood Education knowing their long-term benefits and not only ensure access to it for all children.

Youth and Expectations on Democracy in Spain: the Role of Individual Human Values Structure of Young People in Dimension of Democracy

Democracy is a form of social organization based on popular sovereignty. The rise of democracy has run in parallel to economic growth in society and this system of government has been increasingly adopted in other countries (Inglehart, 2005). The same concept has been defined over time in different ways according to their historical characteristics. According to Kluckhohn (1958), humans react to external stimuli as well as to their own interpretations of stimuli as per a cognitive framework defined by the cul-ture in which the individual is inserted. This research is aimed at learning how values influence the concept that young Spaniards have of democracy and determine how these affect each dimension, factor or element in which the study of this type of social organization can be divided. In order to carry out this research we are using data from the sixth round of the European Social Survey (ESS) conducted in 2012. The sample consists of two groups, one with individuals aged 18 to 30 and a second group with people over 30 years of age. Results indicate that democracy —and its elements— is not an ideal concept, or it should not be seen as an invariable, objective concept, external to citizens. It is rather an adaptive and evolving instrument, consubstantial to each individual’s vital experience and society’s in its whole in which values have a joint function between the macro and the micro-social groups.

Building a Future in Times of Crisis. Young, Highly Qualified Migrants in the UK

This paper explores the migration of young, highly qualified Spaniards in the context of the current financial crisis. Various data sources are taken into account to show that the UK is currently the main destination country for young Spanish migrants. Drawing on qualitative interview data, the paper discusses the two main themes occurring in Spanish participants’ narratives: a belief in progress and meritocratic ideals as well as a strong sense of political anger. Participants’ belief in progress, the paper argues, constitutes an ‘attitudinal capital’ that originates in the economic bonanza preceding the crisis. At the same time, the participants’ interviews contain traces of political protest discourses that stem from Spanish pressure groups and alternative media who are critical of the current conservative government. The paper concludes by pointing out that while for the time being migration trajectories of young Spaniards in the UK seem to be rather positive and characterised by the acquisition of human capital, their sense of political anger could potentially become problematic if the upward social mobility they aspire to remains inaccessible.

The phenomenon of new Spanish emigration: its historical retrospect and present post-crisis reality

The article outlines new trends in the international flows of highly-skilled human resources from Spain because of deep economic crisis started in 2008 with its dramatic social consequences. High levels of youth unemployment as a result of downturn of national labor market provoked emigration of young Spaniards. The paper aims to compare the main socio-economic characteristics of recent migration and massive movements of the 1960-1970s when thousands of domestic Spaniards went abroad, to neighboring European countries to find a job and better life conditions. That historical wave of migration had rotary cycles and was composed mainly by low educated and unskilled workers. In comparison, among recent Spanish-born emigrants predominates educated and highly-qualified youth. However the Europe is the main end of attraction, some Latin American countries are increasing their importance due to the government politics with the purpose of recruiting Spanish scientists and highly qualified professionals.

Internet como refugio y escudo social: Usos problemáticos de la Red por jóvenes españoles

Universal access to the Internet among young people has been accompanied by new opportunities associated with online developments and practices, but the problematic use of the digital environment also involves threats. In the current scientific literature, there is no clear consensus on the definition of the behaviors that could arise from inappropriate use of the Web, which, as an attempt, is defined with the term addiction. This article combines a qualitative-quantitative approach, based on a competitive national research project, aiming to identify the main threats posed by digital immersion of Spanish youth between 12 and 17 years old. On the one hand, results obtained from this research confirm the discomfort experienced by young people when they have to be offline during a certain period of time, especially in those intensive users of social networks. On the other hand, it has been shown how damaged or conflicting family relationships lead individuals from 15 years old to spend more time connected to the Internet in an attempt to supplement or protest against their family interactions. This study confirms several trends already mentioned in the specialized literature, and presents new findings that suggest possible future lines of investigation on early detection of cyberpathologies. La universalización del acceso a Internet entre los jóvenes va acompañada de nuevas oportunidades asociadas a las prácticas y desarrollos on-line, pero también de amenazas derivadas de un uso problemático del entorno digital. En la literatura científica actual, no se observa un consenso en la definición de las conductas que podrían derivarse de un uso inadecuado de la Red, al que, de manera aún tentativa, se define como adicción. Este trabajo combina una aproximación cualitativa y cuantitativa, a partir de un proyecto competitivo nacional, con el objetivo de identificar las principales amenazas que presenta la inmersión digital de los jóvenes entre 12 y 17 años en España. Los resultados obtenidos confirman, en primer lugar, el estrés y/o malestar experimentado por los jóvenes ante la imposibilidad de conectarse a Internet durante un determinado período de tiempo, especialmente en aquellos usuarios intensivos de redes sociales. En segundo lugar, se ha comprobado cómo las relaciones familiares deterioradas o conflictivas influyen en que los adoles-centes a partir de 15 años pasen más tiempo conectados a la Red, en un intento de suplir sus interacciones familiares o protestar frente a ellas. El trabajo confirma tendencias apuntadas en la literatura especializada y presenta nuevos hallazgos que sugieren líneas adicionales de interés para futuras investigaciones interdisciplinarias en torno al reconocimiento y la detección precoz de las ciberpatologías.

Science Communication 2.0

The level of scientific culture among young Spaniards is one of the lowest in Europe. The media, as spokespersons to the public, and public universities, as the institutions responsible for higher education, are two important parties with the responsibility for changing this situation. This study analyses how both use the Internet and Web 2.0 to promote science. In the case of universities, the results demonstrate the effort they are making to connect science to these tools. 72.9% have a scientific news feed and almost a third have a profile on Facebook and Twitter. However, the role of Spanish science is still irrelevant in online newspapers. Only 35.4% of published information refers to research in Spain.

Gender, Dependency and Guilt in Intimate Relationship Conflict Among Spanish Couples

Conflict is inherent to all types of interpersonal relationships. The interdependence that characterizes romantic relationships is related to the way that men and women perceive intimate partner conflict. The emotion of guilt also plays an important role in the perception of conflict. In the present research we study how, in a conflictive situation, dependency in the relationship is related to guilt in men and women. A total of 116 young Spaniards (half men and half women) were exposed to a plausible conflict situation with their partners. Fifty-eight were undergraduate Psychology students who came to the laboratory with their partners (also mainly college students). The perceived seriousness of the conflict was manipulated, and the study explored how this perception affected the emotion of guilt. We also analyzed the effect of dependency on the intensity of experienced guilt. Results showed that women with high dependency felt guiltier than women with low dependency in high-conflict situations.

Energy density, diet quality, and central body fat in a nationwide survey of young Spaniards

ObjectivesTo determine the impact of energy density on diet quality and anthropometric proxy measures for central body fat in young Spaniards. MethodsData were obtained from a representative national sample of 2513 young Spaniards aged 10 to 24 y. Dietary assessment was performed with a 24-h recall. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by the KIDMED index. Reduced rank regression analysis was used to identify energy-density dietary patterns. Waist circumferences and height were measured. ResultsPastries and sausages showed the strongest loading for the dietary energy density factor score (DED-FS), with fruits and vegetables at the opposite end of the scale. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a positive association (P < 0.01) of dietary energy density (DED) and the DED-FS with waist circumferences regressed on height and age (WCheight+age) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The adjusted odds ratio for elevated WCheight+age and WHtR increased across quartile distribution of DED (P < 0.001) and DED-FS (P < 0.05). Diet quality characterized by the KIDMED index was negatively associated (P < 0.001) with DED and the DED-FS. ConclusionsHigher DED is a risk for increased central fat distribution and is associated with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

The political cultures of young people: an uncertain and unstable combinatorial logic

Addressing the sterile debate on the question of ‘youth de-politicisation’ requires taking into account the new structural and cultural conditions of the relationship between young people and politics. We must also seek to understand the multiple meanings that politics today has for young people by linking their logics of politicisation with the social dynamics of youth in modern society. In this paper, I present the results of qualitative analysis of focus group and interviews with approximately 100 young Spaniards. I discuss the main structures of meaning present in their discourses, and how young people combine and employ these meanings to orientate themselves in the public sphere. Phenomena such as political individualisation, the sudden incursions of youth into the public sphere or the intermittent and provisional presence and distancing from institutional politics are better understood from the perspective proposed here.

Francisco de Enzinas, a Reformationminded humanist with a vernacular dream

In sixteenth-century Western Europe there was widespread debate as to whether it was permissible, or even desirable, that the laity read the Bible in the vernacular and whether the Bible might be translated into various national languages. Under the influence of the humanistic ideas of Desiderius Erasmus, several young Spaniards came to Leuven to complete their studies, one of whom was the Spanish humanist, Francisco de Enzinas, whose chief objective was to provide a Spanish translation of Scripture. This article will show that in an eventful life, but cut short, and during which he eventually did admit allegiance to the Reformation, Enzinas was only able to partially achieve this goal. In 1543 he published a Spanish translation of the New Testament and some books of the Old Testament.

Determinants of dietary lignan intake in a representative sample of young Spaniards: association with lower obesity prevalence among boys but not girls

Lignan-rich diets have been associated with favorable health effects through improved metabolic profile. In this study, we hypothesized that dietary lignan intake could be also associated with childhood obesity. We studied prevalent obesity in relation to lignan intake within the enKid study that involved 3438 children, adolescents and young adults (2-24 years old). Participant's dietary records were used to calculate lignan dietary intake using a lignan composition database adapted to the Spanish diet. The mean intake of the dietary lignans was calculated as ~1 mg/day, corresponding mainly (37%) to pinoresinol. No gender differences were found, but lignan intake was positively associated with age, physical activity level and dietary fiber intake, and negatively with the intake of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. The main sources of dietary lignans were refined wheat, olive oil and whole-wheat bread. A strong association between dietary lignan intake and prevalent obesity was found only for boys, with odds ratio (highest versus lowest quartile of lignan intake) of 0.34 (95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.70) after adjusting for main confounders, including dietary fiber. Boys with the highest lignan-rich products including cereals, whole-grain products and olive oil, presented less cases of obesity in this representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents. It is unknown whether this association implies an active role of dietary lignans on obesity development, or is merely an indicator of a healthier lifestyle.

Mediterranean diet and waist circumference in a representative national sample of young Spaniards

Increased waist circumference (WC), a surrogate measure for abdominal fat mass, is associated with higher cardiovascular risk not only in adults but also in youth. Identifying healthy dietary patterns that prevent abdominal fat accumulation is of paramount importance for public health. This study investigated the association between adherence to Mediterranean diet guidelines and waist circumference in a representative national sample of young Spaniards (n=2513), aged 10 to 24 years. Dietary data were recorded through a 24-h recall, waist circumference measured by research staff, and adherence to Mediterranean diet guidelines determined with the 16-item KIDMED questionnaire, based on the principles sustaining Mediterranean dietary patterns. A questionnaire provided physical activity and demographic data. Higher KIDMED scoring was significantly associated with higher leisure time physical activity levels and higher maternal education. Multiple regression analysis showed that the KIDMED score was also inversely associated with age- and height-standardized residuals of waist circumference and with waist-to-height ratio (p=0.001). After multivariate adjustment, a 5-point increase in KIDMED was associated with a mean decline of 1.54 cm in sex-, age- and height-adjusted WC. These results suggest that following Mediterranean dietary principles may be important in reducing the risk of high waist circumference in young people.

The Parallax Worlds of the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra

The West–Eastern Divan Orchestra – founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim with the support of Edward W. Said in response to the Israel–Palestine conflict – brings together young Arabs, Jews and Spaniards for a workshop and concert tour every year. It displays a tension between repertoire (exclusively the Western classical tradition) and marketing (as an expression of inter-cultural dialogue). Drawing on fieldwork from 2006, the article analyses this tension as it evolves for players who shift repeatedly between the demands of Western orchestral playing and political discussion. It exposes the way the hierarchy of musical roles and the discourse elaborated around them create an environment that erases the political identities of players; and discusses the ways in which this environment is punctured at certain moments by a discursive or practical intervention, causing political allegiances to rise back to the surface explosively (only to be subsumed once again into music). Although the orchestra is set up to oppose the violence of war in the Middle East, it can be seen to contain its own disconcertingly coercive regime, one emerging from its hierarchical constitution with Barenboim as omnipotent leader, the professional ambitions of players, and the power that music can have in confounding the conceptual sphere.

Food biotechnology and education

It is clear that the future of our children will be marked by the development of two scientific disciplines: computing and biotechnology. Regarding the first, during recent years considerable progress have been done in many countries around the globe aimed at enhancing the teaching in these subjects and, at the same time, encouraging the use of computers in classrooms. On the contrary, training in biotechnology is absent in many secondary schools of the planet. This formative deficiency generates citizens whose opinion on the marketing of biotechnological products is easily manipulated by both defenders and opposers of biotechnology. This situation is of particular relevance when the item in question is food biotechnological applications that provoke an intense social debate and more specifically the so-called genetically modified foods (GM foods). In this article we report a survey carried out with 500 young Spanish consumers in order to discover their attitudes to GM foods. The work has been focused on the study of the perception of GM foods and their labelling. The results indicate that they are moderately receptive to GM foods but like to be informed through labelling. However, the most important conclusion of the survey is the lack of sufficient knowledge about food biotechnology and genetic engineering on the part of young Spaniards. It is therefore very important that an unbiased presentation of the scientific basis of biotechnology should be introduced in secondary education. In this sense, the project BIOEDUCAR is an important tool to introduce unbiased information about food biotechnology in the Latin America and Spanish secondary schools.

La juventud española y el doble método: un análisis de la situación actual. Resultados de un estudio transversal de una muestra amplia

ObjectivesTo determine the percentage of Spanish 15-24-year-olds of both sexes that use or know about the double method. Material and methodsWe performed a cross-sectional study in March 2005 through a national survey of a sample of 2015 Spanish 15-24-year-olds. The data were collected in a database specifically designed for the study and were analyzed using the SPSS statistical system. ResultsSeventy percent of the 15-24-year-olds were sexually active. The most widely used contraceptive method was the condom. Only 3.4% of males and 7.3% of females had ever used the double method and this percentage decreased to 0.2% and 2.9%, respectively, in the last sexual relationship. Thirty-one percent of males and 36.8% of females were aware of the double method. ConclusionsUse and knowledge of the double method are low among young Spaniards.

How the media can influence and collaborate in the development of youth participation

This paper's objective is to deal with the educational potentiality of media in the development of the communicative and participative competences which are clearly needed and an essential part of all civic education. After a description of the situation in Spain at present with reference to the absence of participation and its possible causes, the text refers to the support that educational policy has given to civic education in schools over the last 15 years, and which will, hopefully, help to improve the situation. Secondly, the paper deals with the relationship between media and citizen participation, and analyzes the situation of young Spaniards and their relationship with the media in an attempt to discover if, by using media and new media it would be possible to generate positive attitudes towards participation. Before the conclusions a practical case study where media have been used to motivate youth will be analyzed.

Preclinical coronary atherosclerosis in a population with low incidence of myocardial infarction: cross sectional autopsy study

Studies of autopsies indicate that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and is related to risk factors for coronary heart disease in the same way as for adult atherosclerosis.1 In Spain, despite...